From: jls11 AT po DOT CWRU DOT Edu (John L. Spetz)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: FreeDOS (was: Re: DJGPP: the future is... ?)
Date: 8 May 1999 02:00:26 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Lines: 27
Message-ID: <7h05rq$eg7$1@pale-rider.INS.CWRU.Edu>
References: <7fu6la$cqs$1 AT nnrp1 DOT dejanews DOT com> <19990425102731 DOT 12164 DOT 00001499 AT ng-fy1 DOT aol DOT com> <7g8tcj$n99$1 AT nnrp1 DOT dejanews DOT com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: christopher.ins.cwru.edu
To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com


In a previous article, walt121 AT my-dejanews DOT com () says:

>In article <19990425102731 DOT 12164 DOT 00001499 AT ng-fy1 DOT aol DOT com>,
>  fffan08 AT aol DOT com (FF fan 08) wrote:
>> I thought Windows 2000 was supposed to be an upgrade for Windows NT, not
>> Windows 98.

>The last I heard, Win2000 is NT5, but is also replacing Win9x.  Win9x has DOS
>support and allows 16-bit applications (Win 3.x) to run also.  With Win2000,
>consumers have to upgrade their old 16-bit and DOS apps.  Since M$ is a leader
>in app software, that's more $ for M$.

Hmm, Windoze 9x contrary to some misleading statements by Billzebub and
company is still based on DOS.  A lot of the 16-bit parts are replaced with
32-bit parts as soon as the GUI loads but DOS *is* still involved in the
boot process and direct access to memory/hardware is possible.  Windoze
NapTime (commonly called NT) provides an emulator for DOS but there is
naturally a speed penalty for using it; a 16-bit DOS app will be as slow
as if not slower than a Win32 one.  NT is not based on DOS which
theoretically should allow it to be more stable.  (I wonder why it isnt? ;))
As with any emulator some programs that work under genuine DOS will not
run under NT.  I am *guessing* that when people say DOS will be left out
they are refering to the delayed plans to merge 9x into NT; there would
not be a true DOS anymore.  I would expect the emulator would still exist.
Has anyone heard differently?