Subject:
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Re: Save the RIS!
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Sun, 2 Feb 2003 02:55:00 GMT
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Original-From:
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Rob Limbaugh <rlimbaugh@NOSPAMgreenfieldgroup.com>
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Viewed:
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2696 times
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I can't speak for the LEGO Studios software (as I do not own it), but
with Vision Command, the problem is more a support issue than anything
else. LEGO does have a patch that does allow VC to work on 2000 or
XP, but there are two catches:
1) The VC installer on the VC CD does not run natively under 2000 or XP.
2) The update that contains new executable code for VC is found ONLY
on the RIS 2.0 and RIS 2.0 Upgrade CD's.
The VC installer does several things... it extracts executable code
contained
in non-standard (or password protected) CAB files. It launches the camera
setup, QuickTime setup, and copies a bunch of data from the CD.
Under Win2K, the installer can be bluffed into thinking it is running on
Win98
by using the APCOMPAT.EXE utility that ships with Win2K. But, if you
have XP, you're out of luck because APCOMPAT.EXE (integrated into XP)
does not behave the same.
LEGO just needs to release a new installer program that can access
the CAB files on the VC CD. Rather then extracting/installing the original
VC executables, the new installer could have the new VC executables.
As for the Vision Command Update, I believe it's real purpose was to have
VC use the new programming in RIS 2.0 and the fact it happens to be the real
"key" into making VC work on 32+bit Windows platforms is just a hidden
blessing.
The VC box declares "Windows 98", so LEGO is under no legal obligation
to the consumer to support a product if they didn't "read the box". It's
much
cheaper for them to drop the product and sell off existing merchandise than
it is to invest a huge some of money in a patch and then continue support
for
a product that has been "discontinued".
- Rob
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Baker" <sjbaker1@airmail.net>
To: "John Heins" <Johnmhiii@aol.com>
Cc: <lego-robotics@crynwr.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2003 12:44 AM
Subject: Re: Save the RIS!
> John Heins wrote:
> > Unfortunately, it seems that TLC doesn't have a clear idea of what to do
> > with Mindstorms in general. Their support for the whole line has been • less
> > than full - note the failure to update software for their cameras beyond • Win98.
>
> Didn't they sign some kind of a deal with Microsoft about that? I kinda • had
> a memory that it was Microsoft's responsibility....but maybe not.
> ---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
> HomeEmail: <sjbaker1@airmail.net> WorkEmail: <sjbaker@link.com>
> HomePage : http://www.sjbaker.org
> Projects : http://plib.sf.net http://tuxaqfh.sf.net
> http://tuxkart.sf.net http://prettypoly.sf.net
>
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Save the RIS!
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| (...) Didn't they sign some kind of a deal with Microsoft about that? I kinda had a memory that it was Microsoft's responsibility....but maybe not. ---...--- Steve Baker ---...--- HomeEmail: <sjbaker1@airmail.net> WorkEmail: <sjbaker@link.com> (...) (22 years ago, 1-Feb-03, to lugnet.robotics)
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