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25 Years After DOS - Lessons for Linux?

E IS mC(Square) writes "Microsoft is planning to celebrate 25 years of DOS. An article at ReallyLinux discusses what lessons Linux can learn from the history of DOS. The article begins with 'What can the Linux world learn from Microsoft's past 25 years of unique experiences and domination?', and ends with 'Only question now is not if but when will Linux become the number one OS on earth?'" From the article: "First, we must admit openly once and for all that the 'best solution' is not always the 'most used solution.' There are few who would be foolish enough to argue that back in 1981 PC-DOS was the best solution. There were obviously a number of choices. PC-DOS was the least robust, the most temperamental, and arguably not very compatible with the IBM hardware and BIOS it was sold to work on. Yet, somewhat like the odd but obvious dominance of the VHS over BETA, this simple, cheap OS stole the show."

10 of 584 comments (clear)

  1. Mmmm yes... by Deltaspectre · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure Linux could learn a lot by including a DOS utility... preferably pointed at Microsoft's servers?

    --
    My UID is prime... is yours?
    1. Re:Mmmm yes... by v01d · · Score: 3, Funny

      So what are the factors of 796409?

  2. Porn by benwb · · Score: 5, Funny

    There's nothing odd about the dominance of vhs over beta. Vhs had porn, beta did not.

  3. Quality article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Quote from TFA:

    "A friend of mine told me he thinks that if Microsoft released just 10% of the roughly $2 BILLION in CASH (does not include other assets) to help curb diseases and help starvation, many people could be helped."

    Wow, his friend is a deep thinker. Money can be used to help stuff... a quality contribution from a quality author.

  4. Hold on here! by Oliver+Defacszio · · Score: 3, Funny
    A Linux magazine states that Linux will take over? Stop the freaking presses.

    Objectivity is like hens' teeth in the Linux community, so I suggest that most non-zealots are currently rolling their eyes.

    --

    -
    Inventor of the term 'pardon my French'.
  5. How I Spent My Summer Vacation by spywhere · · Score: 3, Funny

    My only question now is not if but when will Linux become the number one OS on earth?

    Sometime after Mr. Koenning learns to write an editorial that reads less like a bad high school essay.

  6. Re:To Quote Suse by Nailer · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm not sure if you can qualify insects as animals, but you get the picture.

    Your doubt was well founded. Insects are actually very clever plants.

  7. Why yes, by FunkyRat · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes my UID is prime, thank you. I'm very proud of it.

    1. Re:Why yes, by pyrrhonist · · Score: 2, Funny
      Mine too!

      Oh, wait. Dammit, my life sucks.

      *stab*

      --
      Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
  8. 25 years of whaaat?!! by Decker-Mage · · Score: 3, Funny
    Guess I spend too much time reading security newsletters 'cause my brain first read that as: "Microsoft is planning to celebrate 25 years of Denial Of Service." Yeah, that seems about right, although with XP we are graduating to Distributed Denial of Service, right?

    More seriously, as a so-called MS Partner (heck, they gave me that one day, I still don't know why folks!) I'm a bit mystified. I've looked high and low in my XP and Server 2003 systems, even those bits of Longhorn they let me play with and I don't see any DOS. Something of a DOS emulator, but nothing on point. Oh well.

    Not that I want DOS anyway. Given my druthers, I'd shoot this machine if someone would give me mi Amigas back!

    DOS, blech!

    --
    "[I]t is a wise man who admits the limits of his knowledge or skill, and that pretending either causes harm." --Terry Go