Mail Archives: opendos/1998/11/14/16:02:22
On Fri, 13 Nov 1998, Jim Stevenson wrote:
:Yes. Please keep this valuable list open, even if opendos is not.
I agree - now that OpenDOS/DR-DOS is no longer free to use for as long as you
want, but instead, limited to a period of evaluation, I'm not honestly sure of
where I stand...as in regards to whether I am allowed to continue to evaluate
without shelling out the dosh to Digital/Caldera.
Now for some off-topic blathering, feel free to ignore if you want:
I would like a "free-to-use non-commercially" DOS system so that I don't get
caught up having to go against the spirit of shareware just to continue using
it, or deliberately flaunt the "rules" using a commercial DOS (MS or IBM).
Only thing is, I haven't (yet) found a system that does all the things DOS
does without paying the dosh over for all those hours the programmers put
into making it do all those neat things...
I can't use DOSEMU: the same rule applies there as it would do on a native
system, I would still have to have a version of DOS to use... 8-(, and besides
which, I don't have the space. (The usual complaint for people who have a
drive smaller than about 3 gig 8-)!)
However, I *could* get away with using WINE (if I ever get enough hard-disk
space, and a VGA screen) because you don't need any of the Windows binaries to
run the respective programs...only problem is, only certain programs run under
WINE currently (I guess Win32s stuff is off, as is Win95/6/8/2000)
So I have come to some conclusions:
One
===
I could shift entirely over to Linux and Unix-derived software.
===============================================================
+ Good idea, there is plenty of software out there available for free
for UNIX and Linux
- the disadvantage being I would have to find and download it all
- it would (generally) be incompatible with Windows programs.
- I'd also be less likely to be able to use or support odd
hardware such as my scanner under Linux than Windows.
Device support is improving, however...
- I'd get sick of people constantly saying to me "Gee, look at this
whiz-bang bit of software I got that is the best thing since sliced
bread!!" and of course it will ONLY work under WinBloat...
+ However, I'd get my revenge on them by saying "and how *much* did it
cost you for this piece of whiz-bang software, and how *much* did it
also cost for the whizzo Operating system" - assuming they didn't get it
with the computer they just bought.
+ I'd also get revenge by telling them exactly how much I paid for my
legitimate copy of an operating system that is known to be really reliable.
I paid $5 for a Cheapbytes CD...and whatever it cost to download
the updated files to the RedHat RPM files - I paid (roughly) $0.75 per meg
and have since found a site closer where I only have to pay $0.25 per meg.
+ As well as telling them how much I paid for a compiler that was used to
compile such things as Doom and Quake (I think gcc was used for Quake,
might be wrong...) I paid (roughly) $2.75 per meg for the utilities under
DOS (DJGPP), and got gcc for Linux free on the CheapBytes RedHat 5.1 CD
I since had a pricedrop at my isp, so prices dropped to $0.75 for
International data
- No shop technician would know what I was talking about when I mention
that Netscape isn't doing what it's supposed to do (though with
the release of the Halloween documents, I suspect they soon will)...
+ .. unless I go to someone knowledgeable in Unix/Linux, in which case I
get excellent support from a wide base - I just have to find it. 8-(
- My second system is not up to spec for a useable Linux - not enough memory,
not enough hard-disk space, hard disks aren't reliable enough...
I also have a "sick" card in here (the hard-disk controller/multi-io)
I have had to add in a second serial port card (unfortunately this card
also has a floppy controller, and it DOESN'T understand my drives, and
I can't disable it...) if I want serial comms, my floppies are unusable, if
I want floppies, I have to haul out the serial card - hmmm, c'est la vie...
Two
===
I shell out the cash to support a commercial enterprise (MS, IBM, Caldera)
==========================================================================
: Microsoft (they don't do _everything_ wrong, ya know...) or IBM
+ I then retain compatability with the majority of off-the-shelf
software being sold for these systems (okay, so it's the GUI they
have programmed for, but that's a moot point these days)
+ It is an ad-hoc standard, in other words, everybody else has to meet
at least this level of compatability
+ I get to use what is getting to be a standard in user interfaces
and it's not the worst interface I have come across...it is a lot
better than what Win3.1 has with regard to hardware selection
- Get used to having to hunt through a large Start menu just to find one
particular program...why'd they call the flaming thing "Start" anyway?
Why not just call it "Menu" or something like that?
+ Once I get used to the software or OS, I can then help others get used
to it too (show others the common traps etc...)
- I have to pay (sometimes through the nose) for an O/S and software
(this concerns Microsoft more than anyone else...) that I feel unwilling
to trust, and I don't feel is as reliable as other alternatives (Linux
being one...OS/2 being another)
- A point to make, I have crashed/locked up MS-Windows 95 by just trying to
use the dialer on a serial line to my Linux box (no modem in between),
Netscape and Internet Explorer wouldn't work without invoking dialer
(though they should have been willing to use Trumpet!)
- I also have to pay out through the nose if I want Windows 95/98, so I
can bring the hardware up to spec, or shoot the machine and buy a new
one to put Linux on, and give the old one to Windows...
: DR-DOS (From Caldera) if they ever release another version
------------------------------------------------------------
+ I get more stability and memory available than MS-DOS
+ I get more features (TASKMGR) than MS-DOS
- I have to work out what the quirks are as compared to the "standard"
- I have to deal with poor DPMI support (this concerns mainly DJGPP
programs) but I have seen reports that this has been very much improved.
+ Caldera, unlike Microsoft, are still supporting a version of DOS
- though it still costs some...
Three
=====
I support a shareware/freeware effort (PTS-DOS 6.70, FreeDOS)
=======================================================================
- Can't guarantee the same degree of compatability as would be provided with
the MS products (for what that's worth...)
+ Gain some useful abilities (such as full 32-bit operating system - PTS)
and maybe some programming experience to produce what I want...
- Lose the ability to support unusual devices such as my scanner
- Have to shell out cash I don't have...but then all of us lack somewhere...
Well, that's the end of my off-topic blather - just some more fodder for
anyone else to fire off at if they wish...
--
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