DOS ain't dead - Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21

Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 (Users)

posted by ron , Australia, 19.01.2016, 23:13
(edited by ron on 20.01.2016, 00:33)

> Hi again. Some of you may remember me from my posts last spring.

Yes, I do.

> The antique laptop I'm running MS-DOS on may die any day now, so I'm hoping
> I might find a mentor or two in this forum, who could advise me on what to
> look for in a newer computer that would run FreeDOS (or something like it),
> and perhaps even run multiple instances of DOS in "virtual machines" on a
> single computer. That way I'm hoping I could multi-task between my
> favorite DOS programs: a text editor called TSE, a database called FYI
> and, of course, that old workhorse of a file manager, XTree.

There IS DOS software that will allow you to switch quickly between several DOS applications. But only one will be "live" at a time.
And you will need a large amount of memory to avoid it choking.
I no longer use it !

> I know next to nothing about virtual machine software, and the same goes
> for FreeDOS, so I'll be starting from square one.

FWIW: In my experience, running DOS in a virtual machine can be done but it is far, very far, from easy or even useful.
YMMV !

> So, for starters, I'd be grateful for advice about which current version of
> DOS would be the best fit for running my old DOS programs that I've been
> running under MS-DOS 6.21 and DOSSHELL. And then, the specs of a computer
> that would work well running DOS and virtual machine softwared.

If you were happy with MS-DOS 6.21, then stick with it.

I use MS-DOS 6.20, and I run that on both my main machines.
I also run several Linux distros on both machines, using a boot-manager sort of system to select which to boot.

There should be any number of "old" machines available to run what you want.
If not, as I have done several times, getting someone clever to put together a machine with DOS-friendly nic, soundcard, video card, etc..

I cannot suggest any laptops as I have never used one.

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Complete thread:

Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - CluelessInSeattl, 17.01.2016, 21:13
- Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - Laaca, 17.01.2016, 22:40
  - Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - Rugxulo, 17.01.2016, 23:41
    - Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - RayeR, 18.01.2016, 14:08
- Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - tom, 19.01.2016, 13:09
  - Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - Rugxulo, 19.01.2016, 14:48
    - Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - tom, 19.01.2016, 18:41
      - Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - marcov, 20.01.2016, 10:57
        Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - Rugxulo, 21.01.2016, 08:03
        Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - RayeR, 21.01.2016, 23:34
        Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - Rugxulo, 22.01.2016, 01:58
        Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - RayeR, 26.01.2016, 19:04
- Old Noob wants to graduate from MS-DOS 6.21 - ron, 19.01.2016, 23:13