Which Windows OS is better for retro computing?

[82-T/A]

DOS 7.0 and 7.1 come integrated when you install 95 or 98, and are also used for their boot disks. If you really want to, you can hack it to install separately, and there are even hacks to get Win 3.x to run in it.

 

ME and XP can make you boot disks with 8.0 on them.

 

I knew they came with Windows 9x, but I was unaware / curious if they were released separately. It appears as though there is an ISO out there, but don't see anything about it being an official release outside of coming with Windows 9x. Apparently though, the big difference is support for larger drives... and FAT32 for 7.10... which is cool.

[The Usotsuki]

Think that ISO is from a Chinese DOS-hacker.

[Win16fan]

I went with 98, since you can run DOS, 3.x, and 9x under the same OS and still have support for USB 1.1 and FAT32.

[mehguy]

Did windows 2000 remove the support for MS-DOS applications?

[Win16fan]

Did windows 2000 remove the support for MS-DOS applications?

 

I believe it emulates DOS like NT 4.0 did, but I have never tried running DOS apps on 2000 or any NT-based OS for that matter.

[The Usotsuki]

Windows 2000 is an NT operating system (unlike 9x), so it has to emulate DOS for legacy applications.

[Osgeld]

its emulation, and it only does the most basic applications (like one that springs to mind was a menu driven serial number lookup application back when) nothing fancy like GAAAAMMMMEEEEZZZ

[MarkO]

6.22 was the last official from MS. IBM forked it sometime between 5 and 6, releasing 5.02, 6.1, 6.3, 7.0 and a sub-point reversion of 7.0, mostly keeping up with Microsoft's changes. (Microsoft also kept up with IBM's changes; for example Interlnk, which first appeared in MS-DOS in version 6, had already appeared in PC DOS 5.02.)

 

MS-DOS 7.0 and 7.1 are unofficial hacks.

 

I seem to recall that IBM released a PC DOS 2000, that among other things, was Y2K compliant...

 

 

MarkO

[Osgeld]

yes they did

[The Usotsuki]

 

I seem to recall that IBM released a PC DOS 2000, that among other things, was Y2K compliant...

 

 

MarkO

That's the "sub-point revision of 7.0" I referred to.

[SPPOC]

windows 3.1