Just to throw in a relevant, I believe, example...
I am still using ActiveHome
2 and my CM
14A. Unfortunately, ActiveHome 2 only works under Windows 9x (fails even under XP). Because of this, I have had to keep an old computer running Windows 98SE, just for the occasional need to update or reprogram my CM14A.
Well, as mentioned, I have Windows 7 Pro, and this past weekend I dusted off my old CD and installed Windows ME as a virtual machine. It was pretty easy and straight forward. I can boot a copy of Windows ME as a window within Windows 7.
In that Windows ME, I installed a copy of ActiveHome 2.
It works!
ActiveHome 2 can connect directly thru the COM1: port to my CM14A, and communicate without a single problem.