[CQ-Contest] DOS Is Dead -- Time To Move On To Better Designed and Reliable Applications

[Ron Martin]

Thank Goodness That DOS Is Gone!!!!......

The handwriting is on the wall; DOS is gone...........if one wants a command
type operating system.....then one will have to switch to one of the UNIX
like operating systems (which is much better than DOS could have ever been).

One benefit of the new Windows 32 bit operating systems is that it will help
weed out the poor software designers from the good............there are too
many mediocre Ham software vendors out there.  Bad software simply does not
run on Windows NT which forces a discipline in software
design............The rumor is that the follow on to Win 98 and NT 5 will
merge and become one.........It is time that ham software vendors (i.e.,
exchange product for $$$$), as a general group, learn to properly design and
produce reliable software.........Windows NT will run good DOS software
..........but not software designed improperly.............

I do things in Win 98/NT that can not even be attempted in
DOS..............Also, the reliability of the applications specifically
designed for such operating systems is a BIG PlUS compared to most of those
hacked for DOS or even some designed (??) for Windows 3.x.  There are some
really good ham DOS applications that run properly on Win NT; however, the
vast majority do not.

I am not here to fight the wars of operating systems............But to point
out that Ham software vendors need to produce reliable code.............Win
98 and NT will be the forcing functions that will help weed out the hacks
from the real designers that can produce reliable applications.

The hobbyist can use DOS to venture into the software development world;
however, when I pay my money for a commercial application I want to receive
reliable software.  I've grown very intolerant of the those vendors whose
applications that I pay for crash and burn or does not properly run under
the 'advertised' environment.

One can pick up a good new or used Pentium based machine (without monitor)
with fast gigabits and memory for about the price of a 'wham bam gee wizz
got em all them there darn bells and whistles 2-meter transceivers or
2-meter/440 rig."  Don't understand the reluctance of moving over to a 'more
reliable' system.

Ron ................ NU1U



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