greg@ncelvax.UUCP (Greg Ramsey) (01/21/89)
What defines compatibility with the IBM-PC/XT/AT nowadays?
I'm interested in software compatibility, not necessarily hardware. I
have to test a MS-DOS environment on a non-dos computer and I have to
specify certain tests or software that have to be run to pass or fail
the test.
I once heard that to be 100% compatible, a computer had to be able to
run Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft flight simulator. Are these (or were
they ever) valid criteria?
Any thoughts or suggestions on the topic would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Greg
--
___ Greg Ramsey
_n_n_n____i_i ________ Naval Civil Engineering Lab
(____________I I______I Code L54 805/
/ooOOOO OOOOoo oo oooo Port Hueneme, CA 93043 982-4619abcscnge@csuna.UUCP (Scott "The Pseudo-Hacker" Neugroschl) (01/23/89)
In article <238@ncelvax.UUCP> greg@ncelvax.UUCP (Greg Ramsey) writes:
:What defines compatibility with the IBM-PC/XT/AT nowadays?
:
:I'm interested in software compatibility, not necessarily hardware. I
:have to test a MS-DOS environment on a non-dos computer and I have to
:specify certain tests or software that have to be run to pass or fail
:the test.
:
:I once heard that to be 100% compatible, a computer had to be able to
:run Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft flight simulator. Are these (or were
:they ever) valid criteria?
:
:Any thoughts or suggestions on the topic would be greatly appreciated.
The problem is that DOS and the BIOS are TOO D*MN SLOW for several things
(notably display updates and RS-232 communications), so many software
packages play with the hardware directly. This is called "Ill behaved"
software. As I understand it, Flight Simulator is one of the most notoriously
ill-behaved programs around. If you can run that, you can run just about
anything (flames to /dev/null please).
HOWEVER, Since it really doesn't cost more for an IBM H/W compatible
(probably less, actually, given the proliferation of clones), you might as
well go with a H/W compatible and save yourself some problems.
--
Scott "The Pseudo-Hacker" Neugroschl
UUCP: ...!sm.unisys.com!csun!csuna!abcscnge
-- "Beat me, whip me, make me code in Ada"
-- Disclaimers? We don't need no stinking disclaimers!!!