...

 BK>>   The interesting thing was, as it booted up before
 BK>>   configuration, the LCD showed it booting up in Dr Dos. It
 BK>>   displayed Digital Research also. I didn't catch the version
 BK>>   number. Once it configured it would not display the boot up
 BK>>   sequence again, but I am very tempted to take one apart to find
 BK>>   out what they are running in there that is booting up with DR
 BK>>   Dos.

 Picked one up today and the same thing happened. It was DR Dos
 3.41, copyright 1988.

 ML> There is a rather large pile of stuff out there in embedded
 ML> system form which uses plain old DOS.  For dedicated system
 ML> use where we are not talking re-entrancy and so on, plain
 ML> old DOS is hard to beat.

 I happen to think dos is hard to beat in any case.

 ML>  It costs you between say $50 and $65 US money to buy a 256
 ML>  Megabyte stick of RAM to toss into a motherboard.  It
 ML>  doesn't really cost all that much more to provide that
 ML>  same size memory as complete embedded memory with the
 ML>  capability to run an embedded system like your scanner and
 ML>  have the whole thing remain in memory. Who needs a hard
 ML>  disk?

 It's flash memory, but I get the principle you are alluding to.

 ML> Admittedly this isn't video data, OK?  But we routinely
 ML> move say 25MB of archive data for, say an entire medical
 ML> clinic's entire business system and professional files for
 ML> 70,000 patients each and every night across the internet
 ML> for mirror image backup!

 Ah, a small file.

 ML>      That's EVERYTHING other than
 ML> video needs. We can rebuild the complete clinic exclusive
 ML> of video data, if needed in about five minutes flat.  The
 ...

 ML> non-volatile space for the suite and another maybe 50MB or
 ML> so for the data and in even one stick of 256MB of RAM,
 ML> you've got the entire system even in OS/2.  In pure DOS you
 ML> could do it in about 40MB less, grin.

 ML> Again, this isn't counting video needs for professional
 ML> use, just the data and money needed to run the place.

 Yep. Simplicity.

 ML> DOS is very far from dead  --  at least in dedicated
 ML> situations where the process is still the same as it has
 ML> been for a hundred years in the guts and core of how to
 ML> professionally manage something ..

 I wish I could get dos software do to my digital video and
 audio.

 ML> Video, well not necessarily.  One has to admit that looking
 ML> at a cell phone with a picture is interesting.  Until one
 ML> realizes that here is the watchbird watching you, when?

 ML> Onstar!  Well yes, but whose car is parked next door and
 ML> when?  Onstar knows! And that isn't Win whatever yet either
 ML> or is it?  What op system does Onstar use?

 ML>    DOS, OS/2 or LINUX?

 ML> Giggle.

 Danged if I know. BBOS? (Big Brother Operating System)
-->> Sleep well; OS/2's still awake! ;)

 ML> Mike {at} 1:117/3001


 ML> --- Maximus/2 3.01

BOB KLAHN bob.klahn{at}sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... .....I'm an ABC Democrat......
--- Via Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]