You may need mor specialized help
than you can find on this list. There is a small group.
blind-l, where people who used DOS a long time ago and at
least one person who still uses DOS are members. I don't have
the subscription information but someone else may know how to
find it. You may or may not need an old computer.
First, you may be assuming that
new computers won't run DOS. That is an unsupported
assumption. And if you can't run an old version of DOS, that
actually came from Microsoft, people are still working on DOS,
and there is at least one kind of DOS that is being updated.
I don't know what is being updated in it but it may run on new
computers. At least one person on the Blind-l list knows
something or quite a bit about this.
If you are concerned about
modems, I believe there are USB attachable modems, but I have
no idea if they can be used with DOS.
It’s a good question that Ann
asked about what the person does with the computer. Let's say
its e-mail and surfing the Internet, of course, just reading
text.
You don't have to know Windows at
all except something like one or two commands to do such
things.
You have to memorize some
commands in the e-mail program such as control r, reply,
control N, new, and you need to learn how to use the
addressbook. But none of that requires learning Windows and
the person could do that and it would be, for all practical
purposes, just like learning another program.
Shortt cut commands such as
control alt m could be used to open the e-mail program and
control alt I or b or whatever is wanted to open the browser.
Here again, if all the person does is browse and read text, he
would have to learn a small number of commands but he wouldn't
have to learn Windows.
Gene
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, June 08, 2019 8:42 AM
Subject: Re: [TechTalk] Running dos
Hi all,
Dan, me thinks you're askin' for a pink elephant. I have such a
computer, but I am not willing to sell. I have some files and
programs
which I still use on occasion. Besides, my old clunker is so big,
it'd
cost hundreds of dollars to ship it anywhere. Unless you're
coming to
the ACB convention this summer, and you're being driven by
somebody
who'd have room for the clunker, it's not worth the shipping
costs.
What exactly does your friend want to do with this DOS computer.
He
can't really go on the Net conveniently. He can't write and print
much
that can be formatted properly. If he has a shell account, he can
get
his email via Pine or something similar, but he's virtually
paddling a
long canoe with just one paddle.
He could go to Linux which can be used in command-line mode, but
even
Linux has gone to "graphical interfaces". The only problem with
Linux
is that you have to keep it up. You have to update it and run the
server properly. This takes a good deal of techie knowledge.
I think you can run even a win10 computer in command mode, which
is in
fact, DOS, but he'd have to learn the menus for win10. Actually,
if
you quit thinking of Windows as a 'graphical interface' and think
of it
as a menu driven program, you might relieve some of the fear of
the
unknown. Sure, Windows is a 'graphical interface', but for us,
it's
just like using a set of menus.
If all he wants his computer to do is to read email, then if you
can
find somebody with an ancient door stop, you're golden. Maybe his
sys-admin who runs the shell account would be willing to help him
get
into Linux enough so that he can at least run an OS that is going
to
facilitate his participation on the Net accurately and
conveniently.
Again, I wish you luck finding a working door stop.
Maybe investing in a Smart Vision II phone might be a better bet.
Ann P.
Original message:
> A blind relative has always used dos with dialup internet.
> His machine died.
> He is unlikely to use a graphical intrface.
> Does anyone have a suggestion where to find a computer that
will still
> run dos, previous windows versions ran on top of it.
> --
> Thanks for any help.
> XB
> m
>
--
Ann K. Parsons
Portal Tutoring
EMAIL: akp@...
Author of The Demmies: http://www.dldbooks.com/annparsons/
Portal Tutoring web site: http://www.portaltutoring.info
Skype: Putertutor
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost."
