There is no visible Console on startup. But the BootGUI command in MSDOS.SYS still works. After a boot in Console mode Windows shows "Dos-Version 7.1" after typing ver.
I'm going to search that article...
I tried the MSDOS.SYS BootGUI=0, and it does not boot a command prompt, as I expected.
I've heard of people arguing Windows 2000 was based on the 9x kernal instead of NT, too. Infact, someone was arguing with me the other day about it until they looked at the Startup screen and saw "Built on NT Technology".
Its most likely that the article you read this information from was misinformed, or was deeply confused. 
-Dan Smith
dans@3dgamedev.com
In other words, unless you want spend a bit of cash on the real NT, don't worry. On the other hand, if you're like me waiting for the real NT5 to come to consumers, you'd be slightly annoyed.
But then, what do I know? Correct me if I'm wrong.
[This message has been edited by Jeranon (edited October 10, 1999).]
[This message has been edited by Jeranon (edited October 10, 1999).]
I just wish Microsaft would get their act together and develop a STABLE, FAST, SECURE operating system (Linux + MacOS are good examples), instead of adding fifty thousand little "enhancments .. cough, choke" that really only slowwww things down and create even more bugs and incompatability problems !!!
Give me Windows 95 OSR2.5 or Win2000 ANYDAY.
i.e. I LOVE a quick, stable, clean desktop.
ps. IE4-5, Win98, and WinNT4 are very sad.
Windows 2000 doesnt have any command prompt that doesnt run under the core GUI.
If you have Windows 2000, try what I said and you'll understand what I mean.
-Dan
[This message has been edited by Dan Smith (edited October 17, 1999).]
Windows9x thunks down to 16-bit DLL's, and because the Win3.1 wasn't a preemptively multitasked OS, the entire kernel must be locked with a global mutex during kernel operations (this is the Win16Lock for those of you who have tried debugging over a surface lock and a surface GetDC call.)
So one misbehaved App can lock the entire kernel, freeze up, and the whole system is shot. Win2K doesn't have these problems, because it doesn't have complete 16-bit compatibility is built in. It can just lock selective portions of the kernel at a time.
My opinion: DOS is dead. Win16 is dead. Win2K rocks.
