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From: daneman@czech.sw.mcc.com (Michael Daneman)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc,comp.os.os2.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Windowing environments
Message-ID: <5063@czech.sw.mcc.com>
Date: 15 Apr 91 21:40:51 GMT
References: <1991Apr14.222218.11479@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: MCC Software Technology Program
Lines: 36

In article <1991Apr14.222218.11479@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu|> skesterk@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Shane Kesterke) writes:
|> Now I've heard of X-windows for MS-DOS, but I also heard it's like $500.
|> I was wondering, how close do OS's like MS-Windows and OS/2 come to the
|> kind of an environment a Sparc station gets you. In other words, a OS that
|> will allow you to open up multiple MS-DOS windows, cut-n-paste text from
|> one window to another, etc. From what I understand MS-Windows will only
|> open windows to MS-Windows specific programs and OS/2 will open an MS-DOS
|> window but cannot multitask with MS-DOS. If anyone can enlighten me into
|> an OS that can do what I described I'd really appreciate it. 
|> Please e-mail your responses and if anyone's interested in a summary then
|> let me know. Thanks a lot!!

MS-Windows is a pretty good windowing environment.  On a 386 it allows
you to multitask DOS sessions and you can even put them in a window
in many cases.  Plus you can run all the Windows applications that are
coming out now a days.  It it similar, though not identical, to X.  
MS-Windows is easier to use that X, however it is not as powerfull as X
(it still runs on top of DOS and also it's not as customizable).

OS/2 is probably a better operating environment (though I have never
used it).  It is a whole separate operating system which supports 
multitasking, virtual machines, etc.  The OS/2 version 2.0 is 386
specific and will allow you to multitask DOS session.  However, the
problem with OS/2 is that it's 1) Expensive, 2) not very well supported
right now.  There is talk about a merge between OS/2 and Windows in
the future.  Hopefully this will happen soon.

For now, however, I would recommend MS-Windows.  It has a few bugs in it,
but all in all it is quite a nice environment with a rather low learning
curve and it is currently very well supported by software.

-Mike.-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:  The oppinions stated above are not mine.  In fact,
	     I don't know where they came from.  It scares me
	     sometimes.     -Mike  (daneman@sw.mcc.com)