8-bit wisdom

[stewie69 (imported)]

First off, I admit that I only know enough about this stuff to be dangerous...

Anybody out there besides me remember when "home computers" covered a wide array of brands, most with their own operating systems? (The exception being PCs and PC clones, of course.) Remember Commodore, Atari, and the Apple II series? I never had much experience with Apple back then, but I knew the others pretty well. Their operating systems were ROMs - chips built right in, and if you wanted to change it, you simply inserted a program cartridge. Got me to thinking, why isn't that possible now? I realize that Windows updates are constantly coming out, for security and a host of other reasons. Still, why wouldn't it be possible to put the core of an operating system on a non-corruptible ROM? Updates would still be on the hard drive, of course, but total crashes would then be theoretically next to impossible, right? Just a theory - please feel free to educate me on why this won't fly.

[kb57z (imported)]

Still, why wouldn't it be possible to put the core of an operating system on a non-corruptible ROM? Updates would still be on the hard drive, of course, but total crashes would then be theoretically next to impossible, right? Just a theory - please feel free to educate me on why this won't fly.

It's been tried.....

In fact, most modern computers possess the hardware mechanisms to make the areas of memory where the "instruction part" of the operating system read-only once the program has been loaded from disk. And "modern" in this context starts with the general introduction of transistors in the early 1960s, and the consequent increase in CPU complexity. And the Ferranti Pegasus had switches to disable the write circuits for some of the tracks on its magnetic drum in 1956.

It doesn't solve the problem, because you still need writable areas for data structures, and when you're dealing with operating systems, the data structures are the programs running under the OS, and if those get screwed up - SPLAT :realpisse

[sapient (imported)]

Also, I think it's a little bit about what is expected in the trade, so to speak. I got started on a ZX Spectrum way back when. And people who were interested in computers at that time had to have the nessecary skills, such as a bit of programming, to get by. Operating systems didn't really exist, because that would take up to much memory - instead the programming language that the computer came with (almost universally BASIC) had to fill the role of operating system. Any user had to know how to write the instructions needed to load and start the program, or the thing was just a big paper weight cluttering your desk.

Apple was the first computer to break with the DIY tradition. (I loved, and still miss, my Macs. Even though I tought programming at collage for a short period, but I've always prefered not to have to DO any programming ...)

There would be ways to avoid a lot of the problems we still have today. If we were used to them, the way we are used to the fact that a car comes with a pre-installed engine for example, we would not even think twice about it. But the industry standard today says that installing the engine is not good practice. In fact, it could probably be viewed as trying to limit competition in the engine market if the "car" manufacturers didn't at least make you think you choose the engine yourself...

So we are stuck at a level comparable to mixing your own gasoline, assembling a gearbox from scratch every six months or so and knowing a lot about rubber to get the right kind of tires...

[lookinginuk (imported)]

First off, I admit that I only know enough about this stuff to be dangerous...

Anybody out there besides me remember when "home computers" covered a wide array of brands, most with their own operating systems? (The exception being PCs and PC clones, of course.) Remember Commodore, Atari, and the Apple II series? I never had much experience with Apple back then, but I knew the others pretty well. Their operating systems were ROMs - chips built right in, and if you wanted to change it, you simply inserted a program cartridge. Got me to thinking, why isn't that possible now? I realize that Windows updates are constantly coming out, for security and a host of other reasons. Still, why wouldn't it be possible to put the core of an operating system on a non-corruptible ROM? Updates would still be on the hard drive, of course, but total crashes would then be theoretically next to impossible, right? Just a theory - please feel free to educate me on why this won't fly.

you can to a level i have linux boot from a flash drive a little 2gb datawrite one you can flick a switch on the side and it turns to a read only so no amount of viruses or adawere can touch it but i can download updates flick the switch update and the flick back and lock it up tight