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107 Comments
- shelby1076, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Win95 is some real bleeding edge stuff. Anyone who says otherwise is a PC snob.
I mean can you really believe that Win95 wasn't the peak for Microsoft
At least its not Win 3.1, then the terrorists would've won. - spiderland, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7Hmmm, this guy beat you to the punch:
http://digg.com/security/Aging_computers_hobble_Homeland_Security
Using the same URL. I'm quite positive it popped up before you posted, so ..... no digg. - snugsoho, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"At least its not Win 3.1, then the terrorists would've won"
????
Have they lost? - digikill, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Excellent use of resources. Waste not, want not.
- clevershark, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1>It's certainly better than running Apple's OS from that time (6?)<
I think you might want to educate yourself a little more before making statements that make you seem, well, challenged. System 7 was introduced in 1991. - ,,|,_, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I don't understand how an agency that was created in September 2003 can have "aging systems" running Win 9X.
- MicahC, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Is it Windows 95 or 2000 that's on many of the US' Navy battlecruisers?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Win95 is a great OS. Thrift stores have them for 50 cents. Grab a clunker PC and Windows 95 = Computer for Granny.
That is if you cant get hold of a linux distro. - jrepin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1About time they upgrade to some descent and secure OS like Linux or BSD.
- carpespasm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1if it's doing what they need it to do good for them, they seem to be doing a pretty good job of keeping 9mo olds off planes with the setup they're running already
- Moose_Head, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Windows for Workgroups? 3.11?
Now with 20+ disk install! - snugsoho, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Windows 2000 runs the computers on board the UK's Trident nuclear submarines.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1how sad.
at least they're not using basic - tepster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1when they create the agency the didn't start it up from scratch..obviously the booked a room and renamed it Homeland Security.
- crapiolio, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2No matter, Homeland Security, the terrorists are still using Windows 1.0.
How sad... - rrobster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The terrorists are..........oh crap........Blue Screen..........ahhhhhhhhhhh
- CaptSnuffy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Take note Windows haters: Think of the Windows 9x days, and then remind yourself that Windows XP isn't THAT bad, and that there have been improvements despite other new problems and a rapidly changing industry.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If it working, why replace it? Win95 may be doing that job it was designed to do and if isn't broke, don't fix it.
- gaurav4u99, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Went to Berkeley Library. They too are surviving on win 95.
- aliendave, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2The Pentagon was still using 486's up until a year or two ago.
- tsupersonic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think that's cool. You guys can say whatever you want about Windows 95 or Windows in general. I used to have a Windows 95 machine way back in the day, and damn it was amazing, no crashes, did what it was supposed to do. I used to install Windows 95 on Windows 98 machines, although there wasn't much features, it was a damn fast and good OS. IMO, it was my favorite Windows version to date.
- ,,|,_, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1These have to be computers they inherited from the now defunct INS. As I pointed out above the agency wasn't created until September '03.
- zunipus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Even when given the chance to move to a more modern and secure OS, IT folks in the government get slack for making the effort. (1) Government waste goes to less important things like the Alaska 'Bridge To Nowhere', which despite the hype, has still been funded, only lord knows what they'll blow the dough on up there instead. (2) Decrepit old stick-in-the-mud curmudgeons run the show. You use Windows or nothing. So what if the Navy proved that the most secure OS in 1995 was Mac OS. You're gonna use Windows dammit. So what if currently NASA wants Mac OS X, or any other form of BSD UNIX, seeing as it now is the most secure OS bar none. Nope! You're gonna use Windows DAMMIT! (3) Computers? Isn't that scientific sort of stuff? We in the Bush Administration don't like science! We've screwed the NIH with the lowest funding in 35 years and we'll screw Homeland Security too with legacy computers. That old dilapidated crap will do just fine. Now how can we further kill civil liberties in the name of The War On Terrorism? How's that tax cut to the top 1% of wealthiest Americans doing? Gotta get that Arab oil by hook or by crook....
Blah Blah Vomit Puke Barf. If the government doesn't already suck, you can bet the politicos who hate government in the first place will make sure it becomes that way. And people vote for the killer clowns that make this happen, getting what they deserve in return. Our forefathers turned in their graves long ago. - min_t, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Ideally, when you create a new dept., you want to start from scratch. But, with the finite wisdom of our senior citizens brothers in Washington, they decided to merge several departments into one department run by an unqualified political appointee.
So what we have is a department that needs to be technologically advanced inheriting old paper filing technology. Needless to say, that's the same level that these grass roots terrorists operate at. So far, we're even.
Hopefully, I won't find my name on the "no fly" list for mentioning the word terrorist. - thatsiebguy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Seriously.. how do you FAIL a windows 2000 upgrade? Its only been out for 6 years now...
- Rounin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0You guys are geniuses. Honestly. The DHS is just a collection of agencies already in existence. Why would they need to purchase brand new resources for a bureaucratic-level reorganization?
- JimXugle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Gee. I feel Safe now.
- brydude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0My dentist's office still uses DOS, and they've never missed an appointment. Maybe the gov. needs to downgrade? (Continued use of backward logic is oh so much fun)
- scbysnx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0ok I have to say all the people trying to sound smart saying "windows 95 was out before the department of homeland security" are idiots. it was put together from other agencies and leftovers definately made it in
- jackmaninov, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0No wonder the states has to resort to torture to get information... it's computers are too old!
- zediker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0truepatriot:
The reason the gov't doesnt use Open Source OSs are because they are Open Source. I.E., anyone can look to see how the OS works and thus can better infiltrate the system. While windows is not known for being secure out of the box, with proper IT protection, it can be more secure than an Open Source OS. There is also the cost/security justification as well. Where it is less expensive to secure and maintain windows than it is to secure and maintain and Open Source OS. BTW this doesnt main Open Source isnt used, it just means that Open Source is not typically used unless it is more effective than the windows alternative.
Additionaly, there is no excuse to have computers running windows 95. None. - sailor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I meant to say I make more where I am at. They don't pay the IT staff (if you can call them that) a decent wage. Therefore they don't get any good people.
- SmeRndmGy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0what do you mean "still"? homeland security just got made up like 3 years ago. maybe they should cut some money from the "secret torture camps in eastern europe" fund and use it to buy some new computers.
- sailor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I was using a windows 3.1 computer at work until about 4 years ago. Wordperfect 5.1 was the standard word processor....I worked for the State of Texas.
We use fairly modern machines now with Win 2000. The main problems we are from higher ups opening infected e-mail...and workers surfin the net, listening to music tying up our limited bandwith.
We don't really have an IT dept at least not a trained one...I know more than they ever will. Why not work in the dept? I am far more where I am at. - Leo55, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0" Also included are system reverted back to Windows 95 after a failed Windows 2000 upgrade and databases only being linked to certain computers, meaning data must be entered repeatedly on different machines. "
no one heard of re-doing the whole crap database?
I dun even want to think what anti-virus software they are running on it. - jo42, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Not too long ago, the Director of the FBI didn't even have a computer on his desk. Google for the story.
- orangetiki, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Wouldn't it be easier to just resort to filing papers? But failing a 2000 update? Man they must've started with something like Object ADA, then go to 95
- zeroed, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Blue Screen of Death. It must be those leet Al-Quida hackers...
- Ryokurin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"I don't see the problem. It's a true multitasking, protected mode operating system that supports networking, virtual memory, etc. It's certainly better than running Apple's OS from that time (6?) that didn't have VM, and one bad program would take the whole system down."
It was system 7, and it did have Virtual Memory but not preemptive multitasking. Both could be taken down if there was a bad program. That feature didn't really come into windows until 2000. The issue is its unsupported and there is no updates. Now that everyone knows that they are on a old as hell OS, they just need to write an exploit to take advantage and there will NEVER be a fix. - clevershark, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0>Forgive me, but Windows 95 significantly predates the Department of Homeland Security itself. How exactly did the OS get on to their computers when they were created AFTER Windows XP's release?<
It's called "legacy systems". Look into it. The DHS itself is little more than an amalgamation of preexisting departments. - d4rkn1ght, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0And here all along I thought they were using UNIX. :-/
If the problem is not been able to understand Linux, why not try Ubuntu/Kubuntu like it was mention here already. MacOS X also can help for those coming from the Windows world.
Windows 95 doesn't have the level of security that UNIX has. Heck! even Mac OS 9 will be a more stable, secure and better option than Windows 95. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0A lot of companies still use old software like Windows 95.
It costs money to upgrade software and hardware, and, unlike freeloading individuals aka pirates, companies and governments get audited and can face severe penalties and fines for piracy. - oldgeek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0You won't believe some of the company's i do work for that still use Win 3.11 and '95 on 486s.
- zoomie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Why is this a surprise? Government bureaucracy is notoriously inefficient. Pond water moves faster than government.
- thejadedmonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0>It's absolutely ludicrous that Homeland Security would have any >machines running 95. Think about the hardware that was out back in 95 >was around. Pentium 1's??? How do they even find parts for those >turds? They must have some old half-stoned Tolkien junky Tech >repairing failed hardware with a soldering iron and electrical tape.
Um...I hate to tell you this, but with the exception of the CPU socket on the motherboard, and the CPU itself, everything else is not only industry standard, but there has only been two transitions from the 3.1 days. ISA>>PCI>>PCI-X. It's still way easy to get PCI cards, most motherboards have PCI, even if they have ISA also, and hard dries/fans are all the same. Ram might be an issue too, but lets think about it for a minute. How often have you burnt out a CPU or killed your RAM in a computer that wasn't overclocked or anything. Computer hardware just doesn't break that easily, especially when computers just sit at desks. - rc_collins, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The shuttle uses 486DX CPU's... so yea, YAWN
- MindTrigger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0
The other problem is that Windows 95 was the most hacker friendly version of Windows ever created. It was made when the World Wide Web had so few websites on it, that I was able to keep track of what large corps actually had web sites. I used to get on Gopher/WAIS and BBSs on my '95 machine via 14.4 connection. Along with the security holes in Windows.. what about the old versions of apps they would have to be running on it? They have their own security holes.
Some of you may have forgotten, or are simply too young to know this but Windows 98 was a MASSIVE improvement to Windows 95 on ALL levels, especially security, and it's far from secure by today's standards. Windows ME was a fairly large improvement over Windows 98. I mean have you considered how far behind it really means to be using Windows 95? It's one step away from Windows 3.11!! - jpmullet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0You mean Windows 96 it out?
- siouxmoux, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I bet you could find at least a dozen of those Computers still only run dos 2.11 at 64k of ram!
- Ryokurin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0>"Um...I hate to tell you this, but with the exception of the CPU socket on the motherboard, and the CPU itself, everything else is not only industry standard, but there has only been two transitions from the 3.1 days. ISA>>PCI>>PCI-X. It's still way easy to get PCI cards, most motherboards have PCI, even if they have ISA also, and hard dries/fans are all the same. Ram might be an issue too, but lets think about it for a minute. How often have you burnt out a CPU or killed your RAM in a computer that wasn't overclocked or anything. Computer hardware just doesn't break that easily, especially when computers just sit at desks."
Except they don't make cards that work in windows 95 anymore. most machines at that time requires software hacks to see more than 8 gigs of space, windows 95 had timings issues with some machines faster than 400MHz but as you pointed out the ram hasn't been made in years either. -
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