GRAEME SMITH                         email: grysmith@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
YMCA Edmonton

Address has changed with little warning!
(I moved across the hall! :) )

Email will remain constant... at least for now.


On Sat, 12 Jun 1999, Mark Willis wrote:

> Paul B. Webster VK2BZC wrote:
> > <snipped>
> > anyway?  How many people have even seen a version 2.x?
>
>   I have, on multiple machines <G>  I like Compaq Dos 3.31 better,
> though.  I think I may have V1.1 or some such here someplace on floppy?
> Ick, though...

Me too.... Toshiba comes to mind... the ROM version was 2. something
>
>   Dos is not much like CP/M, really, IMHO.
>
>   Mark
>
Actually, the CPM86 stuff, is only the BIOS level routines, what M$ did,
is build a "Command Parser" on top, (similar to Bash on Unix) that looks
nothing at all like CPM. IBM probably asked them to do this, so that they
could have a "Market Niche" that separated PC DOS from CP/M.

The neet thing about using a command parser on top of an operating system
is, of course that you can "Interpret" a Script file (Batch file in dos
parliance) which is especially useful at start-up. (How many of you would
be able to run windows without a mouse driver). I can, but it can be
really akward, and I can't seem to get the groups to close properly...
I think I forgot the magic key sequence ;)

This (scripts or batch files) gives quite a boost to serious programming
because it increases the number of ways you can set up your computer. A
freind of mine, that is still using a C64, can't understand why anyone
would want a computer to take a significant time booting up, but in the
same breath complains that he has to get around to replacing the ROM so it
doesn't screw up the colors when it reboots.... ;)

                                Grey