quote:Original post by Ravyne
Yes DOS is dead, it''s sad really. It''s microsoft''s fault for not creating a native 32-bit DOS when the 3x86 was released. They could have redesigned it then with multi-tasking.

No they couldn''t. DOS is hostile to multitasking in many different ways. Interrupts, direct access to arbitrary memory, complete absence of any real scheduling kernel, etc, etc.

They would''ve needed to re-write a new OS from almost the ground up... which they did. They got Win95. Now, perhaps they could have separated the GUI from the core OS, but that wasn''t a part of their long-term marketing plan. I think their plan has worked out pretty well for them, so I really can''t fault the strategy. Now they''re rolling in internet browsing and msn messaging to the core OS. What benefit would there have been to cutting _out_ the GUI? All it would do is make it easier to use competing desktops, leading to the UI fragmentation that''s such a huge problem for linux distros today.

quote:Original post by LessBread
On the list of reasons not to mourn DOS:
- near and far pointer hassles
- total lack of security
- single tasking
...

‘But truth''s a menace, science a public danger.’ Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

- you forgot to say DRIVERS! every game was differen in is driver use, and practicaly required a separate autoexec/config.sys for each game

and the graphics were crap, unless they used VESA, which I still havnt gotten to work

Windows and DX fixed all of thos problems, you get 4gb of address space and a universal interface to any sound/3d/input hardware imaganable

but its true, some of DOS games were the best... Privateer2, Elite 2/3, The Incredible Machine....

Oh man, can I tell most of you don''t even go near Assembly. Now, I don''t say that crudely. I state it as facts.

But anyway, (sigh)

- Anyone ever try to get a hold of smooth gameplay under Windows?
- Anyone ever chase after the DirectX 60 FPS leprechaun, like it actually existed, and get to catch it?
- Anyone ever had their Hard drive munched away because their OS ate it?
- Anyone ever heard of the phrase "Windows sucks!!"?
- And now.. I wonder what program windows loads first before running... hmmm.. does COMMAND dot COM ring a bell?

Now, DOS may be dead, as most say. And it never was that good, anyway. Maybe it''s a thing people have for things lost. I dunno.

But one thing I know for sure: DOS, with its flaws, before Mr. Gates and his pack made a cheap attempt to copy MacOs, is 1000% better than windows with its own. Perhaps not better if you regard a better system as one you can point and click!, but better in a professional manner (anybody ever OBSERVE the output of INT 08 line on an oscilloscope when running DOS, and then running Windows and doing the same thing? Didn''t think so.)


No serious game programmer should ever have to go through the punishment of doing video time politely with a pokemon screen saver (I think I read somewhere this section is called G A M E PROGRAMMING. Who''s worrying about multitasking or security within a GAME, other than the games? Visual environment, anyone?).

As for the command line thing, you''d have to be a moron not to tell it''s more powerful to have a command line prompt than a stupid mouse. Man, I''d like to see the day.. Some mission to Mars, and the astro-nuts point and clicking their way through space. Is that progress? But then again, what do I know? I''m old fashioned, old school.


2600.

This thread has next to nothing about game programming in it, and is a pretty pointless topic anyway. Take OS wars elsewhere, please.

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