Date: Sat, 01 Feb 1997 11:14:09 -0600 (MDT)
From: Roger Ivie <IVIE AT cc DOT usu DOT edu>
Subject: [opendos] Was: A more ordered fixlist Now: Memory mapped video is cool?
To: OPENDOS AT MAIL DOT TACOMA DOT NET
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Iam 'DrDebug' Day wrote:
>In article <Pine DOT LNX DOT 3 DOT 95 DOT 970201093351 DOT 4180A-100000 AT capslock DOT com>,
>mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca writes
>>On Fri, 31 Jan 1997, Ian 'DrDebug' Day wrote:
>>
>>> One of the first things I will do is Direct screen writes, regardless of
>>> portability.  Who gives a s***, I want it fast on my PC... ;-)

I, for one, give a s***. First, it won't work on the VT52 I have hanging
off my serial port. Second, it won't work on embedded systems which use a
serial console instead of a video board. Why the f*** should I have to design
video and a keyboard interface into a black box that sits on an airplane and
logs chatter between the avionics boxes? It's just a pain to have to lug 
around a monitor and a keyboard just because the thing runs DOS.

Fundamentally, memory-mapped video sucks. It is not as useful or as flexible
as a good old serial port. About the only thing it's good for is drawing
pretty pictures on the screen.

> Exactly!  Two things have always bugged me:
>
> 1) No matter how fast machines get, they always take f***ing ages to
> boot!

Run CP/M some time. Push the reset button and here comes your A> prompt.
No f***ing ages to boot.

> 2) No matter how fast machines get, DOS can only manage to do a DIR at
> 8088 crawl speed.......

By the way, there are (or at least used to be) some really good fast console
drivers. FANSI Console, for example, is blazing fast and still does ANSI
terminal emulation.

> Ah, sudden thought (I get those sometimes), perhaps it's a conspiracy by
> Microsoft to point to the fact that DOS is old and out-dated, and we
> should be using Windows....  So, come on guys; let's make OpenDOS
> something to reckon with, then we can close Windows for good.

I would also like to make OpenDOS something to reckon with. It would be
wonderful to be able to build custom embedded PCs without paying a king's 
ransom to get a BIOS, for example.

Roger Ivie
ivie AT cc DOT usu DOT edu