It would more accurate to say that Microsoft will no longer >require< one or
more LPT ports to be pre-installed in a "Windows Compatible" system. This
change is part of their proposal for what Microsoft calls a "Legacy Free"
PC. However, on their web site, Microsoft says (in several places) that
they will continue to support LPT and serial ports.
For general information about the new I/O philosophy, see "Legacy I/O
Removal to Advance the PC Architecture" (at
http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/NewPC/legacyIO.htm). Also see "Legacy-Free
Hardware and BIOS Requirements [Draft 0.9]" (at
http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/newpc/LF.htm) for overall details of these
kinds of systems. Finally, there is a long list of specs and white papers
on the "Microsoft Driver and Hardware Development" page (at
http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/siteinfo.htm). Scroll way down the list of
links to Section 8 (Fast Boot, Hibernate, and Legacy-Free Design) under the
header "Platform Design."
I hope this helps,
Dave Roach
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Larry Stein <lstein at fapo.com>@UNISYS
> Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2000 4:40 PM
> To: pwg at pwg.org> Subject: PWG> Fwd: Future IEEE1284
>> <<...>>
> Hi Guys,
>> I just got an email with this information from a concerned
> customer. Anyone know anything about this?
>> thanks,
> Larry
>>> >*****************************************************************
> >we have just been informed, that Microsoft will stop the active support
> of
> >parallel interfaces in the next year's coming new Windows version,
> codename
> >"Windows Whistler" (successor of Windows 2000). The reason is that
> Microsoft
> >is of the opinion that the parallel port is an old fashioned and limited
> >technic.
>> ***************************************************************
> Larry A. Stein Phone: (858)292-2742
> Warp Nine Engineering Fax: (858)292-8020 eFax (503) 905-7130
> President Web: http://www.fapo.com> ***************************************************************
>