Re: How workable is Vista?

On Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:04:21 +0200, David Brown
<david.brown@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

<snip>
There are various virtualisation solutions that might make your life
easier. <http://www.dosbox.com/> is a DOS emulator that gives a much
more complete DOS environment than a command prompt in windows.

Actually, I use a straight boot to a real DOS. Win98SE permits me to
set up a CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT with a menu system that lets me
make a choice at boot time (or, I can just always go straight to the
pure DOS environment and, if I please, type WIN to go into Windows.)

However, since I set up separate disks for each project/client it is
usually the case that I either need some Windows environment or some
Linux environment or some DOS environment ... but more or less rarely
some combo of them. If I'm developing, using a crossdevelopment tool
that needs to run under Win2000 or later, for example, then I need
Win2000 or WinXP for the tools I use. I don't need the DOS box, for
the most part, at times like that. If I'm developing using tools that
were originally designed to run with DOS, then I just configure a DOS
boot disk and use it. The caveat there is that there are some ways of
doing things under Windows in Win98SE that can ease some of the
development under DOS, so I like a split boot situation there (side by
side code comparison programs are an example of such a tool I like to
have handy even when developing using DOS tools.)

You
could also try Virtual Box, which is a good virtualisation environment.

I recently read something here about that and I'm looking into it. Not
sure, yet, if it will actually help me though. My problem is about
not depending on Microsoft to enable the operating system on a
permanent basis when I set up a new disk drive. I not only have
complete control over that for Win98SE (and earlier Windows), but
Microsoft's licensing for those earlier operating systems clearly
allows me to use my license in exactly the way I need to do it. So I
am comforming, as well, which is where I like to be. In their later
operating system environment licensing, I'm far far less sure from a
close reading of the EULA and in any case they had appeared to require
me to call to get a new authorization -- especially given the way I go
through disks -- and trying to explain each and every time to some new
person is something I definitely do NOT intend doing.

With Vista, though, I'm finished with them. The hardware requirements
and the special care they've taken with DRM and protecting a few large
company interests at my expense (literally speaking) is the last straw
for me. I don't need nor do I care about movies, audio, songs, etc.
on my working machines. It has nothing to do with what I'm about. And
yet I must pay heavily in excess cycles, memory, and specialized
hardware just because some companies are having problems with some
people and what they consider to be the off chance that I might have a
random thought about being a momentary thief. Add to that, my own
needs for my model of doing work and their inattention to those needs
(the widening gap between their interests and mine) and I cannot see
being the only one between us who is working to bridge the gap, any
longer.

If that doesn't work, qemu is a more complete (and slower) x86 emulator.

Well, I need as close as possible, not emulation. I don't use the
client's project disk for random interests of mine. And it isn't hard
to have with real DOS. I keep a supply of older machines on the
shelf, too.

Jon
.

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