Don’t Expect Miracles From Latest DOS Remake
Once again Microsoft has issued a shiny new version of MS-DOS, the ancient and cryptic operating system that’s used on more than 100 million personal computers.
At $49.99, DOS 6.0 is a good deal, but don’t expect it to change your life. It has a lot of nice new features, but the new DOS will still flummox newcomers and frustrate veterans with its limitations.
But if you must use DOS, the new version is a pretty good package, putting together for the first time a variety of utilities--from virus protection to memory management--previously available only as third-party add-ons. Incorporating these things with the operating system saves money, and besides, these versions carry the Microsoft imprimatur, which is likely to assure widespread compatibility with other products.
One major new feature, called DoubleSpace, effectively doubles your hard-disk capacity by compressing your files. It’s not the first product to accomplish this, but it’s the first time it’s ever been integrated into an operating system.
Unlike Stacker and other compression products, you don’t have to buy or install new software. It’s copied to your disk when you install DOS 6.0, and is ready when you need it, running transparently and robustly. Unlike other compression programs, you don’t have to load special software to access your compressed file. DoubleSpace’s software is automatically loaded when you start your machine.
Compression programs work by compressing your files as they are saved to the disk and decompressing them as they are loaded into memory. They do this by removing redundant information, much as you might write IBM instead of International Business Machines. All this takes place in the background while you work. In some cases, DoubleSpace can slow down disk access by as much as 15% but you probably won’t perceive the difference if you have a 386 or 486 PC. Users of 286 and slower systems are likely to notice a performance degradation.
The degree of compression you get depends on the type of files you have. Graphic files can be compressed by 10 to 1 or better. Program files don’t do as well. I have a lot of programs on my disk and am getting an overall compression ratio of 1.6 to 1.
Another major improvement in DOS 6 is a program called MemMaker that helps you better manage your system’s memory. DOS 5.0 comes with a memory management program for users of 386 or higher systems, but you had to manually insert obscure statements in your configuration files. MemMaker does the job automatically. It’s not perfect but it’s a step in the right direction.
Like DoubleSpace, MemMaker is not unique. There are a number of utility products, including QEMM from Quarterdeck Office Systems and 386Max from Qualitas, that are more powerful. But having it part of DOS saves you money.
DOS 6.0 has a number of other useful enhancements, including an easy to use backup program and anti-virus software. It also lets you transfer data between two PCs that are linked with a cable. Another important feature, called DEFRAG, speeds up your hard disk by making sure all the files are contiguous so that the disk-drive head doesn’t have to travel all over the disk to locate data.
One handy feature lets you bypass your system configuration files when you start the machine. Another option, called Multi-Config, can display a menu to let you choose which memory resident programs, or “drivers,” to load when you start your machine.
As good as it is, DOS 6.0 doesn’t solve some of the operating system’s fundamental limitations. File names, for example, are still limited to eight characters plus a three digit extension. Also, DOS is still limited in the way it uses the PC’s memory.
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