Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

> It was also the time when software just worked.

I don't remember this at all! I remember monkeying around with config.sys and autoexec.bat setting env variables and loading drivers all so I could play some game I downloaded from a BBS. You had to constantly switch back from Windows to DOS depending on what application you were using. for ease of use.

By contrast, in today's world you can go on an app store (windows, steam, etc) press "download" and your application downloads, installs and for the most part, just works.



You are thinking of DOS / Win 3.11 era. I also had to play with DMA and irq jumpers.

Gp post is thinking on Win 95 to XP era. When CDs were common but internet was usually 56k .


I would expect that for most people the time period where there was overlap between config.sys tinkering, Windows, and BBS was pretty small. And likely even less overlap with the era where "3D Studio was on a CDROM".

And to be honest I have always found these stories of "ohmygod I need one extra K of unfragmented low memory, time to tinker with config.sys again" way overblown. I would just do this selective boot thingie that was introduced with some DOS version and period. By the time memmaker was introduced, I don't remember ever needing to use it at all.


> "ohmygod I need one extra K of unfragmented low memory, time to tinker with config.sys again"

i know a lot of ppl went deep down the rabbit hole of computers because of this.

thou the period _was_ short because memory got bigger/cheaper and then win95 came along with 32bit and virtual memory.


I spent a lot of time tinkering with config.sys and autoexec.bat. Partly because I wanted to get different games running and partly because it was almost like a game unto itself.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: