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From: wcs@ho95e.UUCP (Bill.Stewart.4K435.x0705)
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari
Subject: Re:  New OS for 520ST??
Message-ID: <194@ho95e.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Sep-85 17:35:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: ho95e.194
Posted: Wed Sep 25 17:35:30 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 1-Oct-85 08:58:09 EDT
References: <8509241753.AA02598@nlm-vax.ARPA>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 20

> Don't be too sure the Atari folk are totally disdainful of the IBM-PC
> compatable world.  TOS (or GEMDOS) used in the Atari is essentially a 68000
> version of MS-DOS, and there are little things like using IBM key scan codes,
> an IBM-PC compatible disk file structure, etc.  If you can write a software
> emulator for an IBM-PC which runs on the Amiga, you should be able to just as
> easily write one for the Atari ST, especially considering the above.  Of course
> you could just put a 8086 or 80286 in a box on the side for that matter.
> 
> I'm not too sure what the folks at Atari have up their sleeve, but I doubt
> they've missed anything so obvious as the position the IBM-PC has in the
> market.  Neither have the Commodore people.

Presumably th e reason for porting the British Operating System to the 520
is that it was easy to do quickly, and gives you access to a reasonable
software base in a hurry.  Porting MSDOS may not be difficult, if your
comments about TOS<->MSDOS similarity are correct, but getting a 68000 to
run machine code from the braindamaged 808[68] micros in realtime is
difficult..
-- 
## Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs