[Qcwa] Solve all your computers problems my way!!!

Thu, 11 Jul 2002 23:20:25 +0200

They have gone that way Joe--partly.  WinCE (or PocketPC2002) whatever
you want to call it, is almost completely in Rom.  Unfortunately (or
fortunately) it's only used on Handheld devices.  Still, I doubt very
much that we'd be immune from virii even if the base code of the
majority of desktops was in ROM, 'cause they'd just figure out some
other way to do damage.  Several come to mind;  rewriting the NVRAM with
bad values, or hitting the flash ROMs on your peripherals, so instead of
an operating system to reload, you've a bunch of worthless components to
replace.

I have to agree with a previous poster;  it=92s the sheer popularity of
the MS systems that makes them so popular to attack.  If we were all
using C128's, we'd still be getting attacked.  Besides, for all that a
C128 (or C64, or Timex Sinclair, you name the vintage system) they sure
weren't offering much storage, nor could they run the sexy (Warning:
preceding word meant only as an adjective, and not to titillate.  Please
belay attacks :) ) applications that most of us demand today.

A man living in a fortress can be safe, but he can also be one lonely,
deprived, soul, if I can mix a little metaphor in there.

That said, I am interested in just what you've managed to do with that
vintage system;  what do you use to browse the web, use e-mail, or to
listen or watch streaming media?  You've got my curiosity piqued;  is
there some underground trove of C128 programming still going on out
there on the web?

73, Bob, K2PI

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of Joseph Fenn
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 12:15 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Qcwa] Solve all your computers problems my way!!!

If you guys want a real bulletproof system you need one like I use___!!!
Get a Commodore128 (or Ataris, Kaypro's or anything that has its entire
OS in ROM chips)!    In order to screw up the C128 an invader would
have to knock on my door and be invited in to my shack even if he is
carrying an EPROM burner under his arm!  Then he would have take all the
screws out and get into the area where my Processor is and remove it
from its socket, plug in his rom burner and reburn the chip to
all zeroes or Nulls!   Then he would have to exit in a big hurry
before I got my shotgun zeroed in on him!

Had MS gone this route with all their stuff starting with the very first
edition of Windows and/or DOS, they would have no competitors
anywhere in the world!   All the McAfees, Nortins, Dr Solomons etc
would be in the breadline at homeless centers.
                    73's
                    Joe/KH6JF (aka kilroy)

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