My PC will run win 7 , i could add more ram mobo supports more, but for me to be able to play games with no sound issues ,i would need to buy a PCI sound card that has it's own CPU so can do it's own hardware sound acceleration , but my CPU may be a little too slow, according to the system requirements, ok i could buy a faster cpu, but why should i or anyone else have to do this, all because they microsoft didn't include hardware sound acceleration,a dumb move microsoft

I'm not with you. Microsoft don't build motherboards. If they don't have hardware sound acceleration that's the fault of the hardware manufacturer, not the operating system vendor.

When I first worked with the NHS in the early noughties, I came across systems using Win 3.1 and Win 95 was not uncommon at all. The standard IT security induction days used Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer (IE6 as it happens, and it was considered state of the art...)

IT departments and GPs get the gadgets and the up to date systems. Then managers, then departments that require better kit. Then it's standard users, then front line staff, then clinics. It trickles down.

I was using XP on a laptop and backing up to a server over network, or to a CD Rom. Others backed up their data to 3.5 floppy. They run systems into the ground (saving us all a lot of money, but costing us a packet on their terrible procurement practices).

Barking & Dagenham Council goes for Chromebooks, initially with Citrix. Linky.

As an incidental question, am I having a mental failure with the following paragraph?

To remain compliant with the CESG, users would be able to log in through a virtual private network (VPN) to a proxy server hosted by the council, which would then cone into the cloud.

"Cone"?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

As an incidental question, am I having a mental failure with the following paragraph?

To remain compliant with the CESG, users would be able to log in through a virtual private network (VPN) to a proxy server hosted by the council, which would then cone into the cloud.

"Cone"?

"Come". Maybe.

I think this is the key. Early digital publishing was a bonanza for suppliers, designed obsolescence ensuring that each new release required a suite of new programmes. For example, printers had to upgrade each version of Quark at £560 per machine, keeping all the old versions in order to handle old documents for reprints etc. Same applied to Pageplanner which I think became InDesign (memory probably dodgy here, but I remember only too well forking out £000s for gear we didn't need. Then there were bugs galore to be fixed, and just as we had staff and equipment working well, guess what came along ... usually the benefits were not worth the outlay.

Complex NHS software must have cost millions but does seem to work reasonably well, if it's not broke why fix it?

Windows Vista/Win 7, Microsoft have decided to remove the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) for DirectSound and DirectSound3D. alot of games needed this support to work correctly, I do belive that they have re introduced it in win8 ,but no doubt the games won't run on that, infact there are few newer games that run on win8

Not that would buy the newest microsoft flop

Edited by tommy45 (Sat 05-Apr-14 13:55:52)

Since Vista appeared many years ago I am surprised that the games programmers are still using such outdated techniques. I must admit that I have never encountered a problem with games running on Vista or Windows 7. There are probably more modern games that won't run on XP than the other way round.

I would say the opposite, almost every game i have looked at run on xp. infact there is only a minority of games that you need win7 or newer to run them , but they also would require better hardware too, and i ain't going to upgrade my pc 's hardware for some gaming publisher, and win 8 they included what they forgot to add to vista (fail) and win7 , Only they screwed up the rest of win8, it doesn't even read .txt files, without 3rd party sw, maybe win 9 or whatever they are going to name it maybe the next o/s that will be worthwile upgrading to, until then there is xp patches or no patches , and the patches will be leaked by someone, for download of the masses

Edited by tommy45 (Sat 05-Apr-14 16:42:02)

Hmmmm, millions of pounds as a lump sum to Dell or whoever for new PCs and rewriting software or those millions being spent on treating patients.

I think its better the cost being spread over time and most of the money being spent on patients don't you?

Upgrades will happen eventually but better to pay MS a smaller amount to extend support while that happens I think

I don't work in government or the NHS but our migration to 7 from XP was slow as several in house mission critical applications had to be modified and thoroughly tested before 7 could be rolled out along with the applications.