IBM 610 workstation computer 3395

David Scheidt

Unfortunately, in recent years the cheap extra speed and storage has resulted in (IMHO) considerable bloat, not increased performance to the end user.

I have a modern fast PC at work and a ten year old Pentinum 120 at home. Yet my home machine performs faster for me in most cases! Why? Because the operating systems, modern software versions, and mysterious other junk loaded on my work machine chew up an enormous amount of CPU cycles and storage (both RAM and disk).

I have some old QuickBasic applications that ran pretty fast on my previous 286, and now run instantly on my Pentium. I simply couldn't use any more speed.

We can build an automobile with tremendous acceleration and top speed, but it is largely wasted driving to the nearby convenience store for a candy bar. (Indeed, given today's traffic jams, it's largely wasted all over).

Frankly, as a computer user (as opposed to a computer hobbyist), I wish they slow down the pace of new releases. Converting from my 286 to Pentium was a pain. Converting to a new machine will be even more of a nuisance. I'm not even sure my numerous QB4.5 programs will run on a new machine. I'll have to learn a new operating system. I'll have to convert my Word macros, and lose certain Word features. Since right now I get all the performance I could possibly use, getting a new machine becomes a NEGATIVE to me, so I'm resisting it.

Further, the fast upgrade in operating systems make older software obsolete. My existing PC certainly has the horsepower to support broadband access, but the buttociated software won't run on my machine for marketing, not technical, reasons.