I took a look at the page you mentioned -- actually, I believe there is
another group "out there" that will claim they have "satisfactory" answers
to your questions: linux users.  As I read your paper, I couldn't help
mentally replacing each reference to "hp3000" with "a computer running
linux", and seeing that, for the most part, it worked [I suppose I'm
somewhat unique in the computer market -- I've maintained from day one that
there is no such thing as "the best" computer -- each computer (and OS, for
that matter) has it's purpose and place in life.  Some are better suited for
certain tasks than others, and I'll happily utilize "the best for a
particular application" when needed (*)]

With that in mind, I've posted the "question" you ask at the end -- are you
satisfied with your current hardware/software diet? -- to the members of my
Linux user group.  I'll collect a few answers before I direct them to your
page and watch the results :)

Tom

(*) of course, "best for the application" tends to work out as:

 * OLTP: HP3000
 * ad hoc database design: windows + access
 * mission critical database design & utilization: HP3000
 * programming: HP & linux [although gui dev environments on windows is
"catching up"]
 * magazine/ad layout & "power" graphics: macintosh
 * video processing: an Amiga [but since those are hard to find, a
custom-tailored windows machine fully dedicated to the task will do in a
pinch]
 * games: windows [with the notable exception of "real-time" empire...]
[hiya maxforce!]


> -----Original Message-----
> From: F. Alfredo Rego [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> John Johnson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> >I've been reading this seemingly ambiguous term everywhere
> for quite some
> >time and am unable to settle on a definitive explanation of
> what a "legacy"
> >application is.
> >
[...]
>
> For a fun historical perspective, read a legacy paper from 1992:
> http://www.adager.com/TechnicalPapersHTML/YearOfThePies.html
>
> As a bonus, you also get to add some serious questions to
> your arsenal that,
> to the best of my knowledge, have not been answered
> satisfactorily after all
> these years.