Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken!unixhub!slacvm!esr
From: ESR@SLACVM.BITNET (Ed Russell)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc
Subject: PC-DOS vs. MS-DOS
Message-ID: <90290.111217ESR@SLACVM.BITNET>
Date: 17 Oct 90 19:12:17 GMT
Organization: SLAC Computing Services
Lines: 21

Recently there was a posting (since purged from our news disks) asking about
the differences between PC-DOS and MS-DOS when used on a clone.  (I believe
they were posted to this group but I'm not sure.)  The responses I saw all
ignored what I thought the original question was and centered either on the
differences between DOS 3.3 and DOS 4.01 or talked about the superficial
differences such as the different naming conventions for the hidden files
(IBMBIO/IBMDOS vs. IO/MSDOS).  I do not recall seeing anything that described
the real differences (if any) between the two.

All of the clones I use in various settings use PC-DOS 3.3.  I have not had
problems with DOS itself.  The only problem I have ever had is when invoking
some shareware programs that use (ugh) BASIC.  The PC-BASIC tried to do nice
things like resetting my CMOS settings, precipitating wierd error messages
and hanging the machine.  I bypassed that by using GWBASIC 3.1 which came with
MS-DOS 3.1 on my first AT clone.  So I am now using PC-DOS 3.3 with GWBASIC
3.1 and have not seen any (obvious) problems.

Along with whoever made the original request, I am also interested in the
actual differences between PC- and MS-DOS 3.3.  Are there things in PC-DOS
that may not work properly on clones or is simply a copyright/distribution
question?