Re: TIB: HAL win95/dos

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Re: TIB: HAL win95/dos


The following definitions are taken from the Glossary of Computer Terms provided on the Microsoft.com technical support web site.  I must say that I feel vindicated in making my earlier
statement and also say that I feel less foolish now.  We all get our ideas from somewhere, whether right or wrong, and I had gotten mine from various sources (like this one, for example).
Though I was feeling like I was going crazy there for a short time when several of you quickly disagreed with me and offered your various proofs.  This is not to say that I am right or wrong,
but only to say again that I feel vindicated with regard to my earlier post (please see end of this message).  And I'm sorry for continuing this on this list.

Sincerely--DSO


MS-DOS

n. Acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System. A single-tasking, single-user operating system with a command-line interface, released in 1981, for IBM PCs and compatibles. MS-DOS, like other
operating systems, oversees operations such as disk input and output, video support, keyboard control, and many internal functions related to program execution and file maintenance.


operating system

n. The software that controls the allocation and usage of hardware resources such as memory, central processing unit (CPU) time, disk space, and peripheral devices. The operating system is the
foundation on which applications are built. Popular operating systems include Windows 95, Windows NT, Mac OS, and UNIX. Also called executive. Acronym: OS.


platform

n. 1. The foundation technology of a computer system. Because computers are layered devices composed of a chip-level hardware layer, a firmware and operating-system layer, and an applications
program layer, the bottommost layer of a machine is often called a platform. 2. In everyday usage, the type of computer or operating system being used.

Windows

n. An operating system introduced by Microsoft Corporation in 1983. Windows is a multitasking graphical user interface environment that runs on both MS-DOS-based computers (Windows and Windows
for Workgroups) and as a self-contained operating system (Windows 95, Windows NT). Windows provides a standard interface based on drop-down menus, windowed regions on the screen, and a pointing
device such as a mouse.

Windows 95

n. An operating system with a graphical user interface for 80386 and higher processors, released by Microsoft Corporation in August 1995. Intended to replace Windows 3.11, Windows for
Workgroups 3.11, and MS-DOS, Windows 95 is a complete operating system, rather than a shell that requires MS-DOS, as does Windows 3.x. For backwards compatibility, Windows 95 can run MS-DOS
software. The My Computer icon on the Windows 95 destop provides access to the system files and resources, and the Network Neighborhood icon provides access to any network (if the computer is
attached to one). Windows 95 supports the Plug and Play method for installing and configuring hardware and can access Windows, NetWare, and UNIX networks. The minimum configuration for Windows
95 is an 80386 processor with 4 MB of RAM, but an i486 or higher processor with at least 8 MB of RAM is recommended. See also MS-DOS, NetWare, Plug and Play, Windows, Windows for Workgroups.


Windows NT

n. An operating system released by Microsoft Corporation in 1993. The Windows NT operating system, sometimes referred to as simply NT, is the high-end member of a family of operating systems
from Microsoft.. It is a completely self-contained operating system with a built-in graphical user interface. Windows NT is a 32-bit, preemptive multitasking operating system that features
networking, symmetric multiprocessing, multithreading, and security. It is a portable operating system that can run on a variety of hardware platforms including those based on the Intel 80386,
i486, and Pentium microprocessors and MIPS microprocessors; it can also run on multiprocessor computers. Windows NT supports up to 4 gigabytes of virtual memory and can run MS-DOS,
POSIX, and OS/2 (character-mode) applications. See also MS-DOS, operating system, OS/2, POSIX, Windows.

Douglas S. Oliver wrote:

> I stand corrected!  And feeling foolish!  Sorry about that--DSO
>
> Michael Van Der Kolk wrote:
>
> > >Date: Thu, 05 Feb 1998 13:12:00 -0800
> > >From: "Douglas S. Oliver" <dsoliver@earthlink.net>
> > >Subject: Re: TIB: HAL
> > >
> > >Windows (3.x) runs on top of DOS, but Win95 does not.  It is a stand alone
> > >system that happens to be packaged with DOS.  If you don't believe me, talk
> > >to Microsoft.
> > >
> > And I qoute:
> >
> > "Windows 95 is an environment, not an operating system. It rides on top of DOS. Many of the funcions that Windows preforms take place through DOS." ‹‹ Inside Windows NT Workstation pg. 57
> >
> > "It rides on top of DOS" sounds a lot like "runs on top of DOS"
> > [snip long post]
> >
> > Michael Van Der Kolk
> > mikev@iserv.net
> > http://www.iserv.net/~mike
>
> --
>
> Douglas S. Oliver
> Department of Anthropology
> University of California
> Riverside, CA 92521
> e-mail: douglaso@citrus.ucr.edu
>     or: dsoliver@earthlink.net



--

Douglas S. Oliver
Department of Anthropology
University of California
Riverside, CA 92521
e-mail: douglaso@citrus.ucr.edu
    or: dsoliver@earthlink.net
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