I use it as my main OS, running on real hardware (no emulation),
typically on Pentiums 100-300 MHz, both desktops and portables.
I also have at home one machine with Linux Ubuntu and one with
Windows XP, but I only use them when necessary, typically to
open PowerPoint or Word files, which is pretty rare actually.
All the rest I do in FreeDOS. That includes:
- Text, with Aurora and its amazing macro language, Latex
(EmTex distribution) for engineering and scientific
articles which I help write and edit, WordPerfect 6, and a
bunch of other great editors such as TDE
(Thomson-Davis-Hood), FTE (Marko Macek), SetEdit (Salvador
Tropea).
- Spreadsheets.
- Relational databases (with the rock-solid DataPerfect),
including:
* Almost 20 of them for my personal use, and
* The ones I did as voluntary work for public health
centers, which doctors and nurses have been using for
12 hours every week day since 2005 with amazing
reliability. I can remember about 3 "problems" in
those seven years: one corrupted file, one
disconnected power cord, and one physically sabotaged
computer. That was about it.
- Internet:
* Links, Arachne, and now Dillo for browsing, and
* PMSMTP and TCPMAIL to send and receive emails, with
help of an email reader which I wrote myself.
- Programming in Euphoria, including -- I'm proud to say --
some rather complex stuff for a non-professional like me.
- Technical drawing with Desi-III.
- Many other assorted uses.
Basically, my reasons for using (Free)DOS are:
* The relative simplicity of DOS as compared to Linux,
Windows, etc., which allows me to be much more in control
of my machine without having to be a computer professional.
* Speed and reliability.
* Utter disgust for the consumerism pervading so much of
daily life, including computers. A confession: I secretly
hope to help people realize that it is not mandatory to
change all hardware and software every 3 years.
I'm very happy about my choice of OS, and especially so since
2007 when I moved from MS-DOS to FreeDOS. I have no plans to
change. As a bonus, I even get a sense of community by
participating in this discussion list :-)
My favorite outrageous story: a couple of years ago I switched
from dialed to broadband internet connection, for which I needed
some help from my internet service provider. When I told them I
used FreeDOS, they said it is impossible, and proceeded to
explain me that Linux has a console mode that looks just like
DOS, and therefore I must have been using my computer all these
years unaware that its OS is Linux. Only after I said that I had
myself partitioned and formatted the hard disk and installed
FreeDOS were they (somewhat) more convinced.
I don't miss a chance to express my gratitude to the FreeDOS
developers, as well as others who have written great DOS
programs and generously donated them. Thanks, everyone.
Marcos
--------------------------------------
Marcos Fávero Florence de Barros
Campinas, Brazil
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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