ncmark wrote on 2024-01-11, 14:09:

This might be getting into conspiracy land and it might not be. But, along with having to pay Micro$oft a monthly subscription fee for use of your computer. what happens when you HAVE to have it, because paying bills online will be the only way to do it.

It could happen.

Then the subscription prices goes from $50 a month to $100 to $150 to $200

i think these kinds of things more often happen without conspiracy or collusion, just two or more services who are all following the same trend, sometimes combining to make everything even worse!

appiah4 wrote on 2024-01-12, 12:00:

If anything, ecomstation as a modern OS/2 is probably the best way to go about setting up a modern DOS environment.

Probably not.
OS/2 VDM is about the same as VDMs provided by other operating systems designed for 386.
And I don't think it got any update in eComStation or ArcaOS.
For example, it can't run anything that doesn't tolerate the V86 mode.

FreeDOS would be a good candidate for the best modern DOS environment, but it still has some issues.

For now, the best modern DOS environment seems to be DOSBox.

Grzyb wrote on 2024-01-12, 13:14:

Probably not. OS/2 VDM is about the same as VDMs provided by other operating systems designed for 386. And I don't think it got […]
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appiah4 wrote on 2024-01-12, 12:00:

If anything, ecomstation as a modern OS/2 is probably the best way to go about setting up a modern DOS environment.

Probably not.
OS/2 VDM is about the same as VDMs provided by other operating systems designed for 386.
And I don't think it got any update in eComStation or ArcaOS.
For example, it can't run anything that doesn't tolerate the V86 mode.

FreeDOS would be a good candidate for the best modern DOS environment, but it still has some issues.

For now, the best modern DOS environment seems to be DOSBox.

"Multiple virtual DOS machines (MVDM) are used in OS/2 2.0 and later since 1992.[1][4]
OS/2 MVDMs are considerably more powerful than NTVDM.
For example, block devices are supported, and various DOS versions can be booted into an OS/2 MVDM.[17]
While the OS/2 1.x DOS box was based on DOS 3.0, OS/2 2.x MVDMs emulate DOS 5.0.[1]

Seamless integration of Windows 3.1 and later Win32s applications in OS/2 is a concept looking similar on
surface to the seamless integration of XP Mode based on Windows Virtual PC in Windows 7.
A redirector in a "guest" VDM or NTVDM allows access on the disks of the OS/2 or NT "host".
Applications in a "guest" can use named pipes for communication with their "host".[18]

Due to a technical limitation, DOS and 16-bit Windows applications under OS/2 were unable to see
more than 2 GB of hard drive space;[19] this was fixed in ArcaOS 5.0.4.[20] "

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_DOS_machine#OS/2_MVDM

Sorry, couldn't resist. 😀

Jo22 wrote on 2024-01-12, 16:40:

Sorry, couldn't resist. 😀

No problem, my statement about OS/2 VDM being about the same as other V86 VDMs remains valid.

Yes, it does have certain features that NTVDM lacks, but there's not much use of them.
Don't expect that modern OS/2 running on a modern machine will let you play majority of DOS games, with sound, and without timing problems.
It isn't even possible to run unmodified Windows 3.1 in OS/2 VDM.

Grzyb wrote on 2024-01-12, 18:13:

No problem, my statement about OS/2 VDM being about the same as other V86 VDMs remains valid. […]
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Jo22 wrote on 2024-01-12, 16:40:

Sorry, couldn't resist. 😀

No problem, my statement about OS/2 VDM being about the same as other V86 VDMs remains valid.

Yes, it does have certain features that NTVDM lacks, but there's not much use of them.
Don't expect that modern OS/2 running on a modern machine will let you play majority of DOS games, with sound, and without timing problems.
It isn't even possible to run unmodified Windows 3.1 in OS/2 VDM.

Hold my beer...

I think microsoft was pretty crappy when they ended XP activation. There are a lot of people out there with legitimate reasons for wanting to run an older OS - like newer versions of a program might not be available

ncmark wrote on 2024-01-15, 14:16:

I think microsoft was pretty crappy when they ended XP activation. There are a lot of people out there with legitimate reasons for wanting to run an older OS - like newer versions of a program might not be available

There was a special "corporate edition" of WinXP which didn't require activation.

As the name implies, it was used by large corporations and government organizations. Besides not requiring activation, it could be installed an unlimited number of times and didn't care about any hardware changes.

That doesn't help 99.9 percent of the people out there.

I wonder what the next step is? All computers must be regularly connected to the internet at least once a week to continue working. Once support ends, it stops activating and you have one week to get all your files off and throw it in the trash.

ncmark wrote on 2024-01-15, 14:39:

I wonder what the next step is? All computers must be regularly connected to the internet at least once a week to continue working. Once support ends, it stops activating and you have one week to get all your files off and throw it in the trash.

I really hope MS does that at some point. People won't leave Windows in any meaningful numbers unless they are inconvenienced enough and currently Windows is a monopoly. Its biggest/only enemy is itself.

ncmark wrote on 2024-01-15, 14:39:

I wonder what the next step is? All computers must be regularly connected to the internet at least once a week to continue working. Once support ends, it stops activating and you have one week to get all your files off and throw it in the trash.

Next step?

Next step will be activation of implanted during a Covid-19 period trackable microchips. Everyone will have to pay a monthly payment, and to those who will refuse, this what will happen:

appiah4 wrote on 2024-01-10, 07:39:

(...) the cake is a lie. (...)

Wait...What? No don't tell me there is no cake !

Jokes aside, parts the TOS of Steam are plain right illegal at least in France and maybe in other countries too. Steam offers you to "Buy" software (and not renting it), which legally you should be able to "(re)sell" later because you now own it. But there is no way to even transfer a Steam game to a friend for example (transferring a game between to accounts you own is already a challenge).

Also Steam (and other software vendors) seasonal sales are illegal in France. Sales are regulated and their purpose is for businesses to empty their stocks which makes no sense for non-tangible products such as software.

mtest001 wrote on 2024-01-16, 10:48:

Wait...What? No don't tell me there is no cake ! […]
Show full quote

appiah4 wrote on 2024-01-10, 07:39:

(...) the cake is a lie. (...)

Wait...What? No don't tell me there is no cake !

Jokes aside, parts the TOS of Steam are plain right illegal at least in France and maybe in other countries too. Steam offers you to "Buy" software (and not renting it), which legally you should be able to "(re)sell" later because you now own it. But there is no way to even transfer a Steam game to a friend for example (transferring a game between to accounts you own is already a challenge).

Also Steam (and other software vendors) seasonal sales are illegal in France. Sales are regulated and their purpose is for businesses to empty their stocks which makes no sense for non-tangible products such as software.

The software Steam sells is in theory limited to their allocation of licenses for the game in question so they do not have infinite stock at any point. I don't think the regulations limit stock to physical storage, so Steam is OK there.

As for resell, I vaguely remember Steam implementing some half assed method to circumvent that at some point and do not remember what..