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Best version of DOS for 8088-class Tandy 1000?

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First post, by blakespot

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I have a Tandy 1000HX with an 8088-2 CPU running at 7.16MHz. The machine has the extreme minimum of DOS 2.11 in ROM for instant-on to DOS.

I have several upgrades I want to install this weekend: 384K RAM expansion card (for 640K total), Lo-Tech IDE controller and CF IDE adapter with a 4GB CF card. I am told it is best to format the "HD" media on the vintage machine as opposed to trying to do so on a modern PC. I am wondering which version of DOS I should go with for this.

I have the files for DOS 3.3 on-hand. My 1000TL had DOS 3.3 in ROM (286 with 768K RAM) back in the day. I see that DOS 4.0 provides support for partitions over 32MB in size. Perhaps going with several 32MB partitions is better than a small boot and large 2GB second partition for access speed? I will never come close to filling 1GB of data on this computer, so losing some card capacity is fine.

http://www.emsps.com/oldtools/msdosv.htm

I know nothing of which versions are more or less RAM hungry. Any suggestions here?

Thanks.

bp

:: Visit the Byte Cellar, my vintage computer blog (since 2004).
:: See a panorama of my own Byte Cellar (a.k.a. basement computer room)...
:: twitter: @blakespot

Reply 1 of 6, by Anonymous Coward

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I could be wrong, but I think DOS 3.31 has support for disks larger than 32MB.

"Will the highways on the internets become more few?" -Gee Dubya
V'Ger XT|Upgraded AT|Ultimate 386|Super VL/EISA 486|SMP VL/EISA Pentium

Reply 2 of 6, by infiniteclouds

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I use 3.3 for my Tandy SX and TL with many 32MB partitions totaling 768MB. You can use 6.22 but it'll take up another 10K or so of conventional memory and you'll need to replace the MODE.COM so you don't lose your Tandy specific features like mode fast mode slow to toggle between 4.77 and 7.16, as well as changing to 80 column display. I forget if the HX is the one with the 720MB 3.5 or if that's the EX but if you have a 720 drive you may have issues formatting disks on newer versions without DRIVPARM as well.

Reply 3 of 6, by blakespot

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3.3 it is. Is there a guide for how to format a 4GB CF card under 3.3? When I last formatted a "HD" under 3.3 in 1988 I had to enter bad sectors, etc. It seems not just a simple format command. Any help appreciated.

:: Visit the Byte Cellar, my vintage computer blog (since 2004).
:: See a panorama of my own Byte Cellar (a.k.a. basement computer room)...
:: twitter: @blakespot

Reply 4 of 6, by Ozzuneoj

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You need to try out Deskmate too. I played around with an HX when I was a kid. Really neat system that I totally didn't appreciate at the time (really to mid 90s) . I wouldn't mind getting my hands on another one some day. 😀

Now for some blitting from the back buffer.

Reply 5 of 6, by infiniteclouds

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blakespot wrote:

3.3 it is. Is there a guide for how to format a 4GB CF card under 3.3? When I last formatted a "HD" under 3.3 in 1988 I had to enter bad sectors, etc. It seems not just a simple format command. Any help appreciated.

This was my experience.

Tandy 1000, Lo-Tech XT/IDE, CF and DOS 3.x

Reply 6 of 6, by Cyberdyne

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Use Compaq DOS 3.31 it can use large hard drives. Or better yet a MS-DOS 5.0. It is not that of a memory hog. And runs great.

I am aroused about any X86 motherboard that has full functional ISA slot. I think i have problem. Not really into that original (Turbo) XT,286,386 and CGA/EGA stuff. So just a DOS nut.
PS. If I upload RAR, it is a 16-bit DOS RAR Version 2.50.

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