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It helps build a picture where our "good traffic" is coming from..
Thanks :)
Stuff and Things.
- stephen_usher
- Site sponsor

- Posts: 7464
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
- Location: Oxford, UK.
- Contact:
Re: Stuff and Things.
Ah, but the corollary is that the last 10% is the difficult it, so takes a most of the time. Management would think that once they got something 90% working then it's almost there, not only just started.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15070
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
- Contact:
Re: Stuff and Things.
Sure '90% there' means ready for sale?stephen_usher wrote: Thu Feb 17, 2022 3:42 pm Ah, but the corollary is that the last 10% is the difficult it, so takes a most of the time. Management would think that once they got something 90% working then it's almost there, not only just started.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Re: Stuff and Things.
Nah, we must be masochists or something as we try to tackle at least some of the tricky bits early in the project to avoid that happening...stephen_usher wrote: Thu Feb 17, 2022 3:42 pm Ah, but the corollary is that the last 10% is the difficult it, so takes a most of the time. Management would think that once they got something 90% working then it's almost there, not only just started.
So, we (and the project managers) think everything is going OK initially & following the plan...then the whole thing comes off the rails & things end up being 'late' (or in our eyes pretty much in line with our original estimates...most of the time).
Re: Stuff and Things.
Nooooo - don't say that even in fun!
It's not unheard of for us to be told to knock up a rough prototype as a proof of concept & then that is effectively what is delivered to the customer to show the idea & get feedback.
Then we are expected to be around the 90% complete point even though the actual real h/w & s/w has not even been started.
"But you've already given us some working h/w & software so how much work can be left!" says the customer...so Sales more or less say "You're right...how silly of us! Sign here & you can have several thousand modules next month."
I leave it to the reader to fill in how the subsequent conversations go...as this is a moderated forum not many of the original words would be left un-redacted.
Suffice to say the vast majority would be in fluent Anglo-Saxon!
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15070
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
- Contact:
Re: Stuff and Things.
JezC wrote: Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:27 pmNooooo - don't say that even in fun!
It's not unheard of for us to be told to knock up a rough prototype as a proof of concept & then that is effectively what is delivered to the customer to show the idea & get feedback.
Then we are expected to be around the 90% complete point even though the actual real h/w & s/w has not even been started.
"But you've already given us some working h/w & software so how much work can be left!" says the customer...so Sales more or less say "You're right...how silly of us! Sign here & you can have several thousand modules next month."
I leave it to the reader to fill in how the subsequent conversations go...as this is a moderated forum not many of the original words would be left un-redacted.
Suffice to say the vast majority would be in fluent Anglo-Saxon!
Now imagining a conversation strewn with naughty words!
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Re: Stuff and Things.
Yes, that's about the size of it...lots of instances of a four letter word which rhymes with "duck", questioning the marital status of people's parents etc.rubber_jonnie wrote: Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:29 pm![]()
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Now imagining a conversation strewn with naughty words!
Seems quite funny - unless you're personally involved in it all.
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15070
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
- Contact:
Re: Stuff and Things.
I've often been at the end of software released too soon because salespeople were the driving force, and of course once they'd made the sale it became a technical problem so we (The techies) had to deal with it.JezC wrote: Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:52 pmYes, that's about the size of it...lots of instances of a four letter word which rhymes with "duck", questioning the marital status of people's parents etc.rubber_jonnie wrote: Thu Feb 17, 2022 4:29 pm![]()
![]()
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![]()
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Now imagining a conversation strewn with naughty words!
Seems quite funny - unless you're personally involved in it all.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Re: Stuff and Things.
Yup, far too common an occurrence, even now.
I've taken to suggesting a project to design & build a time machine when these things occur now...it means they now know we are going down an all too familiar path & it heads off at least some of the ongoing silliness!
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15070
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
- Contact:
Re: Stuff and Things.
Little spot of retro cable making, cassette cables for MSX, Oric Atmos and Aquarius 
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...