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Ask HN: Who's still keeping a DOS machine up because the business depends on it?

297 points · 304 comments · mlaux

  1. Felger · · focus · HN ↗
    Not DOS, but I sold a '99 HP computer running win98 last month, to replace an identical failed system. It was used to control a 50 meters long custom industrial paint booth line for special equipments (like 57" rims). Luckily, their HDD was OK. Urged them to make a few sector-to-sector copies of it on a few spare HDD. This $100 sell surely has prevented this business from massive bills or even going bankrupt in the meantime from production loss.
    1. fluorinerocket · · focus · HN ↗
      Insane to me that someone would use a windows machine to run a piece of equipment when PLCs exist and are supported for decades by companies like Rockwell, Siemens, Allen Bradley
      1. Felger · · focus · HN ↗
        There are lot of windows based solutions since more than 20 years ago for two main reasons : recipe management system, and logging. A basic SCADA of sort. PLCs systems of that era could either not manage it (TSX, S5,S7-100/200), or it would be additionnal very expensive, complex and typically OPC-based solutions (I'm shivering).

        Some of theses solutions are built upon common PLCs but some are built as standalone solutions when I/O are simple enough (modbus mainly, RS232/422/485, ethernet/IP, controlnet, ...). Seen lot of them in breeding nutrition management systems, in-house developped processes, ...

        1. peebee67 · · focus · HN ↗
          Weren't all the ATMs running a custom Windows 98 into the late 2000's?
          1. reaperducer · · focus · HN ↗
            You maybe be thinking of OS/2.

            <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;wiki.os2world.com&#x2F;index.php&#x2F;OS&#x2F;2_on_ATMs" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;wiki.os2world.com&#x2F;index.php&#x2F;OS&#x2F;2_on_ATMs

          2. Felger · · focus · HN ↗
            Lots of NCR&#x27;s ATMs switched from OS&#x2F;2 to Windows 2000 workstation at the beginning of the 2000&#x27;s in western europe. Probably the same anywhere else. Had a lot of fun with token ring networks with the strange square connector plugs.
        2. Felger · · focus · HN ↗
          Oh, and I forgot another great issue that made a lot of companies developping their own PC&#x2F;windows-based solutions : PANELS. The panel solutions provided by the main players were quite horrific : proprietary, slow, buggy, limited, very expensive, bad at commissioning (speed, firmware&#x2F;software compatibility issues). Siemens Simatic HMI from the &#x27;2000 decade was especially lagging and a few generation behind those from, for example, Allen-Bradley with the PanelView +&#x2F;CE range, based on... Windows CE.
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