There are too many pranks played these days and the time is such that it is hard to believe what you read on the web. I was amazed at this piece of news which hit my rss web reader. There is a version of DOS like MS-DOS called FreeDOS which was released after a lot of man hours put into it.
Here is the news piece :
Finally folks. It’s finally here. FreeDOS 1.0 available in CD-ROM format can be downloaded at http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.0/fdbasecd.iso. Shortly, the larger and more featureful ISOs will also be uploaded. If you are having trouble booting from the CD-ROM, it is recommended to use Smart Boot Manager (btmgr.sf.net), or download the FreeDOS boot floppy image at http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.0/fdboot.img, which will start the installation process and then use the CD-ROM for the rest. A full floppy distro will be released at a later time.
Sorry for the delay, by the way :-)
If you think I’m rambling on, you can ignore the rest…
FreeDOS 1.0 is a major milestone that has finally been released. By now, we have a stable and viable MS-DOS replacement. FreeDOS now boasts Long Filename support in several of its applications, including COMMAND.COM. FAT32 is supported by the kernel and most applications. HIMEM and EMM386 are extremely stable considering the complexity. A free CD-ROM driver is provided by a very talented programmer. Download it yourself to find out more!
The question that comes to most people is what kind of nerds still use DOS? I cannot comprehend somebody actually using a version of DOS when we are filled with GUI that gets overtaken by a new kind of GUI. If the readers here at Tech Pedia know people who actually use DOS, please share it with us.
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September 7th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
If you really want a hearty laugh, I suggest you check out Shaun’s Freedos Page. It proclaims:
“Enter FreeDOS… This project shows that people with determination, technical knowhow, and a little imagination, can take on the Fat Cats of the world and win!”
and then:
“This is the FreeDOS Project’s clone of the MSDOS EDIT text editor, and my main project. Currently under development / beta test, it tries to duplicate the functionality of the old MSDOS EDIT, but with some improved features (eventually!)”
Riiight. The year is 2006. You’ve managed to make a bug-ridden clone of MS-DOS, and you’ve (nearly) managed to clone MS-DOS “Edit”. You may even add improvements (but how to improve on such a feature-packed piece of software?). That means you’ve taken on the big guys and won. Sure it does. Great sonny, great project, keep going. I’m sure world dominance is just a couple of steps down the road. Suuure……
Even more amusing is seeing some Linux guy rejoicing that Microsoft had “lost another cash cow”. Um, hello? A cash cow? Would anyone like to enlighten us as to how many MS-DOS licences they sold last year? I bet Bill Gates is rushing back from his charitable duties for a crisis meeting at this very moment.
September 12th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
“what kind of nerds still use DOS?” A better and more apt question would be, what sort of idiot doesn’t and can’t see a need for a new and free version of DOS?
I, like many FreeDOS users, use Windows most of the time, but I still have a need to run old programs outside of Windows. That’s all the more necessary given how prone to crashing Windows is when running programs at a command prompt or with DOS Box. (Or perhaps the “writer” is trying to his ineptitude, unwilling to admit he doesn’t know how to create multiple OS partitions on his computer.)
For blind people using DOS-based Kurzweil text-to-speech readers, it’s invaluable. Or is the “writer” idiotically suggesting the blind go out and buy new eyes?
For small businesses that are running old software instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars they can’t afford to build and test Windows versions, it’s economical. Or is the “writer” offering millions of dollars in grants to small business to hire programmers?
For individuals who want to use and build 32bit programs that don’t use Windows, it’s essential. Or is the “writer” not educated or skilled enough to build his own programs, and hides his ignorance by attempting to dictate what software people ought to use?
Perhaps the “writer” I am replying to enjoys, and is willing to kiss, Bill Gates’ feet (or other body parts normally covered with clothes), but not everyone is.
Perhaps the “writer” is so uneducated about computers he doesn’t know they existed before 1995. It certainly seems that way by the drivel he wrote.
January 15th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
I am one who can’t do without the tremendous benefits of MSDos. I run a gwbasic dos based racing program to manage the output of the track timr. The reason I have decided to use DOS rather than convert to windows is quite simple, RELIABILITY. That’s the big one for me. DOS simple doesn’t crash. In the last 15 years which I have been running the program under DOS it has never crashed. If I loose power or the computer dies, whch has happened occasionally, I restore power or change the PC, power up and in 20 secods flat, I am running as if nothing had happened. There is no way that could be done using a windows system. It takes 5-10 minutes simply to boot assuming something hasn’t been corupted in the process. I ust don’t need the hasle and uncertanty that widows brings to the PC arena. I am looking forward tothe day when I have Free dos up and running. I would like to look into USB and inkjet printer support which I don’t have now.
February 20th, 2007 at 2:24 am
Hum, let me think here. If I had a small single board computer, oh and maybe a small os that was well under a meg. Hey I could do some type of controller board for bigger projects. I would not have to pay for the os either so that would be cost effective.
Oh wait small os’s are dead. we have no use for any type of embedded controllers. Everything has to be windows based to run. Sorry I’m an idiot. Everyone needs an OS the size of a CDROM to run a CPU chip.
September 9th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Umm.. yeah, we need windows, for a hard drive filler like we need fillers in food… last i checked windows wasn’t doing too good with vista… unless you asked the inexperienced pc user, usually a old person, crack head, or person with no pc experience at all. check it out at http://www.mojaveexperiment.com/ that’s what microsoft has based all their claims on. but for someone that requires more umph from their computer they tend to try to not use a windows based computer at all, not that windows isn’t fun for games, but they don’t support their older games forcing you to upgrade to the next version. the way they alway’s have. some people prefer the more brute force of dos. don’t ask me why but i have a clue that it has something to do with the pure bulk and inefficiency of the new windows platform, and how the newer processor’s isn’t backwards compatible. have you even used dos david? i didn’t think so…