I might hate Big Corporate Software just enough... [OK Computer]

[rebeccmeister]

Continuing the computer adventures....

I managed to get Time Machine to back up the laptop this morning, which is nice. I haven't seen any evidence of any particular file-related issues, just the crashes/power-offs.

So I am figuring one other thing to do is see about finally updating my operating system. I originally stopped doing that because IIRC Sierra had some major issues/hangups.

So tra la la, let's download this thing, Catalina.

Except oopsie, as I go to install, apparently Big Fruit Company followed through on their threats to break those 32-bit programs many of us know and love, especially ones put together by that other big software company, Huts Built of Mud.

Back in the day, I intentionally purchased a copy of CS5 as produced by Huts Built of Mud because it was the last time they offered up hard copies of their software instead of @#$%@$^$ subscription bilking services.

Oh, also, it will break my copies of TinyNotHard programs used for word-processing and spreadsheet capabilities, mostly (occasional slideshows).

#$%@$%^#$%^.

It's enough to make a person contemplate switching back over to more Open Sores stuff. Except I really don't want to be doing that right before the start of a new semester, and my work machine is a Big Fruit Company machine.

Anyway, sigh. Let's see how this goes. I'm not optimistic.

Edited to add... Yeah, that didn't work, at all. *shakes fist in the air futilely*

Comments

[mallorys_camera]

I share your love/hate relationship with the Big Fruit Company.

I use absolutely ancient operating systems on my two relatively ancient Big Fruit Company computers because I don't want to have to update all my graphic arts software. I mean, who the hell wants to learn the newer versions of Photoshop?

[rebeccmeister]

Yes! It's the graphic arts software that's both expensive and will break if I upgrade!

[twoeleven]

Having checked, I see that most of the distro's of weeping wounds *nix are also shifting to 64-bit clean, which is breaking things there too.

I'm also running a fruity, cat-themed OS to keep a lot of old code running. (Well, that and Orange's previous tower machine sucked mossy rocks.) So, a few things that have been on my mind:

1) Once their new towers ("pro" models) come out, I'm going to pick up one of the merely old ones. Unsurprisingly, second-hand computer dealers hung on to the installers for Orange's older OSs, so those will be installed.

It's also possible to sweet-talk Orange tech support into sending you a copy of their older OSs. I needed to do that once.

2) Older OSs can be dual-booted with newer ones, if it's just a few old programs used only occasionally.

or, 3) Older OSs can run under emulation/virtualization under newer ones. I'm already doing that for a few creaky versions of Doors to support even older software that was never written for Orange machines.

Just FWIW.

Edit: and Dried Mud Bricks has some new competitors, since we're not the only ones who see little need for subscription software. (I see some use for it, but not much.)