Board index » delphi » DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)

Frederi

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)

I have been wondering whether it still makes sense to write programs for
DOS, since our friend Bill has already announced its imminent death in
favor of Windows. The average user who adores the colorful icons and the
melodious sounds Windows utters when once again a program has crashed
will certainly not easily be convinced to type something at the dreary
DOS prompt. Maybe the only programs still worth being written for DOS
are anti-virus programs, since Windows cannot boot from a floppy, and
games.

Any comments?

 
Bill Boult

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


On Sat, 31 Oct 1998 15:13:29 +0100, Frederic <frede...@rz-online.de>
wrote:
Quote
>I have been wondering whether it still makes sense to write programs for
>DOS, since our friend Bill has already announced its imminent death in
>favor of Windows. The average user who adores the colorful icons and the
>melodious sounds Windows utters when once again a program has crashed
>will certainly not easily be convinced to type something at the dreary
>DOS prompt. Maybe the only programs still worth being written for DOS
>are anti-virus programs, since Windows cannot boot from a floppy, and
>games.

>Any comments?

Who cares what Billy said? Maybe he can see a cash flow crisis on the
horizon. The threat of a Standard Oil/AT&T style breakup must have the
poor dear worried. Just remember. This is the guy (with others) who
would introduce "Pay per Use" software applications and have us hooked
to the net whenever we turn on a computer. Stuff him and them. We'll
write our own. We can.

I seem to remember a quotation from somewhere that went something like
"The reports of my death are greatly exagerated". I think that can be
said of DOS. Just look at the amount of activity in this ng and ask
yourself if DOS is even dying. Furthermore there is the Free DOS
project, Caldera, Unix, old uncle Tom Kolby and all.  And let's not
forget all the people for whom a computer is a tool, and DOS an
appropriate operating system for the work they do.

Windows has its' place and should not be trivialized. After all, if it
weren't for Windows, do you think we would be enjoying the benefits of
the 300MHz DOS computer at a quarter of the price of a 128kb XT with
only 2 FDDs? I wonder if anyone remembers just how slow to boot the
original PC/XT was?

On a more serious note, I think DOS and the AT based compuyter are
very good tools for learning both the hardware and software aspects of
computing.

Bill.
Bill.
---------------------------------
Remove "nospam." for direct reply
---------------------------------

axe

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


Quote
> I seem to remember a quotation from somewhere that went something like
> "The reports of my death are greatly exagerated".

Was it one of the Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy books?

Cuz I seen it to and am pretty sure it's there.. :)

John

Dr John Stockto

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


JRS:  In article <363C6BF0.180A9...@nettaxi.com> of Sun, 1 Nov 1998
14:10:56 in comp.lang.pascal.borland, axe <a...@nettaxi.com> wrote:

Quote
>> I seem to remember a quotation from somewhere that went something like
>> "The reports of my death are greatly exagerated".

>Was it one of the Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy books?

>Cuz I seen it to and am pretty sure it's there.. :)

Sic non-transit Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), a.k.a. Mark Twain.

Cable, Europe to AP : "The report of my death was an exaggeration" - PDQ.

--
John Stockton, Surrey, UK.    j...@merlyn.demon.co.uk    Turnpike v4.00    MIME.
  Web <URL: http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> - FAQish topics, acronyms, & links.

Telemacho

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


DOS - now I said it....

Well... As much as I like DOS (everyone that has read my postings will know
how much of a direct-to-the-hardware-with-an-axe kinda guy I am :) I'm aware
that DOS *IS* dying. Not among us, the coders - but among the users to our
applications!
So, we gonna ask ourselves a few questions - do we want money and fame, or
do we want Turbo Pascal... 'cause the two things just does'nt fit together
:)

Today, WIN95/WIN98 is a MUST for every serious program - as well as 32bit
code..
When I think of it I really can't understand why I'm using something as old
and old fashioned as Turbo Pascal 7.0 :) I should at least use one of the
protected mode Pascal compilers available...  Must be because I like it
somehow :)

16bit Pascal with a DOS target is perfect for us bit-twisters that finds
great amounts of amu{*word*224}t in optimizing tight assembler loops to save a few
ticks... Or spends days on trying to figure out how to access memory above
640Kb !! All this in an age where every computer is shipped with at least
64MB ram !!
Ask yourself - why not just switch to Visual C++ ??  And use DirectX for
graphics, sounds and all that kind of stuff ??

Well - the reason why we don't do this must surely be that by doing so we
would surrender ourself to the power of M$ - and give up all the fun of
getting a VESA mode to work in DOS real mode :)

So - why not continue working in Pascal... and then just admit that even
though it's great fun we won't get far with our products - other than
impress our fellow coders :)

So,   Keep on Codin'
   Telemachos

Blackdea

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


Quote
On Sun, 1 Nov 1998 23:23:22 +0100, "Telemachos" <t...@image.dk> wrote:
>16bit Pascal with a DOS target is perfect for us bit-twisters that finds
>great amounts of amu{*word*224}t in optimizing tight assembler loops to save a few
>ticks... Or spends days on trying to figure out how to access memory above
>640Kb !! All this in an age where every computer is shipped with at least
>64MB ram !!
>Ask yourself - why not just switch to Visual C++ ??  And use DirectX for
>graphics, sounds and all that kind of stuff ??

Why switch from Pascal at all? Have you looked into Virtual Pascal yet?
It compiles for OS/2 and {shudder} Win32.

- Blackdeath - s_honsber...@13usa.net
-- Web: http://tinys.oix.com/blackdeath
--- ICQ UIN # 3484915
---- Remove 'thir{*word*249}' to reply

Jason Burg

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


In article: <363C6BF0.180A9...@nettaxi.com>  axe <a...@nettaxi.com> writes:

Quote

>> I seem to remember a quotation from somewhere that went something like
>> "The reports of my death are greatly exagerated".

>Was it one of the Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy books?

I think the original quote was made by some actor or other, but I can't remember
who.

-- Jay

 -----------------------------------------
| Jason Burgon - author of Graphic Vision |
| g...@jayman.demon.co.uk                   |
| http://www.jayman.demon.co.uk           |
 -----------------------------------------

Martin Be

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


Frederic schrieb:

Quote

> I have been wondering whether it still makes sense to write programs for
> DOS, since our friend Bill has already announced its imminent death in
> favor of Windows. The average user who adores the colorful icons and the
> melodious sounds Windows utters when once again a program has crashed
> will certainly not easily be convinced to type something at the dreary
> DOS prompt. Maybe the only programs still worth being written for DOS
> are anti-virus programs, since Windows cannot boot from a floppy, and
> games.

> Any comments?

Hi Frederic,
I don't think think DOS is dying. It will die with the _last_ OS that
can run DOS-software although no one would have the real DOS then. Which
popular OS can't run DOS progs(this is a rhetoric question -> no answer
plz ;-) )?  Look at Windows. Up to Win3.1 there you wouldn't have seen
anything without DOS for booting. Then Win95. The install program is
a DOS executable!
So if you don't program any DOS special, it should often
work on other systems.

Martin

George Arn

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


In a previous article, Ja...@jayman.demon.co.uk (Jason Burgon) says:

Quote

>In article: <363C6BF0.180A9...@nettaxi.com>  axe <a...@nettaxi.com> writes:

>>> I seem to remember a quotation from somewhere that went something like
>>> "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated".

>>Was it one of the Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy books?

>I think the original quote was made by some actor or other, but I can't remember
>who.

>-- Jay

The quotation is from Mark Twain (pseud. Samuel Clemens).

George Arndt

Oz

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


In article <Nd5%1.3091$tV3.3...@news010.image.dk>, Telemachos
<t...@image.dk> writes

Quote
>DOS - now I said it....

>Well... As much as I like DOS (everyone that has read my postings will know
>how much of a direct-to-the-hardware-with-an-axe kinda guy I am :) I'm aware
>that DOS *IS* dying. Not among us, the coders - but among the users to our
>applications!

Perhaps. Windows is good for w.processing, cad, and a considerable
number of mass commercial programs. However there is no real small scale
market cos basically it's all been done. Linux may well come to the fore
here, but time alone will tell. In the area of process control dos is
still an excellent environment. Primitive enough for a programmer to
meddle with the hardware directly, fast enough (due to lack of overhead)
to do things quickly if required and simple enough for one person to
comprehend in it's entirity (incl hardware). Also with process control
you get to sell hardware, and people will pay more for this.

Quote
>Today, WIN95/WIN98 is a MUST for every serious program -

Bletch.

Quote
>as well as 32bit
>code..

Sure, must find me a copu of BP7.

Quote
>16bit Pascal with a DOS target is perfect for us bit-twisters that finds
>great amounts of amu{*word*224}t in optimizing tight assembler loops to save a few
>ticks...

Sometimes this has a value.

Quote
>Or spends days on trying to figure out how to access memory above
>640Kb !! All this in an age where every computer is shipped with at least
>64MB ram !!

Yes.

Quote
>Ask yourself - why not just switch to Visual C++ ??  

Bletch. C is a language designed to conceal bugs.

Quote
>And use DirectX for
>graphics, sounds and all that kind of stuff ??

Which version?

Quote
>Well - the reason why we don't do this must surely be that by doing so we
>would surrender ourself to the power of M$

Nah. It's because pascal is such a beautiful language. It's inherently
bug-resistant, very clear and a delight to use.

Quote
>So - why not continue working in Pascal... and then just admit that even
>though it's great fun we won't get far with our products - other than
>impress our fellow coders :)

Hah! I'd never even begin to attempt to impress you lot. You are too
d*mn good at it.

--
Oz

Osmo Ronkan

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


In article <CEF1sWAa71P2E...@upthorpe.demon.co.uk>,

Quote
Oz  <O...@upthorpe.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>In article <Nd5%1.3091$tV3.3...@news010.image.dk>, Telemachos
><t...@image.dk> writes

>>as well as 32bit
>>code..

>Sure, must find me a copu of BP7.

BP 7.0 is not 32-bit.

Osmo

Oz

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


In article <71o4au$...@kruuna.Helsinki.FI>, Osmo Ronkanen
<ronka...@cc.helsinki.fi> writes

Quote

>BP 7.0 is not 32-bit.

Tsk. But from gleaning here it will handle protected mode & 16MB flat?

--
Oz

Scott Earnes

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


Quote
Oz wrote:
> In article <71o4au$...@kruuna.Helsinki.FI>, Osmo Ronkanen
> <ronka...@cc.helsinki.fi> writes

> >BP 7.0 is not 32-bit.

> Tsk. But from gleaning here it will handle protected mode & 16MB flat?

16-bit (286-level) protected mode, yes.  Flat mode support can be kludged in.

Quote
> --
> Oz

--
Scott Earnest            | SPAM protection in effect. Remove  |
setech@_ix.netcom.com    | "_" as needed for true addresses.  |
earnests@_homenet.lm.com |    UIN:1136443  EFnet:pale_blue    |
sinykal@_{*word*104}space.org  | URL: http://www.netcom.com/~setech |
sch..

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


Mark Twain
Quote
>>> I seem to remember a quotation from somewhere that went something like
>>> "The reports of my death are greatly exagerated".

>>Was it one of the Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy books?
>I think the original quote was made by some actor or other, but I can't remember
>who.

Jason Burg

Delphi Developer
Wed, 18 Jun 1902 08:00:00 GMT

Re:DOS or Windows? (Please say DOS)


In article: <1998Nov3.043747.21...@lafn.org>  as...@lafn.org (George Arndt)
writes:

Quote

>In a previous article, Ja...@jayman.demon.co.uk (Jason Burgon) says:

>>In article: <363C6BF0.180A9...@nettaxi.com>  axe <a...@nettaxi.com> writes:

>>>> I seem to remember a quotation from somewhere that went something like
>>>> "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated".

>>>Was it one of the Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy books?

>>I think the original quote was made by some actor or other, but I can't
>>remember who.

>>-- Jay

>The quotation is from Mark Twain (pseud. Samuel Clemens).

Yes, that famous actor, Mark Twain ;-))

-- Jay

 -----------------------------------------
| Jason Burgon - author of Graphic Vision |
| g...@jayman.demon.co.uk                   |
| http://www.jayman.demon.co.uk           |
 -----------------------------------------

Go to page: [1] [2]

Other Threads

1. Closing a DOS-windows in windows 95 with Delphi 2.0

2. Timer in DOS, running in a DOS-Box of Win95

3. BP7/DOS in Win95 DOS Box - IOResult problems

4. Executing a dos prog in Win 95 and forcing the dos prompt to close after

5. DOS program in a DOS window

6. Exec'ing dos programs without dos box

7. Dos commands....without the dos window?

8. HELP: Run DOS Program without poping DOS window

9. Porting 16 bit DOS Application to 32 bit DOS Application using BC++ 5.0

10. Borland PowerPack for DOS (32-bit DOS extender)