Perhaps just semantics, but I never considered Windows 9x to be "Operating Systems" -- I consider them to be "Operating Environments" just like the previous versions of Windows call themselves (3.x & earlier). Windows 9x isn't conceptually much different than GEM or GEOS or similar DOS applications of the era.
The are only a few practical differences between Windows 9x and similar DOS applications. The first is that Windows 9x comes with a version of DOS that has special enhancements the Windows application requires to operate properly. But, it is still a general purpose DOS that other applications can use -- it isn't a special version that only works with Windows 9x. The second is the OS (DOS) is set up to automatically load the Windows application. But, you can easily change this by simply adding a "BootGUI=0" line to the MSDOS.SYS text configuration file. You can then boot straight to a DOS command prompt, and run all kinds of DOS applications other than Windows 9x. If you then decide you want to run the DOS application called Windows 9x, you can simply type "WIN" at a DOS command prompt (just like you do with earlier versions of Windows). The last significant difference is that you can't just "exit" Windows 9x and go back to regular DOS again without rebooting. In that sense, it's a poorly designed application. Basically, "owning" Windows 9x also means you "own" DOS 7.x, and you don't need to ever run the Windows application if you don't want to. They are separate and distinct. Overall, I think I agree with Karen's assessment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Live Security Virtual Conference Exclusive live event will cover all the ways today's security and threat landscape has changed and how IT managers can respond. Discussions will include endpoint security, mobile security and the latest in malware threats. http://www.accelacomm.com/jaw/sfrnl04242012/114/50122263/ _______________________________________________ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
