From Robert Clark, University College London
95 or even 98 cheers for Barry Fox. It is most encouraging that he should
deal the “emperor has no clothes” card on the crazy hardware/software inflation
spiral
(Forum, 31 January, p 46).
There is increasing evidence of a recognition from Microsoft that millions of
people will continue to use so-called legacy systems. For example, recently they
have released code to make File Manager in Windows 3.1 year 2000 compliant. They
have succumbed to pressure and now provide filters to convert between the later
and earlier revisions of their Office suite. And their NT5 system will be able
to act as a Windows timesharing engine, serving Windows screens to the most
humble hardware across corporate networks, and maybe in the future into people’s
homes via cable modems or asynchronous digital subscriber loop telephone
technology.
When software in the domestic environment is bought on a monthly basis,
rather than purchased outright or pirated, then the vicious upgrade circle can
be broken or at least tempered.
