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A blog about personal computing
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Why use old computers and operating systems?

On this blog, I write about the various computers I use and about the
operating systems I use on them. Apart from Windows 7, which is
relatively modern, these include Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard, which at
this point is quite old, and Mac OS 9, which is practically ancient.
I’d like to talk a bit about why I use such old systems.

Joy

I’ve mentioned [9]before that, to me, computers are more than just a
means to an end. I enjoy them or dislike them to the extent that they
are a reflection of myself, to the extent that I can identify myself
with them. They bring me immense joy – as well as much irritation,
unfortunately…

Because I see computing as an interest, a hobby and a passion, I don’t
like to use computers and operating systems that I don’t enjoy using,
in the same way that somebody who enjoys literature isn’t interested in
reading literature that they think is poorly written. That’s why I
refuse to use Windows 10. The poor user interface just hurts my soul.

It happens to be that some of the best, most well-designed, most
enjoyable user interfaces are buried in history. There is no modern
equivalent to the Macintosh. If I want an enjoyable computing
experience, then I am forced to look in the past.

Apps

Even from a totally pragmatic standpoint, there are good reasons not to
reject old computers. To me, the most glaring example is HyperCard, a
revolutionary application for the Macintosh which literally does not
exist on modern operating systems. If you’ve never used it, it’s hard
to appreciate just how incredible it was, but imagine if spreadsheet
programs like Microsoft Excel stopped being developed and eventually
just disappeared – that’s the level of significance that HyperCard had.

Quite literally, the only way to use HyperCard is to get a hold of an
old Mac – or emulate it, but emulation always falls short of the real
deal. That’s why HyperCard alone is a pretty clear reason to use Mac OS
9 today. It’s one of the biggest reasons why I regularly boot up my
iMac G3; once you’ve discovered it, HyperCard is just too useful to
give up.
[10]Example of a HyperCard stack

I use HyperCard to keep track of the Russian literature that I read.

Specificity

When it comes to retro computing, the inevitable question is how to
access the web. The answer is that it isn’t always possible. My iMac G3
is technically able to browse the web, but it’s not a particularly
enjoyable experience, nor a very useful one. My 2009 Mac Mini running
Snow Leopard handles it relatively well, but even Snow Leopard has
problems accessing a lot of modern web sites.

I think the only solution is to stop expecting every computer to be
general-purpose. In the human world outside of computers,
general-purpose tools are pretty rare. No one expects there to be a
single screw that fits all holes.

If we applied this type of thinking to computers, I think we could have
a healthier relationship to them. I’m quite happy for my iMac to be my
HyperCard machine. As long as I have a way to transfer data to and from
it, it works rather well.

In fact, as cell phones become more and more general-purpose, I suspect
there will be more room for non-general-purpose personal computers.
There is a ton of software, just like HyperCard, waiting to be
discovered in the depths of computer history, and the computers needed
to run them are cheap. If you like WordStar, why not get an old DOS
machine? Even if WordStar is the only program you’ll run on it, it
might be a worthwhile endeavor – as long as you have space for it.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 18th, 2021 at 12:21 and is
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