A very brief blog about DOS
My experience with MS DOS goes way back to version 2.11. I can remember 2.11, 3.3, 4.01,5.0,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22. I don't remember if the missing versions were actually released but I can remember the highlights of some of those versions:
4.01 (somewhere back in these days there was no C:\DOS directory but people started manually creating one
5.0 No 5.x releases other than 5.0 as far as I can recall, the official c:\DOS directory?
6.0 DBLSPACE Compression (ahem, stolen Stacker 2?), memmaker
6.2 Lots of bug fixes
6.21 No compression
6.22 DRVSPACE Compression
No more official MS DOS releases, a very sad day for many geeks.
I have to admit I miss some of the simpler times of PCs and computing. I whole heartedly embrace Windows these days but it was a touch sell back then. I loved playing games and DOS games were almost always better. I think DOOM was the first 32bit game using DOS4GW technology. It blew everything else away at the time. I can play that one on my cell phone now. Sure, lots of us had Microsoft Windows installed but we probably didn't run it too often.
What sucked about DOS? Well, in it's day it was pretty good. It served the purpose of being a great OS with a small footprint to run on the very basic processors which are the predecessors of today's computers. You can even boot today's machines on DOS if you wanted. I actually still use it for cloning Windows XP workstations at my office. There are not any applications that I can think of which would run in DOS these days. The thing that makes DOS suck these days (and back in the day) is the fact that every piece of hardware need a software driver to work. In 2009 it is darn near impossible to find a "real mode" or "legacy" NIC driver. There was a time when I actually had to load a DOS TCP/IP stack to do some Internet work (FTP, Gopher, Archie, and email). Unfortunately, the memory management of DOS was so archaic that once everything you needed was loaded, there was hardly anything left to do your work.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
What makes software lousy?
I have been thinking of the many different way software can be lousy.
Just a few things...
1. Complicated licensing schemes which almost prohibit the use of legally purchased software. I have personal experiences with this type of problem
2. Software which requires "administrative" or "power user" rights to use
3. Software which has been released but really should still be in beta due to the number of problems associated with using said software
4. The monthly fee payment model. Hey, it may be a good idea for some things, but do we really need to pay a monthly fee for EVERYTHING these days?
5. Nagware or supposed freeware that is really shareware that the developer attempts to trick you into buying
6. Sneakware or piggybackware-Software which is installed if you didn't uncheck the little hidden checkbox when you installed something else. How many toolbars do we need anyway? These little apps steal your CPU cycles and slow down your machine and you may never even use them! How many toolbars can one person possibly need, anyway? msn, google, ask, and even winamp will sneak these in when you install something else like daemon tools, java, and other apps.
7. Windows software which claims to be written for Windows per Microsoft API standards. Typically, when you upgrade the OS on your machine these applications will break. The vendor(s) may suggest disabling important antivirus software or give admin rights to all users if they want to use the program. I say "no thanks"
8. Software which requires an internet connection at all times to "phone home" even if internet access is not needed for it's use. Microsoft and Xbox game developers are doing this with Xbox live these days.
9. Software which claims to be Open Source but really is not, or they don't follow the GPL
10. Software with numerous licensing schemes or complicated billing models which require paid calls to support to figure out. Sometimes the very companies who designed these complicated schemes don't even know the answer.
11. Web content that offers a "free trial" that you must use a credit card to use for free.*
*(But in very small print you have agreed to have your card charged every month for the rest of your life with no legal chance to cancel)
I respect what developers do but programming or development is not my cup of tea. As the title suggests, this blog is about lousy, crummy software. You know what I mean. You are at the store and you pick up some game or productivity application. You shop for a while while looking at all the pretty pictures and empty promises on the box but when you get home, viola! THIS SOFTWARE SUCKS!!!! In 99+ percent of the cases, you can't return it, either! What a crock.I am here to tell you about some of my experience and why I think various software which I have used sucks. Hopefully, this will help customers be more informed before making a software purchase. E-mail me your experiences, requests, and horror stories and I'll be sure to write about that stuff in the future.
Just a few things...
1. Complicated licensing schemes which almost prohibit the use of legally purchased software. I have personal experiences with this type of problem
2. Software which requires "administrative" or "power user" rights to use
3. Software which has been released but really should still be in beta due to the number of problems associated with using said software
4. The monthly fee payment model. Hey, it may be a good idea for some things, but do we really need to pay a monthly fee for EVERYTHING these days?
5. Nagware or supposed freeware that is really shareware that the developer attempts to trick you into buying
6. Sneakware or piggybackware-Software which is installed if you didn't uncheck the little hidden checkbox when you installed something else. How many toolbars do we need anyway? These little apps steal your CPU cycles and slow down your machine and you may never even use them! How many toolbars can one person possibly need, anyway? msn, google, ask, and even winamp will sneak these in when you install something else like daemon tools, java, and other apps.
7. Windows software which claims to be written for Windows per Microsoft API standards. Typically, when you upgrade the OS on your machine these applications will break. The vendor(s) may suggest disabling important antivirus software or give admin rights to all users if they want to use the program. I say "no thanks"
8. Software which requires an internet connection at all times to "phone home" even if internet access is not needed for it's use. Microsoft and Xbox game developers are doing this with Xbox live these days.
9. Software which claims to be Open Source but really is not, or they don't follow the GPL
10. Software with numerous licensing schemes or complicated billing models which require paid calls to support to figure out. Sometimes the very companies who designed these complicated schemes don't even know the answer.
11. Web content that offers a "free trial" that you must use a credit card to use for free.*
*(But in very small print you have agreed to have your card charged every month for the rest of your life with no legal chance to cancel)
I respect what developers do but programming or development is not my cup of tea. As the title suggests, this blog is about lousy, crummy software. You know what I mean. You are at the store and you pick up some game or productivity application. You shop for a while while looking at all the pretty pictures and empty promises on the box but when you get home, viola! THIS SOFTWARE SUCKS!!!! In 99+ percent of the cases, you can't return it, either! What a crock.I am here to tell you about some of my experience and why I think various software which I have used sucks. Hopefully, this will help customers be more informed before making a software purchase. E-mail me your experiences, requests, and horror stories and I'll be sure to write about that stuff in the future.
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