Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!mirror!rayssd!srhqla!csun!csuna!abcscnge
From: abcscnge@csuna.UUCP (Scott "The Pseudo-Hacker" Neugroschl)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Define IBM-PC Compatible?
Keywords: pc compatible, software
Message-ID: <1601@csuna.UUCP>
Date: 22 Jan 89 19:30:20 GMT
References: <238@ncelvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: abcscnge@csuna.UUCP (Scott "The Pseudo Hacker" Neugroschl)
Organization: California State University, Northridge
Lines: 29

In article <238@ncelvax.UUCP> greg@ncelvax.UUCP (Greg Ramsey) writes:
:What defines compatibility with the IBM-PC/XT/AT nowadays?
:
:I'm interested in software compatibility, not necessarily hardware.  I
:have to test a MS-DOS environment on a non-dos computer and I have to
:specify certain tests or software that have to be run to pass or fail
:the test.
:
:I once heard that to be 100% compatible, a computer had to be able to
:run Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft flight simulator.  Are these (or were
:they ever) valid criteria?
:
:Any thoughts or suggestions  on the topic would be greatly appreciated.

The problem is that DOS and the BIOS are TOO D*MN SLOW for several things
(notably display updates and RS-232 communications), so many software
packages play with the hardware directly.  This is called "Ill behaved"
software.  As I understand it, Flight Simulator is one of the most notoriously
ill-behaved programs around.  If you can run that, you can run just about
anything (flames to /dev/null please).

HOWEVER, Since it really doesn't cost more for an IBM H/W compatible
(probably less, actually, given the proliferation of clones), you might as
well go with a H/W compatible and save yourself some problems.
-- 
Scott "The Pseudo-Hacker" Neugroschl
UUCP:  ...!sm.unisys.com!csun!csuna!abcscnge
-- "Beat me, whip me, make me code in Ada"
-- Disclaimers?  We don't need no stinking disclaimers!!!