using new technology on old machines. Was: PDP-12 Restoration at the RICM

[Alexander Schreiber]

On Mon, Jun 15, 2015 at 10:14:18PM -0700, Mark J. Blair wrote:
> 
> > On Jun 15, 2015, at 21:59, tony duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote: Even
> > though there are at least 4 different USB connectors....
> 
> Ok, you got me there! When I was working for a GPS startup, I used mini-B on
> everything I designed with USB (always devices, never hosts, and no need for
> USB OTG). Then we got bought by a cell phone company and now everything's a
> godawful mix of mini-B and micro-B, with OTG thrown in there, too. Grrr!

Well, micro-B is the better choice since it is designed for more plug
cycles than mini-b, designed to minimize wear on the socket and instead
wear out the (cheap, easy to replace) cable and it actually locks in the
socket, so is much less likely to slip out.

I'm cursing everytime some device comes with a mini-B connector these days
instead of micro-B.

> > IMHO USB got round the problem of null-modem cables by making them
> > impossible. Which to me is not an improvement. I guess USB is OK when it
> > works (like plugging in a memory stick) but a right pain to debug when it
> > doesn't. And having read the standard there is much I dislike about it.
> 
> Maybe this isn't the best time or place for this particular rant, but 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!

Windows does what (haven't used a Windows box for a long time)? Now that
is retarded. I'm used to my systems (Linux, *BSD) just going "oh, this is
a keyboard/mouse, no problem, I can handle this" and stuff quietly works.

Kind regards,
           Alex.
-- 
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and
 looks like work."                                      -- Thomas A. Edison