On 2018-10-01 16:37, Forest Moore : All wrote:   
   > Hi all,   
   > I have an IBM PS/2 Model 30 286, which I know isn't a popular computer   
   > among   
   > retro enthusiats   
      
   > But what I'd like to know is what people have against the PS/2 these   
   > days.   
      
   I can't speak for everyone of course, but old PCs impress me very little.   
      
   Not only because most other computers of the same era was   
   in my personal view better designed than x86s, but also because the   
   x86s haven't really left the 640k mode, booting from the first sector of   
   the first drive on the first bus. True, they flip to protected mode or   
   long mode soon enough but there is still this legacy in them that still   
   allows you to run a very recent PC in the same limited way like your 286   
   up there.   
      
   Of course, this says more about the lack of progress on the platform   
   itself than your PS/2, but anyone wanting to have the bogged down   
   limited env. of 80s x86 can just make sure BIOS boot is enabled and boot   
   some old crap from an emulated diskdrive (over PXE, CD or whatever) and   
   get all the old weird limits imposed on you. In 2018, on a recent PC.   
      
   Also, code and programs made for I don't know, NES, C64, ZX Spectrum,   
   Playstation 1 or Jupiter Ace are by design running in a fixed frame of   
   performance. If those programs can perform Miracle X in Y time, it will   
   be an accomplishment. If one x86 PC wants to do X in Y time, its just a   
   matter of sticking the correct amount of cards in, and pay the cashiers   
   and its there for you.   
      
   Not trying to diss the people that coded awesome stuff for MSDOS-like   
   OSes in their time, but any "X in Y time" is fixable on PC just by   
   waiting and buying a new computer in 6-9 months and performance was   
   doubled, turning any former accomplishment into a "meh" more or less.   
      
   So, kudos to:   
   https://trixter.oldskool.org/2015/04/07/8088-mph-we-break-all-your-emulators/   
      
   ...but PC miracle coding is just often slightly less impressive than for   
   all the fixed architectures history provided for us, in my humble opinion.   
      
   ---   
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