test question

[BRANDAN]

so today i take this test for my computer class and i get on of the most obvoius questions wrong the questoin was true or false i put the wrong answer and got it wrong!? so here it is tell me what you think:

Typically, a disk formatted in one operating system can be used in a computer that has a different operating system.

the way i see it, the question is not that specific i assumed that since most of the book pertains to windows and microsoft stuff that the question had to do with windows operationing systems aren't all floppy disks formatted on a windows platform universal for windows? i have disk that i've made with 98 that read on every windows operationing system i've used. (98,me,2kpro,xphm,xppro,nt4).

[avx]

Does seem like an unfair question...but then again, when your in computers, vague discriptions and misleading explanations are 90% of the business..

[Tuf]

While it is true that a floppy formatted in Windows can be used in nearly all versions of Windows the question doesn't state Windows or designate it's a floppy.

So the answer would be false even though many times it would work it won't always work.

[Nuclear Krusader]

You cannot use that floppy in a Mac or in a Linux machine.

[sdkramer]

you can use it in a linux machine. you just have to work a bit harder. Hell you can even use NTFS in a linux machine

[doctorgonzo]

I think the problem word in that question is "typically," because it is far too vague.

If it was "always," or even "almost always," then it would have been easy to see that the right answer is false. However, what is "typically," exactly? Since the vast majority of PCs in the world run some version of Windows, the "typical" situation where a disk is moved between computers is when it is moved between Windows computers, in which case it would work. But that's taking the real-world interpretation of the word "typical."

Whoever wrote that question needs a lesson in writing clearly.

[reboot]

I don't think it's vague at all.
It doesn't say, "a disk formatted in Windows 98 will work in a Windows XP machine", as all Windows versions are basically of ONE OS.
An operating system is NOT XP, or 95, or 2k, or 98...an operating system is DOS (all Windows versions are based on DOS), CP/M, Linux, Unix, Solaris, FreeBSD, MAC, et al.
So, if you take the question that a disk formatted in one of those OS's can be used in any other OS.
Generally the answer is false, although, like stated above, Linux can read NTFS, FAT32 etc...which are DOS, or variant's of DOS.

[Force Flow]

Originally posted by Nuclear Krusader You cannot use that floppy in a Mac or in a Linux machine.

You can use a floppy in a mac. If it's a newer one (G4 and up) you'll need to get a external drive. Some G3's have internal floppy drives.

[doctorgonzo]

Originally posted by reboot Generally the answer is false, although, like stated above, Linux can read NTFS, FAT32 etc...which are DOS, or variant's of DOS.

Right, but what is "generally?" You mentioned a lot of OSs, like CP/M, OS/2, Linux, Unix, and so forth, but "generally" people don't use most of those operating systems.

If you took a disk from random computer A took it to random computer B in an office, would it work? Probably, because most people use some version of Windows. So in this real-world situation, I think that "typically" it would work. However, if you had a room full of computers, each of which used a different OS, would it work? "Typically," no. That room doesn't usually exist in the real world, though.

[9600baud]

Thats a very unfair question... logically? "FALSE", in the real world? "TRUE"

[reboot]

I see your point, but the wording is specific.
It doesn't say, "Typically, a disk formatted in one machine in your office can be used in a different computer in your office."...it says, "Typically, a disk formatted in one operating system can be used in a computer that has a different operating system."
In this case, "Windows" (ALL versions) are considered ONE operating system (and that includes DOS).

[avx]

Just a stupid little fact you guys might not know about - When IBM chose Bill Gates and Paul Allen to develope the OS for its upcomming PC. Microsoft(basically Bill and Paul at the time) purchased a program called Q-DOS(Quick and Dirty Operating System) and just modified it to to run on IBM hardware.

Has M$ developed anyhting that wasnt originally made by another company that they didnt steal from, buy out, or just plain out copy?

[mairving]

Originally posted by Nuclear Krusader You cannot use that floppy in a Mac or in a Linux machine.

You also can't use it on a Dell or the server that I just built since they don't have floppy drives.

[Force Flow]

Originally posted by avx487 Has M$ developed anyhting that wasnt originally made by another company that they didnt steal from, buy out, or just plain out copy?

lesse here... ummm...hmmm.... that's a tough one...

[BRANDAN]

its a crazy crack headed question and had the teacher been more specific.....

[Big Weapons]

This is a stupid question. There should be a third answer for you to answer. "NO ONE FRICKIN USES FLOPPIES ANYWAYS!"

[BRANDAN]

AMEN!!!

[avx]

Well...How do you think it would look if you had your A+ Cert. and your Computer Degee and all, and you can work with all this high tech equipment...but someone brings in a circa 1990Intel PC, and you dont have a clue how to deal with the foppies...

You got to learn the basics....Crawl before you walk

[Nuclear Krusader]

Agreed.

Well, last time I tried to read in Windows some files I had created with StarOffice for Linux I couldn't. In Linux the files were on the floppy, in Windows the floppy was blank.