This is an old Space Shuttle that Robin used for awhile running XP until
the motherboard failed. I got one of the new EPIA mother board
with processor for $169. 256Meg of RAM cost me $27. DOS uses only
640K directly. The motherboard bolted right in the Space Shuttle case
and power supply. I had to butcher the back panel however. The old DOS
hard drive booted right up no problem. The same thing cannot be said for
Windows XP. Change the motherboard and you are *&^%$. Since I could
not fix it for Robin's use I bought her a Mac. No viruses on the Mac
and it syncs with her Blackberry.
There are things you can do in DOS that are difficult or impossible
in Windows. The thing I miss the most is engineering programing in
Quick BASIC. That can be done in Windows but the text is too small to
see. I find that more flexible than using spread sheets. Also processing
text files is easily done in QB.
DOS is a real time operating system (almost) with direct access
to the hardware. I wrote a moving map program driven by a GPS in 1990 or
there abouts. I also wrote a bunch of financial and check writing programs.
That output data in comma delimited form so it can be loaded directly into
a spread sheet for further analysis.
Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.
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