As technology marches on, some people get trapped using decades-old software and devices. Here's a look inside the strange, stubborn world of obsolete Windows machines.
Wait until they hear about nuclear powerplants and similar things still working on PDP-11s.
I have a client who has a very very specialised radiation therapy device that works with a very antique iteration of Unix.
Its software has been reviewed thousands of times over the years and so has the operating system.
They have plenty of spare parts and both the software and OS have been custom updated to work with 32-bit hardware over a decade ago as a precaution,but no hardware replacement has been needed so far - probably due to the relatively good protection from background radiation and very well done temperature management.
Should they upgrade to a modern OS just for the sake of being “up to date”?
Fuck no.
That would mean:
Getting a new OS that is providing either drivers for the old hardware or getting new hardware. (Replacement costs for new hardware is around 20 million euro +X)
Additionally it would mean the new hardware or the new OS will be regulated under the new MDR regulation of the EU, so you can easily add another 20 Million (at least) just for that.
Additionally they would have to redo the complete radiation safety certification to prove that the OS does not accidentally fuck with the therapy. (See Therac-25 for that)
And the benefit. Minimal. The system is not connected to any network. While in theory an updated hardware could provide some minor advantages, e.g. using the patients data from the hospital information system or storing treatment data in there directly (it’s currently being done with a printer emulator), the therapy planning itself would not change as the very special circumstances this device is used for has only a limited range of treatment options.
Wait until they hear about nuclear powerplants and similar things still working on PDP-11s.
I have a client who has a very very specialised radiation therapy device that works with a very antique iteration of Unix. Its software has been reviewed thousands of times over the years and so has the operating system. They have plenty of spare parts and both the software and OS have been custom updated to work with 32-bit hardware over a decade ago as a precaution,but no hardware replacement has been needed so far - probably due to the relatively good protection from background radiation and very well done temperature management.
Should they upgrade to a modern OS just for the sake of being “up to date”? Fuck no.
That would mean:
Getting a new OS that is providing either drivers for the old hardware or getting new hardware. (Replacement costs for new hardware is around 20 million euro +X)
Additionally it would mean the new hardware or the new OS will be regulated under the new MDR regulation of the EU, so you can easily add another 20 Million (at least) just for that.
Additionally they would have to redo the complete radiation safety certification to prove that the OS does not accidentally fuck with the therapy. (See Therac-25 for that)
And the benefit. Minimal. The system is not connected to any network. While in theory an updated hardware could provide some minor advantages, e.g. using the patients data from the hospital information system or storing treatment data in there directly (it’s currently being done with a printer emulator), the therapy planning itself would not change as the very special circumstances this device is used for has only a limited range of treatment options.
So. Is it bad that this is not updated? Fuck no.