Quite to the contrary. Backward compatibility fosters forward stepwise development. That wonderfully universal cool graphics based PC on your desk today with all its software would not be there if it was not for step wise development. Had every company followed their own whim like got started from the S100 machines of yesteryear there would not be the standard architectures you see today at the incredibly low cost factors.

Do you want to go back to installing networking that costs $5K to $10K to deploy? Would you like your floppy disks to only read in KayPro machines? Would you want a schematic package that only worked on one graphics card? Would you like a replacement keyboard to cost $275? ALL OF THESE SENARIOS ACTUALLY EXISTED AT ONE TIME. I don't want to go back there!! I say long live the 8008 -> 8080 -> 8085 -> 8086 -> 8088 -> 80186 -> 80286 -> 80386 -> 08486 -> Pentium -> Pentium II -> Pentium III path of paternity. It is for the good of all. It can also be argued that if it were not for this whole path of development that this forum would not even be here for you to make inane comments like "backward compatibility kills".

Michael Karas