Re: [IRCA] Running MS-DOS programs

["Craig Healy" <bubba@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> If not mistaken, all computers still run on DOS, and Windows is simply a
> software over atop DOS?

That was true up to Windows 98 and it's variants, SE and ME.  With Windows
2000 it went to a core based on Windows NT, rather than DOS.  Later Windows
will run DOS, but via an emulator program.  Posix (a UNIX variant) also runs
that way.

I have had good luck running all sorts of DOS apps under Windows 2000.  The
utility that does the NOAA WWV mailings is DOS under Windows 2000, for
example.  I also run an old-style FIDONet BBS (Chowdanet) under Windows
2000/DOS.  As later versions come along, DOS is pushed further and further
into the background.  I do not know about Vista, but likely will not use
that as the DRM is too intrusive.  I will likely migrate to Linux at that
point, which likewise can run DOS via an emulator.

I do not know if there is any way at all to run DOS under the Mac OS.  As
it's now based on the Linux kernel, it may be possible with some tweaking.
My wife has several G4/G5 Macs for her graphics arts company and is the
household Mac expert.  I'll ask..

For purely DOS apps, there are a number of newer versions of DOS available
that will read the newer file systems and are quite stable.  Microsoft DOS
6.22 or the DOS under Windows 98 which seems to be called DOS 7 is not the
end of the line.

One thing to watch for is some programs written under Borland Turbo Pascal
crash on a computer faster than a 200MHz CPU.  That's a Borland problem, and
not a DOS issue.  There is a patch (TPPatch.exe) that fixes some of them, up
to a certain CPU speed at least.

Craig Healy
Providence, RI

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