Saturday, August 19. 2006
This train is delayed until Windows reboots
I was out and about in London last night and took a quick snap of Windows working its magic. It is a display sign above one of the platforms and is meant to show the next train, destinations, time etc. It won't be doing that tonight. I have seen this happening before on train displays - a few times on the CityRail network in Sydney, and elsewhere in the UK.
If you zoom in you can see that the message says "Your system is running low on virtual memory". I will give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt here, if you check out the version date 22/7/2002, it is clear this software has not been upgraded in a while - and probably is currently unsupported. Given the state of the railway companies in the UK it is more likely to be the case of dodgy software and a memory leak from the timetabling system.
Fortunately my train was on time.
If you zoom in you can see that the message says "Your system is running low on virtual memory". I will give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt here, if you check out the version date 22/7/2002, it is clear this software has not been upgraded in a while - and probably is currently unsupported. Given the state of the railway companies in the UK it is more likely to be the case of dodgy software and a memory leak from the timetabling system.
Fortunately my train was on time.
Comments
Display comments as
(Linear | Threaded)
Ive seen that a couple of times too, you have to wonder what exactly that particular part of the system controls...???
The London Bridge version is 4 years old! :\
Isn't London Bridge v.5 out yet by now?
Isn't London Bridge v.5 out yet by now?
"dodge software" to say the least. probably a memory leak or somebody playing windows pinball on the production machine. hey, you never know 
Lol, it seems these things always happen in places such as this.. In the metro, train station, airports, etc..
Very reassuring
Very reassuring
indeed,
I'm a regular visitor of Birminham Airport and some of the dept. screens tend to show the nice&famous blue screen of MS as well.
let's hope they'll never install these things in the airplanes...
I'm a regular visitor of Birminham Airport and some of the dept. screens tend to show the nice&famous blue screen of MS as well.
let's hope they'll never install these things in the airplanes...
I'll see you Windows and raise you a *nix:
http://flickr.com/photos/stray/64245848/
(Taken myself in Penn Station, New York)
http://flickr.com/photos/stray/64245848/
(Taken myself in Penn Station, New York)
Anyone remember loading the old Commodore 64 apps?
Load APP ,8,1 ?
Funny to see this anachronism make a start re-appearance in the tubes.
Then again, the internet IS a series of tubes, not a dump truck, right?
Load APP ,8,1 ?
Funny to see this anachronism make a start re-appearance in the tubes.
Then again, the internet IS a series of tubes, not a dump truck, right?
I got loads of these - Swiss Railway information tend to have similar problems, have a look @ http://www.mauchle.name/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=641
Haha, damn the goverment and their 'easy way out'.
That just sums up Britian really! You get other countries writing their own code and special protocols specifically for this type of use..
Britian goes, "Ah, can't we just wack Windows on and run a program on that?"
Theres a bus stop near my house that occasionally informs the bus travellers that there are unused icons on the desktop
That just sums up Britian really! You get other countries writing their own code and special protocols specifically for this type of use..
Britian goes, "Ah, can't we just wack Windows on and run a program on that?"
Theres a bus stop near my house that occasionally informs the bus travellers that there are unused icons on the desktop
In all fairness...
The date on that is 2002. Back then, the rail network was in the painful throes of being controlled by a private firm. All stations, including London terminals such as London Bridge would have been controlled by Railtrack PLC, a private company.
At present, they've been semi-nationalised under the Network Rail quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation (Quango). After Railtrack was disbanded under a pile of mismanagement, and since my local rail company, Connex, was booted out for similar reasons, I've noticed a marked improvement in service. I'm dreading the day that the government decides to sell off South Eastern Trains again to some crappy private company who doesn't give a toss.
The date on that is 2002. Back then, the rail network was in the painful throes of being controlled by a private firm. All stations, including London terminals such as London Bridge would have been controlled by Railtrack PLC, a private company.
At present, they've been semi-nationalised under the Network Rail quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation (Quango). After Railtrack was disbanded under a pile of mismanagement, and since my local rail company, Connex, was booted out for similar reasons, I've noticed a marked improvement in service. I'm dreading the day that the government decides to sell off South Eastern Trains again to some crappy private company who doesn't give a toss.
Great post man. I just published a translation of it in my blog.
It shouldn't have anything to do with the software. Thats a standard windows error meaning the computer's memory is full and there's no more room in the swap file.
@Shawn - And what do you think might be causing this machine to run low on memory?
On the other hand, can't believe it would have been given an actual hard disk to swap onto. Would imagine they would be constantly falling over if that were the case.
On the other hand, can't believe it would have been given an actual hard disk to swap onto. Would imagine they would be constantly falling over if that were the case.
Windows isn't the only OS guilty of that:
http://flickr.com/photos/stray/64245848/
http://flickr.com/photos/stray/64245848/
If you like that, you'll love this flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/66835733@N00/pool/
They collect pictures of public computer errors.
They collect pictures of public computer errors.
Do most people standing there say "oh this is not new! That happens at my home every day!" and thus does not complain the tube system?
Oh, the effect of windows on our thinking!
Oh, the effect of windows on our thinking!
If you look in the bottom left of the picture, you can see a faint outline of me taking the shot with my camera phone.
It still never ceases to amaze me when I see these things that such mission critical systems are run on a bloated and broken consumer OS...
What happens when a Windows crash crashes a boat or a plane? Eep...
What happens when a Windows crash crashes a boat or a plane? Eep...
Information based applications such as train timetabling should have a hardware watchdog that monitors whether the system has stopped functioning normally and to force an automatic reboot. All industrial PC's have this feature and is simple to implement.
Even Microsoft Windows should be able to handle such a simple application if written well.
Even Microsoft Windows should be able to handle such a simple application if written well.
I've also seen a cash machine crash. It was running Win 98 and by pressing the buttons ont he side you could minimise, maximise and close the screen. If you're around Malet Street in Bloomsbury its the ATM on the left of the entrance to ULU, the University of London Student's Union.
Add Comment
This train is delayed until Windows reboots. Taken in London....
Tracked: Aug 20, 11:36
Feeling a bit blue London Bridge is falling down So do the Windows read more | digg story ...
Tracked: Aug 20, 21:44