Now we now why the entertainment systems are so flaky!

[2muchplastic]

Interesting comment from a CSM on one recent QF flight. He requested that we don't push the "enter" button too many times as this tend to lock up the system....

That's always a bit tricky. Those buttons on the handset are so bad that you start doubting yourself whether you managed to press a button successfully or not. So you sit there for half an hour, try the button again. Still nothing. Try the button again. Still nothing. Hell. It's time to get off now....:evil:

 

[dot]

There are some very good reasons Windows CE was replaced by Windows Mobile (5 then 6 and now 6.1).

Actually, WinCE pre-dates Windows Mobile and is still available. It forms the base OS on which Windows Mobile is built. Think of it as a leaner version of WinMob. WinCE does not have any pre-installed apps or device drivers that you might expect with WinMob such as Pocket Office, Modem and sound card drivers, PIM apps, wifi drivers etc. Companies such as Intermec and Symbol sell handheld devices for industrial use (with barcode scanners, full keyboards etc) with (in some models) a choice of WinCE or WinMob. The choice by Rockwell-Collins to use WinCE perfectly reasonable - WinCE is Microsoft's embedded OS and is also used in as the basis for many IPTV set-top boxes and embedded systems in cars (I think Ford in the LOTFAP use WinCE). While WinCE opponents would argue that Embedded Linux is a better choice, WinCE is still a valid option.

All this talk of WinCE reminds me of what we used to say when MS released Windows ME. What do you get when to combine the lightness of Windows CE with the user friendliness of Windows ME and the power of Windows NT? Windows CEMENT - it gloes like a lead balloon! I know, it's not very funny, but I didnt make it up either!

 

[mainly tailfirst]

Yep, seem my fair share of them also ! old honeywell driver platters that you load into the "washing machines", never used anything like that but seen it... I do remember 8" floppy disks though. 120kb from memory.

I have some fond memorys of compiling 0.95 and 0.96 Linux kernels still in the a.out binary format and when they upgraded the 64k aarnet connection to 128kb

E

Aah, when aaret was doubled to 128kbit. They were good days... For all of about 3 weeks our MUDs were actually responsive and ftping to bellcore was tolerable. Then everyone started blasting away again and it was back to 'normal'. To think that we got told off for using unix talk with folks in the US as it was consuming an inordinate amount of bandwith!

mt

 

[azza_1992]

We should be thankful the planes' computers don't run on Windows. If so it be a whole new meaning for Blue Screen of Death.

 

[brissyflyer]

On MH I have noticed that their IFE system runs Linux. On a flight from KUL-LHR I got to see the penguin every half hour or so as the system was stuffed and continuously rebooted.

 

[possumoz]

Interesting comment from a CSM on one recent QF flight. He requested that we don't push the "enter" button too many times as this tend to lock up the system.

I can imagine PAX fed up with slow responses pushing buttons repeatedly. I occasionally do it on my home computer. Doesn't really help but helps with my frustration.

Personally I live my life by the adage..."if there's a button, poke it until it does something"

P.S I adore my Vista. Screen freeze is a fading distant memory.

 

[Shano]

On MH I have noticed that their IFE system runs Linux. On a flight from KUL-LHR I got to see the penguin every half hour or so as the system was stuffed and continuously rebooted.

I believe that the new CX system does too.

 

[mainly tailfirst]

I believe that the new CX system does too.

As does Virgin America.

mt

 

[Paul_PER]

We should be thankful the planes' computers don't run on Windows. If so it be a whole new meaning for Blue Screen of Death.

Hate to tell you - many Electronic Flight Bags are Windows based. e.g. the Class II EFB's on Jetstar planes are Windows XP.:shock:

 

[Evan]

Hate to tell you - many Electronic Flight Bags are Windows based. e.g. the Class II EFB's on Jetstar planes are Windows XP.:shock:

Yes but that will only meen you fly to Adelaide from Melbroune instead of Sydney you will still fly
E

 

[straitman]

A sideways step and somewhat OT.

If people are so horrified about using an early version of Windows as part of the IFE, has anyone thought about what type of processors are used :?:

There is more to my question but I'll save it for after there are a few answers :!:

 

[dot]

A sideways step and somewhat OT.

If people are so horrified about using an early version of Windows as part of the IFE, has anyone thought about what type of processors are used :?:

There is more to my question but I'll save it for after there are a few answers :!:

My bet would be on some variant of the Arm / StrongArm family of processors. That is one of the main deployment platforms for WinCE.

What is more scary is that pretty much all of the processing power in the Collins Class subs are 386 based! You might think that's not so bad, but when the first Collins Class sub was first launched, Pentium 166 was pretty much standard issue for desktop PCs - the 386 was old then!

 

[medhead]

Sorry I'm a bit lost over the alleged horror at not using the lastest OS or processor. If it can do the job so what?

Maybe if the collins system was running on XP I'd expect they should have got pentiums. But I'm sure they aren't on XP, and that a 386 is perfectly capable of running the systems.

Same same for IFE. But given the numereous problems and the don't push to many buttons instructions, I guess the processors aren't capable of runing the IFE system.

BTW Dot Have you just breeched your security clearance by telling the world about the 386s?

 

[straitman]

BTW Dot Have you just breeched your security clearance by telling the world about the 386s?

I suspect not.

 

[Evan]

386 and 486 came in special industrial packageing, they work ok on non windows OS, within reason.
Not sure if later chips had the same special versions, eg radiation hardened but i am sure they do.
E

 

[Evan]

And to guess at thats used in IFE i would also guess an ARM or a Ti.
But i guess since you posed the question its not very standard ? so maybe an 80186 ?
E

 

[medhead]

I suspect not.

Well I'm not so sure. Compared to some of the trival types of information that is supposedly secret about the subs, I would rate the type of processor as a pretty major issue.

 

[NM]

Well I'm not so sure. Compared to some of the trival types of information that is supposedly secret about the subs, I would rate the type of processor as a pretty major issue.

My guess is that there is more than one processor and more than one processor type used throughout the systems. But I have no first hand knowledge and this is literally a guess. But knowing what processor is used is unlikely to help me to plan an attack again a sub.

 

[dot]

My guess is that there is more than one processor and more than one processor type used throughout the systems. But I have no first hand knowledge and this is literally a guess. But knowing what processor is used is unlikely to help me to plan an attack again a sub.

Yes, there are many processors in the sub - most are 386 class CPUs and I agree, knowing what type of CPU the the on board systems run doesn't tell me anything about the vulnerabilities of the sub.

 

[medhead]

As i tried to say, there are many types of information that are kept secret that would not tell you about the vulnerabilities of the sub.

Many of these are trival compared to having a headstart on exploits that could be used to cripple the control systems