🚀 go-pugleaf

mhirsch@dynastar.princeton.edu (Michael Hirsch) writes:

>One reason not to do it is that even those of us who use geos still
>like to use some dos programs, too.  So if geos replaced the operating
>system entirely how would we be able to use, say, Quattro Pro SE?

>I figure geos will become a true operating system (i.e., no longer
>rely on dos for any services) when they decide that it's users no
>longer will use dos for anything.  

This might tie in with why GEOS won't (ever) multitask DOS programs.
Brian or someone else terribly high up in the company has stated that
they believe multitasking of DOS applications will become increasingly
unpopular in the next few years.  I'm inclined to agree with them, in
part based on the increasing availability of Windows apps.  Of course,
when Windows first came out, it had few native apps worth mentioning,
and didn't do such a great job of multitasking DOS ones either!

The goal here is to develop a GEOS version of any app worth using.  This
might sound like an awful lot of work, but considering that GEOS apps
are smaller, faster, and more elegant than even their equivalent DOS
apps, it's not a bad idea.

So, in answer to the question - you'd just use Quattro Pro for GEOS
instead of Quattro Pro for DOS. :)  

I think GEOS will stop requiring DOS when there are at least two big-name
products available in each application segment.  If someone has the
option of using GeoWrite 2.0, WordPerfect for GEOS, or Ami Pro for GEOS,
there would be relatively little reason to use a DOS word processor, for
example.  Once all segments of applications are represented, there will
be no reason to keep DOS around.  Since GeoWorks and Digital Research
get along well, they'll probably just take some DR-DOS code and rewrite
it in Object Assembler (ooh, a smaller, faster, better DOS! :) and drop
it in as a library... BOOT.GEO or something.

Of course, by the time that happens (v3.0 or 4.0 of GEOS, I'd guess), we
should also have a "DOS-emulating CLI-in-a-window" toy to play with, so 
any insignificant apps that haven't yet been ported could perhaps still be
used (in a window, of course).

The gypsy's magic 8-ball has spoken, that'll be $5, please.

-Shag

-- 
birchall@pilot.njin.net, shag@glia.biostr.washington.edu, birchall@njin.bitnet
  Operator of ShagNet - Rutgers/NJIN dialup access for Burlington County, NJ
     Happy and informative user of a PPI 14400 FaxModem and GeoWorks Pro
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