Microsoft piles on utilities in latest version

Abstract

Despite the lack of fundamental changes in MS-DOS version 6, many users will find compelling reasons to make the upgrade. The biggest incentive comes from Doublespace, which provides on-the-fly disk compression and nearly doubles disk capacity for a typical mix of user data. However, this feature does produce slower data access and consumes 44K of conventional or upper memory, which could prove problematic on networked systems. Other significant features offered in this version include: 1. simpler debugging, 2. the ability to set up configuration menus, 3. a utility called Memmaker for optimizing the use of upper memory blocks and the high memory area, 4. a Defrag utility that increases performance by making directories and files contiguous, 5. anti-virus and deletion tracking products, and 6. an Interlink utility to support the connection of 2 computers via serial or parallel ports.

Despite the lack of fundamental changes in MS - DOS version 6, many users will find compelling reasons to make the upgrade.

The biggest incentive comes from Doublespace, which provides on - the - fly disk compression.

Doublespace, as the name implies, nearly doubles disk capacity for a typical mix of user data - and it's a lot easier to install than a new hard drive.

There are costs, however, starting with slower data access.

In tests on an 80286 - based system with a very slow hard disk, and on an 80386 - based system with a slow hard disk, reading data sequentially was nearly as fast with Doublespace as without it, but sequential writes took about twice as long, and random writes were even slower.

The performance change is greater with a faster hard disk, and less with a faster processor, but it varies with the application. I found that loading Windows gave identical before and after times, for example.

The other cost is memory. Doublespace takes 44K of conventional or upper memory.

This probably doesn't matter on standalone PCs, but might be a concern on net - worked systems, where it could prevent use of some memory - hungry applications.

Nasty surprise

Doublespace has some similarities to Stacker, published by Stac Electronics of Carlsbad, Calif. Stacker appears to provide slightly more compression than Doublespace on some types of data, as well as furnishing some additional functions, such as an "un - stack" utility.

Unlike Stacker, Doublespace is a "kernel level" option. For example, the sole Config.Sys file can be on a compressed volume, and you can boot from a floppy disk with neither Config.Sys nor Autoexec.Bat, and still access data on compressed volumes.

Neither product can help with files which are already compressed using programs such as Pkzip or Pak, which can give rise to a nasty surprise. DOS reports free space for a compressed volume based on an "estimated compression ratio," which always defaults to 2:1.

On a system with many compressed files, I got an actual compression ratio of just 1.5:1, meaning that I could run out of disk space long before DOS would tell me the hard drive was nearly full. There is a solution, since you can tell Doublespace to use a different estimated compression ratio, but few users will come across it.

A Windows swap file can not reside on a compressed volume, nor can Windows mount a compressed floppy.

New features in DOS 6.0 go far beyond Doublespace, although few others will have the same widespread appeal.

Information Centre staff should like the fact that you don't need the manual, since online help now includes a full explanation of the syntax of each command, plus examples and notes. Indeed, the manual will not include this level of detail.

A separate "Resource Kit" is expected to include command syntax and debugging tips; it was not available at the time of preparing this review.

Debugging should be a lot simpler with DOS 6.0. When the system boots, the message "Starting MS - DOS..." appears, and the user has a couple of seconds to press F5 for a "clean boot," or F8 for an interactive boot, where DOS prompts for confirmation before loading each device driver.

The feature can be disabled by a command in Config.Sys in order to keep users out of mischief.

People running diverse software should like the ability to set up configuration menus, such as operating with or without expanded memory, in Config.Sys.

DOS still won't tell you what to put in Config.Sys but once you put it there, it will optimize use of upper memory blocks and the high memory area through a utility called Mem - maker.

Unfortunately, Memmaker can't handle configuration menus, so you have to optimize each menu item by itself, then combine them.

Several utilities have been licenced from their developers. Leading the list is Defrag which increases performance by making directories and files contiguous.

Anyone who uses the Norton Utilities from Symantec Corp. of Cupertino, Calif., will recognize the screen display.

No tape backup

Another program adapted from Symantec is MSbackup, although the DOS and Windows versions included with MS - DOS 6.0 lack the ability to backup to tape.

Central Point Software Inc. of Beaverton, Ore. has supplied its anti - virus and deletion tracking products in both Windows and DOS versions. Users will be able to obtain updated virus signature files and program updates directly from Central Point.

For the utilities which come in both DOS and Windows flavors, the DOS 6.0 setup program will default to installing only the Windows version if it finds Windows on the system, or just the DOS version otherwise.

A few keystrokes can override those selections.

The other licensed utility is Interlink, which supports connection of two computers via serial or parallel ports, turning one computer into a dedicated server while giving the other computer access to all drives and printers on the server. Interlink comes from Sewell Development Corp., developers of Fastlynx.

A few minor utilities round out MS - DOS 6.0, including Move (about time), Deltree, Choice (for creating interactive batch files) and Numlock.

The big feature of DOS 5, advanced memory management, has been refined a bit further.

DOS can now supply expanded memory on demand, and can shadow ROMs for increased performance, as well as setting aside blocks of upper memory for exclusive use by Windows.

In summary, MS - DOS 6.0 adds some handy utilities, and can provide immediate relief for disk space shortages.

With a list price under $100 for the first two months, most organizations will probably decide it's worthwhile.

Others will already have acquired equivalent utilities, and can happily wait on the sidelines until the operating system undergoes more dramatic changes.