DOS to Windows

[Kenny McCormack]

FWIW, that is not a DOS box or DOS prompt. DOS has nothing to do with
it; it's a win32 console window.

We all understand that, of course, but most people don't.

However, I'd be hard pressed to give an argument as to why the distinction
matters. I.e., it looks and feels like DOS (modulo the differences between
CMD and COMMAND shell syntax; and note that there is a Win95CMD tool that
allows you to use CMD syntax under Win95, etc [DOS based versions of
Windows]). I say this last to head off the argument that "it's not DOS
because the shell syntax is different".

And, note that many people use terminology so sloppily that they call
anything that has a "console"-ish look a "DOS prompt" (I know somebody who
refers to Unix as "a DOS window").

Also FWIW, most Windows users are perectly capable of screwing up
their systems with or without the help of the command prompt in
a console window.

Well said!

 

[Mark McIntyre]

FWIW, that is not a DOS box or DOS prompt. DOS has nothing to do with
it; it's a win32 console window.

If we're being pedantic, command.com also isn't DOS - its the command
interpreter which runs on top of DOS. You can disable that too.

Also FWIW, most Windows users are perectly capable of screwing up
their systems with or without the help of the command prompt in
a console window.

And most of them wold fsck up their macs and linux boxes just as well. Lets
keep that to alt.advocacy.flames tho shall we?

 

[Richard Bos]

We all understand that, of course, but most people don't.

However, I'd be hard pressed to give an argument as to why the distinction
matters.

In Win9x, the whole "OS" is still built on top of (some kind of) MS-DOS.
Cause creative enough Undefined Behaviour in a DOS application and
you'll be able to crash the entire system. (I know; I've done it :-/ )
In contrast, in XP the command prompt is a separate application within
Windows. Crashing an XP console box shouldn't crash the whole computer;
it should merely lock it tight

Richard