"Wolfgang Schwanke" wrote in message
...

Umm, I don't know about Apples, but Intel machines ought to be fully
backward compatible. All Intel compatible CPUs including the latest 64
Bit DualCore and its clones can emulate 8086/8088, and all modern
graphics boards can emulate ancient graphics modes such as EGA,
Hercules or plain text mode. So you can run old versions of DOS and
ancient softwares.

I doubt an old DOS version will recognise a USB joystick, and I don't think
you'll find a game port that will plug into your 64 Bit DualCore
motherboard.

At work I've been fighting with some old software running on 386/486
hardware. I don't know why, but the text software havs an eight second delay
between screens. There's a hardware security device on the parallel port
that I suspect is part of the problem. I've tried every bios setting I could
find, but it won't go away.

Also, I don't theing the video boards do hercules. I recall needing some
kind of software emulator to do that at one time. Unless I'm thinking of the
CGA emulator that ran on a Hercules adapter.