frotz@drivax.UUCP (Frotz) (06/08/90)
MONTEREY, CA, (May 14, 1990) -- Digital Research Inc, developer and
marketer of the powerful DR DOS operating system, today announced it
will soon ship DR DOS version 5.0. First announced at the Which
Computer Show, April 23-27 in Birmingham, England, this advanced
operating system offers the more than 50 million DOS users advanced
memory management, full file-transfer facilities and a range of
enhancements not available in current versions of MS-DOS. According
to Dick Williams, President and CEO, the company will sell DR DOS 5.0
to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) through its established
sales force and direct to end-users via its toll free telephone number
(1-800-443-4200).
The unique features of DR DOS 5.0 include MemoryMAX, ViewMAX,
FileLINK, BatteryMAX and disk caching, all of which offer users
greatly enhanced functionality. DR DOS 5.0 also provides users the
ability to run large applications like Xerox Ventura Publisher and
Autodesk Autocad on a Novell Netware network, as well as other popular
networks.
"Digital Research has significantly advanced the DOS operating system
standard with DR DOS 5.0," Williams said. "This is an exceptionally
competitive product that already contains features which Microsoft
only plans to include in future versions of its MS-DOS. And DR DOS
will allow OEMs and end-users to take advantage of this increased
performance immediately."
Williams added that DR DOS 5.0 contains features previously available
only as separate add-on products. Priced competitively for OEMs and
at $199.00 for end-users, the new version is positioned as the premium
DOS operating system and still it provides a superior price
performance alternative to MS-DOS.
Performance-Enhancing Extensions
MemoryMAX
MemoryMAX is a built-in memory management facility which moves the
operating system, terminate-and-stay resident programs (TSR), buffers
and drivers, including network drivers, into high memory, to provide
additional space to run large, memory-hungry applications, especially
on a network. When MemoryMAX is installed it detects whether an
80286, i386 or i486 processor is being used and configures itself
automatically to utilize the system's full capabilities. The area
from the top of the screen RAM through to the first 64K above the
Megabyte is also automatically scanned and the kernal is placed in the
optimal position.
With MemoryMAX every possible byte of Random Access Memory (RAM) is
made available to run DOS applications. Depending upon configuration,
more than 620 Kbytes of conventional memory may be available to the
user. Previously, it was often necessary for the end-user to unload
networking software in order to run large applications.
ViewMAX
ViewMAX, a Common User Access (CUA) keystroke-compatible graphical
user interface, is designed to be used equally well with a keyboard or
a mouse. ViewMAX allows for easy execution of DOS commands and 'point
and shoot' running of any application software, eliminating the need
for users to learn and correctly execute cryptic DOS commands. The
user's disk layout can be viewed as icons, text or in a graphical tree
format.
Under ViewMAX, support for password protected files and subdirectories
is fully integrated into the shell. When users access a protected
file or subdirectory, they are automatically prompted for a password.
FileLINK
Users who need to transfer data from one machine to the other, can do
so easily with FileLINK, a file transfer utility included in DR DOS
5.0. FileLINK provides easy, high-speed transfer of files and
programs between systems over standard serial cables. The utility
installs itself from one machine to the other via the serial link, so
DR DOS 5.0-based systems can communicate with machines running less
functional DOS operating systems.
Disk-Caching
Another high performance feature of DR DOS 5.0 is disk-caching, which
significantly improves application throughput. Upon system
installation, the user may select the amount of memory to use for
caching.
BatteryMAX
[At this point, I deleted the original paragraph in favor of more
details submitted by the same author in another posting. -mod]
MONTEREY, CA, (May 14, 1990) -- Digital Research Inc. announced today
that a patent is pending for BatteryMAX, a power enhancement feature
included in DR DOS 5.0, the latest release of its popular PC operating
system. Early tests show that BatteryMAX can increase the battery
life of DR DOS-based portable computer systems by as much as two to
three fold, depending upon the specific implementation by the Original
Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). This technology allows OEMs and System
Integrators to fully integrate both software and hardware
battery-savings techniques into future designs, allowing for
significant power savings. According to Dick Williams, President and
CEO, the company anticipates that the impact of this unique feature on
functionality, design, cost, and weight of laptop and hand-held
systems will revolutionize the portable computer market.
BatteryMAX interacts continuously with the system hardware, up to 20
times per second, to monitor the performance of the system and
individual components. Once an idle state is detected, the software
instructs the hardware to switch into a low-power, standby state.
Preliminary tests by Digital Research indicate that users will not
perceive any loss of power or degradation of their system's
performance. In addition, once BatteryMAX is designed into new
computers, no modifications to standard DOS applications are required
to realize power savings.
The weight of a portable system is highly dependent on the size of the
battery. BatteryMAX gives OEMs using DR DOS Release 5.0 maximum
flexibility in the design trade off between weight and battery life,
allowing them to produce smaller, more attractive products. The
benefits of BatteryMAX are available whether DR DOS is configured to
execute from Read Only Memory (ROM) or from Randam Access Memory
(RAM). BatteryMAX is available immediately.
"Digital Research's development of the BatteryMAX technology
significantly enhances the functionality of the DR DOS operating
system," Williams said. This key feature allows OEMs and System
Integrators additional opportunities for creating more competitive
products which offer increased value to end-users. We believe that
BatteryMAX will dynamically impact the portable PC market."
Targeting OEMs and End-Users
To build its market share and capitalize on the significant installed
base of DOS users, Digital Research will aggressively market DR DOS
5.0 to OEMs through its OEM sales force. In addition, the company
will target PC specifiers/influencers, Data Processing and MIS
managers and other end-users through a direct purchase program. DOS
users wanting to purchase DR DOS 5.0 can do so via Digital Research's
toll-free number (800-443-4200). The $199.00 direct purchase price
also offers DR DOS users unlimited technical support for the current
version. In addition, the company will offer a $70.00 upgrade price
to users of previous DR DOS versions.
"We intend to seriously impact the market for PC-based systems,"
Williams said. "Two and a half years ago, industry influencers
proclaimed that only an entirely new operating system could provide
increased functionality. Digital Research believed differently.
"We architected this operating system to provide the enhanced
functionality demanded by today's users. DR DOS 5.0, as well as
future versions, will continue to extend the life of DOS well into the
1990s. DR DOS 5.0 can address every DOS-based implementation.
Executable from ROM or RAM, and highly modular in its architecture, DR
DOS is well suited for desktop systems from low-priced 8086s through
powerful 486s, laptops and notebook personal computers, hand-held
portable devices, personal word processors, network stations and
embedded systems. DR DOS supports both PC and non-PC architected
systems," Williams said.
Innovative microcomputer technology is the cornerstone of Digital
Research Inc. The multinational company develops and markets
operating systems, software development tools and graphics
applications for a variety of platforms. Founded in 1976, the company
headquarters is located in Monterey, California, USA.
--
Frotz@Digital Research, Incorporated amdahl!drivax!frotz (email)
Graphics Business Unit
80 Garden Court, C13 (408) 649-3896
Monterey, California 93940 Ask for John Fa'atuai