Discussion Obsolete and Obsolescent: i286/386/486

[jnjnilson6]

Have any of you still Intel 286/386/486 chips and systems running Win 3.11 for Workgroups or Windows 95 in the world of vintage hardware?

Even if you have not the chips currently in your possession: was there a time in which you did? What interesting stories regarding the aforementioned hardware and practicableness and vigorous abandon peculiar to the nocturnal hours could you consider to share?

If you've only had such systems for a point in time or for a while, do write about your experience!

Thank you!

 

[USAFRet]

I've had all of those. And earlier.
I might still have the original AST shipping box for a 486SX system.

As time went on, they were all passed to lower need users. Or the Great Recycling Bin in the Sky.

 

[jnjnilson6]

I've had all of those. And earlier.
I might still have the original AST shipping box for a 486SX system.

As time went on, they were all passed to lower need users. Or the Great Recycling Bin in the Sky.

I bet some airplanes still use even weaker stuff, perhaps even 8086 for particular tasks.

The fact an airport would use Windows 3.11 in modern days and depend majorly upon it is frightening. https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-23-year-old-windows-3-1-system-failure-crashed-paris-airport/

 

[USAFRet]

I bet some airplanes still use even weaker stuff, perhaps even 8086 for particular tasks.

The fact an airport would use Windows 3.11 in modern days and depend majorly upon it is frightening. https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-23-year-old-windows-3-1-system-failure-crashed-paris-airport/

Seeing as a LOT of currently flying aircraft were designed in the 1980's or before, not unusual.
Systems in aircraft are completely different than what you have on your desk.

 

[jnjnilson6]

Seeing as a LOT of currently flying aircraft were designed in the 1980's or before, not unusual.
Systems in aircraft are completely different than what you have on your desk.

Yes, of course. The software within should be written perfectly (nearly perfectly). Changing hardware and rewriting the software often could have deadly consequences in the sky. When something works beautifully it can work like that for a long time.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, of course. The software within should be written perfectly (nearly perfectly). Changing hardware and rewriting the software often could have deadly consequences in the sky. When something works beautifully it can work like that for a long time.

Changing hardware and its software in aircraft is FAR more cost intensive than people think.

And...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

What a 50 year old aircraft looks like:

 

[jnjnilson6]

Changing hardware and its software in aircraft is FAR more cost intensive than people think.

And...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

What a 50 year old aircraft looks like:

That's one hell of a beaut.

Reminds me a little of IL2 Sturmovik 1946 - an exigent, breathless, wonderful simulator. Was never really good at it and had played it before many years.

I do not know which one should feel more comfortable flying in - an old plane or a new one. The new one may harbor (although very rarely) design flaws which have heretofore remained unnoticed; the old plane has undergone much repair and nobody really knows at what particular point in time somebody fixed something wrongly or half-conscientiously only. It's a coin toss in the end.