Microsoft Discontinues Windows 3.x 384
rugatero writes "The BBC reports that, as of last Saturday, Microsoft is no longer issuing licenses for the 18-year-old Windows 3.x. Many here may well be surprised to learn that anyone still has use for the antiquated software, but it seems to have found a home in a number of embedded systems — including cash registers and the in-flight entertainment systems on some long-haul passenger jets (Virgin and Qantas are cited). Considering Linux's credentials as an embedded OS, this news could very well indicate the possibility of more migrations in the pipeline."
How dare they! (Score:5, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Slashdot, where's the Obama story? (Score:4, Funny)
Well, it's news that matters, right now, so....
Two weeks.
Darn (Score:2, Funny)
I guess this means my sweet 386DX with the 2400 baud modem is going to be hacked the next time I dial into Prodigy to access Mad Maze.
I wonder if this will simply end up with companies using Wine over linux to run their legacy apps?
Performance boost. (Score:5, Funny)
Upgrading from Windows 3.x to Vista Ultimate should provide a significant performance boost for any application.
Re:That explains it (Score:5, Funny)
That's not the sky, that's a BSOD.
Oh yeah (Score:5, Funny)
They are all nice to you when you retire. "Have fun on the beach," they say. Then one day, when you are relaxing in your hammock enjoying your time off maybe sipping a gin and tonic, the phone rings. "It's Linus and the Mac fag," they say, "They're back." "No way, I'm out of the game," you say. Then Windows ME bangs on your door, his back riddled with bullet holes, you know now and then that the computing world needs you. Up in the attic, you grab a handful of floppies and your trusty 2400 baud modem. "Fuck it," you mutter.
Re:How dare they! (Score:5, Funny)
Surprised? Surprised to learn that Win3.1 is still in use? I think the descriptor they're after is totally fucking gobsmacked so hard my gob flew across the room and bit me in the ass when I passed out and fell on it.
Re:That explains it (Score:5, Funny)
I'm trying to find something funny to say about crashing, Windows and Qantas' recent in-flight incidents. I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere...
Damn it! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:China Airlines uses Linux on their in-flight (Score:5, Funny)
It's not very often you get to see the boot up but in one case they rebooted the system after they landed and in the other my partners crashed when we were trying to change the default language.
Oh my God, that's terrible! My condolences for your loss, and I will never use Linux again.
In other news... (Score:5, Funny)
Ah, the memories... (Score:5, Funny)
Entertainment? Win3.1? (Score:5, Funny)
How would an in-flight entertainment system even run on Windows 3.1? What kind of entertainment would you be viewing?
Playing Cinepak-compressed video at 15 frames per second in 8 bit color? Maybe playing Minesweeper?
Re:Slashdot, where's the Obama story? (Score:5, Funny)
And nerds everywhere rejoiced. Finally people on /. are getting laid.
Re:Damn it! (Score:4, Funny)
Dude! I finally broke the 640k conventional memory barrier with QEMM386. You should try it!
Re:Deep in the bowels of MSland.... (Score:3, Funny)
"We had a good run team." One of them says as they walk off into the sunset.
I totally read that as "walk off into the usenet". Heh.
Re:Slashdot, where's the Obama story? (Score:5, Funny)
Wait... what obama story? Did something happen?
Re:That explains it (Score:1, Funny)
I guess they still haven't tracked down that bug in Solitaire that would make the whole system hang.
Re:Damn it! (Score:5, Funny)
I suppose I could try putting Vista on my 33 MHz 486
Yep, just be sure that the turbo button is pressed on if you want to be able to move the mouse around.
Re:Slashdot, where's the Obama story? (Score:2, Funny)
yeah, i hear he's just really a figurehead
Re:Darn (Score:5, Funny)
The bootup was significantly faster than my vista today (am downgrading to XP today;
you misspelled upgrading.
Re:why does it automaticly mean linux? (Score:4, Funny)
Can you imagine Vista, running on the back of every seat in a A380?
Super computers are heavy you know, and have you seen Vista's power usage?
The jet needs the engines for flight you know.
Re:How dare they! (Score:4, Funny)
I wonder if Qantas is using 3.1 for its navigation system as well? It would go a long way to explaining their recent issues...
Re:Slashdot, where's the Obama story? (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, they finally caught him.
Free the code! (Score:3, Funny)
They could release the code, but I guess they can't give the core of Vista away...
Re:That explains it (Score:5, Funny)
My flight didn't offer on-seat TV, but overhead TV only displayed information such as course and weather. Sometime the information pages would switch to camera view displaying what looked like real-time images from a camera shooting below the airplane.
It was good to look at, until it suddenly crashed, accompanyed by a loud sound that was probably caused by normal turbulence. Some passengers didn't know what was going on and started to scream uncontrollably.
I recognized they familiar screen, and attempted to conform the coward by saying that "Don't worry, it's just WINDOWS crashing."
More panic broke out, and the cockpit was in total chaos.
BTW, talking about the scary part, I almost got arrested for causing terror in the air. Had I not repeated what it looks like a WINDOWS crashing in my laptop I'd still be in Taiwan prison.
Re:America discontinues Republicanism 1.0 (Score:3, Funny)
Bush 6.5??? He had to have been an early alpha or there are some serious flaws in the system genera... oh nvm
Sad... (Score:3, Funny)
You can still run Windows 3.11 on DosBOX (complete with a working Microsoft BOB install! Really!). What am I going to do now? :-(
Re:How dare they! (Score:5, Funny)
I guess it would be like one of my first game I made in assembly (on a C64). It was a "snake" kind of game and as soon as I typed run the game was displaying the "game over" screen. The reason is the game was so fast I didn't even had time to see both "snakes" going straight into the wall.
So I guess on a modern hardware, Win3.1 will be so fast the only thing you will see is a blue screen of death.
Election have ended (Score:3, Funny)
Slashdot, where's the Obama story?
No sorry. The election is over. /. will now resume its usual regimen of trolls about petrified naked Natalie Portman and welcomes given to our latest overlords-du-jour.
Re:Entertainment? Win3.1? (Score:5, Funny)
Me too! (Score:3, Funny)
The sad part is that now only get turned on by pixelated women.
Re:Me too! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Entertainment? Win3.1? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Slashdot, where's the Obama story? (Score:5, Funny)
Wait... what obama story? Did something happen?
Yeah, it was quite unexpected: after his highly successful second term, during which he finally managed to get rid of the national debt and negotiated some pretty decent peace terms with Australia, everybody thought he would take the position of ambassador to the Chino-Russian Mars colony. Instead he is opening a chocolate shop in Belgium, together with his wife.
Gee, were you in a coma the last 8 years?
Re:Slashdot, where's the Obama story? (Score:5, Funny)
False glitches (Score:5, Funny)
I flew across the US with my daughter, and I immediately turned off the in flight "entertainment" system on our seats. Well, I turned the brightness and volume all the way down - you couldn't actually turn the dang things off. The attendants kept walking by, seeing our screens dark, and without talking to me, rushing to the front of the cabin to announce, "Please be patient, we need to reboot the in-flight movie system." This happened about 6 times before they finally figured out that I was turning them off on purpose.
Adult (Score:2, Funny)
The BBC reports that, as of last Saturday, Microsoft is no longer issuing licenses for the 18-year-old Windows 3.x
They don't have to anymore, Windows 3.x is now an adult and Microsoft is not required to pay child support any longer.
Some may say it is harsh to just kick it out on the street, to fend for itself. But it will be interesting to see how well Windows 3.x does on its own, will it be flipping burgers or will it be working in IT?
Personally I hope it isn't jelous of its younger siblings who gets all the attention, otherwise we could end up with a messy OS gone postal.
Re:Slashdot, where's the Obama story? (Score:2, Funny)
Another man duck-walks across the flight deck.... He's about sixty, with a dirigible of white hair that was not ruffled in any way by the downdraft.
"Hello, everyone," he says cheerfully.
"Who are you?" Tony says.
The new guy looks crestfallen. "Greg Ritchie," he says.
Then, when no one seems to react, he jogs their memory. "President of the United States."
"Oh! Sorry. Nice to meet you, Mr. President," Tony says, extending his hand....
-Snow Crash
Re:Slashdot, where's the Obama story? (Score:4, Funny)
Instead he is opening a chocolate shop in Belgium, together with his wife.
Watch your language!
Re:Me too! (Score:3, Funny)
helping ugly guys imagine they're getting laid...
Re:Slashdot, where's the Obama story? (Score:4, Funny)
Instead he is opening a chocolate shop in Belgium, together with his wife.
Watch your language!
Oh yeah? Well, Belgium you too! ;-)
my flight was running linux (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Entertainment? Win3.1? (Score:1, Funny)
I used to have to masturbate to material of that quality, you insensitive clod!
Minesweeper?