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From: glenn@dlcdev.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: New DOS from Microsoft
Message-ID: <285@dlcdev.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Mar-87 18:04:38 EST
Article-I.D.: dlcdev.285
Posted: Wed Mar 25 18:04:38 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Mar-87 06:00:22 EST
Organization: Data Language Corp., Billerica, MA, USA
Lines: 17
Keywords: MS-DOS PC-DOS XENIX DOS

In late Feb at Microsoft's Systems Software Seminar the "New DOS"
was discussed. From the description:

-  Single-user, multi-tasking
-  300K to 600K of code? (DOS 3.2 takes about 50K)
-  189 function calls (DOS 3.2 has about 70)
-  Uses protected mode so applications cannot directly access hardware

I wonder if New DOS is not just most of XENIX in DOS clothing.  It sure
looks like it to me.  If this is the case then I guess New DOS will
really be SLOW DOS.  You remember that one of the main reasons 1-2-3
was so successful was that it directly accessed hardware and so ran
quite fast. With New DOS this apparently will not be possible?  One
possible good consequence of this is that New DOS machines will not
have to be "100% IBM compatible" since the New DOS will isolate
applications from hardware thru device drivers, with actual hardware
being "inaccessible" to applications?  What say you?