Re: Dead or alive...

> >Not so.  DOS is a small, relatively efficient O.S. ...unlike
> >that bloated pointee-clickee abomination.
>
> Linux is an even smaller, yet much more efficient OS, which, get this,
> actually lets you run more than one program at once. You can even fit
> it on a boot disk.

You can fit DOS on a bootdisk too , and I know that with Qube running ontop you
can multitask (though I dont know if you can fit the entire thing on a
bootdisk).

> >But more importantly, DOS allows the =user= to make the
> >decisions about how he wants his machine to look, act and
> >perform.  It's a much more 'down-to-the-metal' O.S., where
> >the =user= is in control...not some megalomaniac in Redmond,
> >Washington, U.S.A.
>
> No it doesn't, you can't even change the code, let alone change how it
> works. Linux is the OS of choice if you want full control.

Sure it does .. FreeDOS - http://www.freedos.org/ is open-source.

> >Besides, DOS is ten times faster than WinDoze on any given
> >machine.
>
> Then Linux is 15 times faster.

I think that every OS have programs that just run faster on that particular OS.
Counterstrike f.x. runs fastest on a windows PC .. one of the reasons why I run
Windows

> >But it suffers from many of the
> >same ailments that afflict WinDoze: bloat,
>
> Linux does not have bloat?

I'd agree with this one .. you can get loads of software for Linux and sure if
you install all of it you will have used alot of space .. but you can also
install very little and have lots of space..
Linux isn't bloated - DOS definatly isn't .. Windows IS .. but you can unbloat
95 , 98 and ME with 98lite ( www.98lite.net )
Now if only there was a program for slimming WinXP .. I mean : 1.2GB on a
standard install! (but then you dont ever have to find your CD again to install
something .. I think it keep every file from the CD somewhere on your HD)

> >hogging of system
> >resources,
>
> What? Are you serious? Linux is one of the most efficient OSes there
> is. It only needs 4MB of RAM!

Compared to the cirka 20 KB i can run DOS in ?
OK .. that totally bare .. stripped of everything .. but linux still (normally)
demands more of the PC than DOS.

> >etc., plus a relative dearth of software choices.

> What's wrong with lots of software?

I second that .. there nothing wrong with lots of software to choose from ..
thats a good thing.

> >But if one feels that one simply MUST use a protected-mode
> >O.S., then yeah...Linux is a fair choice.

Who cares if the processor is in protected mode .. as long as it runs good.
Any speedgain you could get from running in real mode is negible on newer
processors


( Why does alt-ascii-art threads often go on to discussing very deep and nerdy
science and tech issues .. are we really all a bunch of geeks ? :)  )

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