Message-Id:	<199703201652.LAA16522@keeper.albany.net>
Comments:	Authenticated sender is <jamesl AT mail DOT albany DOT net>
From:	"James Lefavour" <jamesl AT mail DOT albany DOT net>
To:	opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net
Date:	Thu, 20 Mar 1997 11:49:05 -0500
MIME-Version:	1.0
Subject:	Re: [opendos] Wishlist v2.0
Reply-to:	jamesl AT albany DOT net
References:	<18040 DOT 9703141838 AT orkney DOT dcs DOT st-andrews DOT ac DOT uk>
In-reply-to:	<Pine.LNX.3.95.970320053624.12128E-100000@capslock.com>

I believe what we need here IS two different OpenDOS products.  
OpenDOS 7.xx, when the bugs are gone, will be a superior DOS, for 16 
bit computers and up.  It will be outstanding, but what about the 
newer Computers? 386's have been available for how many years? 
Therefore, we will develop OD-32, a full 32 bit OS, and for it to be 
viable, it must compete with guess who - which means compatibility, 
GUI, etc.

I do fully support "accessibility", and I don't appreciate a 
disrespectful individual "beating us about the head and shoulders" 
with a US regulation that doesn't apply here.  OD is from Caldera, 
and the main product is in the UK, and we have already covered what 
the ADA (NOT the American Dental Association) actually DOES apply to. 
So please, people, some respect is in order here - I am confident 
that the command-line version of OD will become fully compatibly with 
the standard speech programs etc, because there is a need for it, and 
because the people AROUND the WORLD who will be working on it are 
generally respectful of the needs of others.

As for OD 32, I own a 486, which I upgraded from a 386, which I 
upgraded from a 286 AT, etc...  I want to be able to take advantage 
of the features of my machine, and I want to be able to run the 
32 bit software (IE, M$95, etc).  For example, I have a 1 1/2 year 
old daughter, who thankfully[?] is quite bright, and I have software 
called "JumpStart Toddlers" - it runs under either Win3.1 or Win95, 
but not plain old dos.  It is very graphical, but is also very 
useful, as it teaches my daughter coordination, computer use (in a 
basic sort of way), and several other things. I find this software 
very useful, but at present, the only way that I can use it is to 
have W95 installed and running. I would LOVE to have and alternative 
to this - especially an "Open" one <g>

So we aren't just talking games here - there is useful software that 
is available only for the M$ Windoes environments. We will need to 
keep that in mind for the future - how about modelling after the 
XWindows setup - make the OS 32 bit command line, and have a GUI 
layer float over that?

Just my thoughts - I have been silent too long <g>

Jim

jamesl AT albany DOT net - http://www.albany.net/~jamesl/

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