CompuServe Thread

Forum unknown · Forum Business

#MS-Dos Evasion

17 messages in this thread
#73889From: Thomas HoladayJun 26, 1987 9:21 PM
Someone who claims that MS-Dos' heirarchical directory structure is 'pretty fast' is failing to compare moving a large file from one subdirectory to another on the same volume. Under AmigaDOS, this is a simple rename. MS-Dos forces one to copy the file, then delete the original. I consider such a person dishonest.
#73910From: Don Curtis/SYSOPJun 27, 1987 12:21 AM
Just in case anyone should doubt you…I just did a move of a file under AmigaDOS from one subdirectory to another subdirectory (and off different branches of the root) and it took all of 1 second on my HD to do the move no matter what the file size is…like you said, a simple rename is all that occured. I did it both by CSH205's mv command and by the AmigaDOS ReName command and it works just fine both ways.
#73910From: Don Curtis/SYSOPJun 27, 1987 12:21 AM
Just in case anyone should doubt you…I just did a move of a file under AmigaDOS from one subdirectory to another subdirectory (and off different branches of the root) and it took all of 1 second on my HD to do the move no matter what the file size is…like you said, a simple rename is all that occured. I did it both by CSH205's mv command and by the AmigaDOS ReName command and it works just fine both ways.
#73967From: Richard Rae/SYSOPJun 27, 1987 1:29 PM
Um, are you sure about that? I used a MessyDOS system at work for about six months, and it seems to me we moved files about by renaming them, just as one does on the Amiga (or VAX). Can't swear to it, as I'm not a PC guru, but?
#73967From: Richard Rae/SYSOPJun 27, 1987 1:29 PM
Um, are you sure about that? I used a MessyDOS system at work for about six months, and it seems to me we moved files about by renaming them, just as one does on the Amiga (or VAX). Can't swear to it, as I'm not a PC guru, but?
#74168From: John FoustJun 29, 1987 1:09 AM
I have an MS-DOS (pd) utility that does the same thing. It doesn't take very long, and is not significantly dependant on file size. It certainly doesn't 'copy'. This isn't really a relevant test of "my computer is better than yours", is it?
#74207From: Thomas HoladayJun 29, 1987 11:38 AM
This is a relevant test of Freeman's theory that AmigaDOS is Bad, MS-DOS is Good. If you allow the definition of "AmigaDOS" and "MS-DOS" to include any extensions available (public domain, shareware, or commercial), then there is very little to discuss. Freeman likes to bang on how awful Metacomco are and what chumps Commodore was to hire them and how much more performance he'll get out of a largely-pirated Taiwan PClone. Thus, it's really only fair to discuss the functionality provided by Metacomco vs. Microsoft. In that vein, AmigaDOS doesn't restrict one's memory map to 640K, so it must be much much better than MS-DOS and IBM was really a chump to hire Microsoft.
#74207From: Thomas HoladayJun 29, 1987 11:38 AM
This is a relevant test of Freeman's theory that AmigaDOS is Bad, MS-DOS is Good. If you allow the definition of "AmigaDOS" and "MS-DOS" to include any extensions available (public domain, shareware, or commercial), then there is very little to discuss. Freeman likes to bang on how awful Metacomco are and what chumps Commodore was to hire them and how much more performance he'll get out of a largely-pirated Taiwan PClone. Thus, it's really only fair to discuss the functionality provided by Metacomco vs. Microsoft. In that vein, AmigaDOS doesn't restrict one's memory map to 640K, so it must be much much better than MS-DOS and IBM was really a chump to hire Microsoft.
#74210From: Thomas HoladayJun 29, 1987 11:56 AM
Also, there are sound reasons for disallowing 3rd-party extensions when playing 'My OS is better than Your OS.' If I provide you with an application that has to be able to move hundreds of tiny files between directories, I cannot count upon your having anything other than the operating system as delivered. The need to include a bunch of operating system extensions along with one's application is a indicator of weakness in the operating system. I must confess as well to a certain amount of skepticism as to the exact ature of your pd file mover that you claim 'certainly does not copy.' I run a number of applications from MS-DOS programmers that I think are pretty top-notch, and none of them have provided a speedy bulk-move routine. If there were a robust pd utility to do this in wide circulation, I'm surprised it isn't part of SEAdog or OPUS. I'd like to know its name so I can pass it on.
#74210From: Thomas HoladayJun 29, 1987 11:56 AM
Also, there are sound reasons for disallowing 3rd-party extensions when playing 'My OS is better than Your OS.' If I provide you with an application that has to be able to move hundreds of tiny files between directories, I cannot count upon your having anything other than the operating system as delivered. The need to include a bunch of operating system extensions along with one's application is a indicator of weakness in the operating system. I must confess as well to a certain amount of skepticism as to the exact ature of your pd file mover that you claim 'certainly does not copy.' I run a number of applications from MS-DOS programmers that I think are pretty top-notch, and none of them have provided a speedy bulk-move routine. If there were a robust pd utility to do this in wide circulation, I'm surprised it isn't part of SEAdog or OPUS. I'd like to know its name so I can pass it on.
#74168From: John FoustJun 29, 1987 1:09 AM
I have an MS-DOS (pd) utility that does the same thing. It doesn't take very long, and is not significantly dependant on file size. It certainly doesn't 'copy'. This isn't really a relevant test of "my computer is better than yours", is it?
#74254From: John FreemanJun 29, 1987 9:13 PM
You must truly be grasping at straws if that's all you can come up with. Actually, there are utility programs available which can do this; I think even some version of the Norton Utilities can do across-directory rename. As far as "extensions" to MSDOS go, every single utility, even down to trivial things like the (slow) directory and list (and copy) functions, in Amigados, are programs. Individual, separate programs. A large amount of MSDOS is resident, including these basic tools. You have to mickey mouse around, and chew up a fair amount of RAM, to get these utilities resident with Amigados, so you aren't effectively wasting one disk drive. Every "utility" of Amigados is a separate program, so the comparison of "extensions" in MSDOS as "evidence of failure" is meaningless. At least the most common functions are built into MSDOS. Actually, I am not a fan of Microsoft, or the 8088, per se. My major criticism of the Amiga has to do with Commodore, and Amigados; including the too high prices Commodore is charging. When the machines actually become available, which isn't yet, after months of delay. I am a great fan of the 68000, Amiga graphics, and AMiga sound. As a programmer and developer, it burns me up to see good hardware wasted by poor system software and bad management and marketing. It took skill on Metacomco's part to make a DOS that run's on a 7+ mhz 68000, a 32 bit processor, that runs slower in general than MSDOS on an essentially 8/16 bit 8088 running at 4.77 mhz. There is no good reason why an Amiga, with the right system software, with the 68000 alone, much less a 68020, can't beat an AT in all regards. It is an indication of the many poor factors plaguing the system that it currently cannot. And those who want to whitewash the truth may pat yourselves on the back, when the rest of the undedicated market looks for more economical alternatives.
#74269From: Don Curtis/SYSOPJun 29, 1987 10:14 PM
While I agree that AmigaDOS isn't perfect…certainly you can't take task to separate programs for each command. If you did that…you'd have to take on UNIX also, and I think that the majority of knowledgeable persons will agree that UNIX is certainly a "better" OS than MS-DOS. There are defficiencies in every OS, that's why there are so many different OSs available…no one OS is perfect in all ways. When you compare MS-DOS to AmigaDOS, you are comparing apples to oranges. Both apples and oranges are round and edible and grow on trees. Beyond that, not much alike. MS-DOS and AmigaDOS both are user to machine interfaces, and not much else. You want AmigaDOS to run rings around MS-DOS on an AT, fine have the AT multi-task under MS-DOS….since it can't do it, then "obviously AmigaDOS is superior". You want resident commands…take the equivalent AmigaDOS that match the equivalent MS-DOS command.com "programs" and put them in RAM: and assign C: there. Use one of the various shell programs that have intrinsic commands, or any other option you prefer…but don't come down on the machine simply because it doesn't have fully resident commands. Look at things like the printer.device. All AmigaDOS programs that use the printer need only ONE set of commands to control the printer. Under MS-DOS, you need a different printer config file for each program (unless you happen to have an Epson…which most MS-DOS programs default to). That's not effiencet. There are lots of other examples of differences between the two systems…some in favor of AmigaDOS and some in favor of MS-DOS. They are not the same…and never were intended to be.
#74269From: Don Curtis/SYSOPJun 29, 1987 10:14 PM
While I agree that AmigaDOS isn't perfect…certainly you can't take task to separate programs for each command. If you did that…you'd have to take on UNIX also, and I think that the majority of knowledgeable persons will agree that UNIX is certainly a "better" OS than MS-DOS. There are defficiencies in every OS, that's why there are so many different OSs available…no one OS is perfect in all ways. When you compare MS-DOS to AmigaDOS, you are comparing apples to oranges. Both apples and oranges are round and edible and grow on trees. Beyond that, not much alike. MS-DOS and AmigaDOS both are user to machine interfaces, and not much else. You want AmigaDOS to run rings around MS-DOS on an AT, fine have the AT multi-task under MS-DOS….since it can't do it, then "obviously AmigaDOS is superior". You want resident commands…take the equivalent AmigaDOS that match the equivalent MS-DOS command.com "programs" and put them in RAM: and assign C: there. Use one of the various shell programs that have intrinsic commands, or any other option you prefer…but don't come down on the machine simply because it doesn't have fully resident commands. Look at things like the printer.device. All AmigaDOS programs that use the printer need only ONE set of commands to control the printer. Under MS-DOS, you need a different printer config file for each program (unless you happen to have an Epson…which most MS-DOS programs default to). That's not effiencet. There are lots of other examples of differences between the two systems…some in favor of AmigaDOS and some in favor of MS-DOS. They are not the same…and never were intended to be.
#74310From: Thomas HoladayJun 30, 1987 6:47 AM
Norton Utilities version 3.0 include _nothing_ to permit the renaming of files across directories. It's sitting here in my lap right now. Do you own a later version? (If so, did you pay for it? You could have gotten a Taiwanese clone much cheaper, you know.) Or have you run out of straws to grasp, and have started to fantasize? Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I call to your attention the subtitle of The Norton Utilities, which is "Programs to Supplement DOS." That means that, under playground rules, they are Out Of Bounds for the game of 'Commodore Bad/Good, Taiwanese copy shop Good/Bad.' A "supplement" is something that must be separately purchased (or in the case of someone as budget minded as your arguments make you appear to be, stolen). IBM charges roughly ninety dollars for PC-DOS 3.3, Norton roughly sixty dollars, totaling one hundred fifty dollars for OS as supplemented. Commodore charges nothing for AmigaDOS 1.2. (on the 500 and 2000, it is included in the purchase; 1000 owners paid fifteen dollars). If you want to play by cutthroat rules, which permits supplements, then allow me to introduce you to Metacomco Shell, which will allow you to make as much of AmigaDOS resident as you wish with the supplied command Resident. If you want to play by fantasy rules, which permit wild baseless claims, allow me to point out that if you insert The Norton Utilities Version 3.1 diskette into the 5.25" Amiga drive _upside down,_ you will discover it contains FastAmiDr, a disk driver capable of megabit data rates.
#74310From: Thomas HoladayJun 30, 1987 6:47 AM
Norton Utilities version 3.0 include _nothing_ to permit the renaming of files across directories. It's sitting here in my lap right now. Do you own a later version? (If so, did you pay for it? You could have gotten a Taiwanese clone much cheaper, you know.) Or have you run out of straws to grasp, and have started to fantasize? Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I call to your attention the subtitle of The Norton Utilities, which is "Programs to Supplement DOS." That means that, under playground rules, they are Out Of Bounds for the game of 'Commodore Bad/Good, Taiwanese copy shop Good/Bad.' A "supplement" is something that must be separately purchased (or in the case of someone as budget minded as your arguments make you appear to be, stolen). IBM charges roughly ninety dollars for PC-DOS 3.3, Norton roughly sixty dollars, totaling one hundred fifty dollars for OS as supplemented. Commodore charges nothing for AmigaDOS 1.2. (on the 500 and 2000, it is included in the purchase; 1000 owners paid fifteen dollars). If you want to play by cutthroat rules, which permits supplements, then allow me to introduce you to Metacomco Shell, which will allow you to make as much of AmigaDOS resident as you wish with the supplied command Resident. If you want to play by fantasy rules, which permit wild baseless claims, allow me to point out that if you insert The Norton Utilities Version 3.1 diskette into the 5.25" Amiga drive _upside down,_ you will discover it contains FastAmiDr, a disk driver capable of megabit data rates.
#74254From: John FreemanJun 29, 1987 9:13 PM
You must truly be grasping at straws if that's all you can come up with. Actually, there are utility programs available which can do this; I think even some version of the Norton Utilities can do across-directory rename. As far as "extensions" to MSDOS go, every single utility, even down to trivial things like the (slow) directory and list (and copy) functions, in Amigados, are programs. Individual, separate programs. A large amount of MSDOS is resident, including these basic tools. You have to mickey mouse around, and chew up a fair amount of RAM, to get these utilities resident with Amigados, so you aren't effectively wasting one disk drive. Every "utility" of Amigados is a separate program, so the comparison of "extensions" in MSDOS as "evidence of failure" is meaningless. At least the most common functions are built into MSDOS. Actually, I am not a fan of Microsoft, or the 8088, per se. My major criticism of the Amiga has to do with Commodore, and Amigados; including the too high prices Commodore is charging. When the machines actually become available, which isn't yet, after months of delay. I am a great fan of the 68000, Amiga graphics, and AMiga sound. As a programmer and developer, it burns me up to see good hardware wasted by poor system software and bad management and marketing. It took skill on Metacomco's part to make a DOS that run's on a 7+ mhz 68000, a 32 bit processor, that runs slower in general than MSDOS on an essentially 8/16 bit 8088 running at 4.77 mhz. There is no good reason why an Amiga, with the right system software, with the 68000 alone, much less a 68020, can't beat an AT in all regards. It is an indication of the many poor factors plaguing the system that it currently cannot. And those who want to whitewash the truth may pat yourselves on the back, when the rest of the undedicated market looks for more economical alternatives.