Windows and devices - was Re: using new technology on old machines. Was: PDP-12 Restoration at the RICM

On 2015-06-16 1:14 AM, Mark J. Blair wrote: in my opinion, Windows' implementation of USB is fundamentally broken. It's a mouse, you stupid computer! You shouldn't need to spend a minute or more installing a new device driver for it! And you shouldn't need to install the driver yet again if I poke it in a different hole than I did last time! Every other ******* OS on the planet is smart enough to say "Oh, a mouse! I know how to use those!" within a handful of milliseconds! Here's a cute gotcha I hit this week: - Have a running Windows 8.1 machine with PS/2 keyboard. - Shut it down, start up with only USB keyboard. - Shut down and boot again with PS/2 keyboard atached. - Windows ignores it (although BIOS flashes lights normally, etc). - Registry change (found by google) & reboot brings it back to life. Can't imagine how many good keyboards were dumpster'd over that one. --Toby