IBM's PC DOS 7
IBM's PC DOS 7 is the latest release of the industry standard for
DOS and Windows users. PC DOS is "classic" 16-bit DOS,
considered by many to be the best DOS in the industry for Intel
and compatible personal computers. PC DOS 7 has many new
features, and significant enhancements in usability and
performance. This article gives details about all of the major
new features and enhancements in PC DOS 7. PC DOS 7 establishes
IBM as the leader in providing new DOS technology to the computer
industry. PC DOS 7 is the most full-featured DOS in the
marketplace, and its APIs are 100% MS-DOS and Windows compatible,
making PC DOS 7 the best choice for all DOS and DOS/Windows
users.
With this new release, users can get up to 40 KB of additional
free memory, Stacker 4.0 compression, file synchronization, REXX
programming, docking support, on-line help, enhanced PCMCIA
support, and much more. PC DOS 7 also includes significant
enhancements to PC DOS's already superior line of utilities. In
addition, PC DOS 7 is available in 18 languages.
Memory
DOS users want to maximize available conventional memory.
Running a DOS application while ensuring that enough memory is
still available for other programs can be challenging as well as
frustrating. PC DOS 7 addresses this challenge by employing a
variety of memory reduction techniques. PC DOS 7 requires less
conventional memory than DOS 6.x for comparable function, freeing
more memory for user applications. The extra conventional memory
available to PC DOS 7 applications typically ranges from 5 KB to
40 KB.
These PC DOS 7 components have been optimized to use less memory:
COMMAND.COM
DOSKEY.COM
MOUSE.COM
MSCDEX.EXE
RAMBOOST.EXE
SMARTDRV.EXE
ANSI.SYS
DISPLAY.SYS
HIMEM.SYS
RAMDRIVE.SYS
The following switches or techniques can be implemented for
better memory savings:
o MOVEXBDAHIGH loads the XBDA (eXtended BIOS Data Area) into
upper memory, if available.
o FASTA20 increases the A20 handling speed and improves
performance.
o DOSDATA=UMB loads the system tables (FILES, FCBS, BUFFERS,
LASTDRIVE, STACKS) into upper memory if available (DOS=UMB must
be in effect, and an upper memory manager must be installed).
o DOSDATA=NOUMB loads the system tables into conventional memory
(this is the default).
o IBMBIO code has been moved to the High Memory Area (HMA). PC
DOS 7 dynamically allocates IBMBIO data as needed.
o Compression can now be loaded into protected mode using DPMS.
This frees up approximately 20 KB of conventional memory.
PC DOS 7's memory manager is EMM386 (not to be confused with the
RAMBoost optimizer). With EMM386, users no longer have to choose
between EMS and XMS when starting their systems. EMM386 makes
use of available UMB (Upper Memory Block) RAM. Its search
algorithm finds more free space in the High Memory Area (HMA), as
well as in unallocated areas of memory. EMM386 can also allocate
expanded and extended memory from shared pools.
PC DOS 7 has an integrated memory optimizer, RAMBoost, that
automatically and dynamically keeps your system's memory
optimized. RAMBoost attempts to find the best arrangement for
device drivers and for terminate and stay resident (TSR) programs
within UMB. Because it frees up conventional memory (under 640
KB), you can now run DOS programs that may have previously
experienced memory shortage problems.
RAMBoost works much like other optimizers. First, it scans your
configuration files and determines which TSRs and device drivers
are being loaded. Next, it probes memory and orders the TSRs and
device drivers in what it determines is the optimal way.
Finally, it saves the optimized configuration and restarts your
PC.
RAMBoost goes one step further: it provides "dynamic
optimization", an intelligent learning and tracking feature that
watches over your system configuration. If you have modified
your configuration (such as by adding programs) and the
configuration watcher detects a change in any of the tracked
files, RAMBoost asks you if you would like to re-optimize. If
you respond with YES, RAMBoost goes into LEARN mode and optimizes
your system. Otherwise, you can select NO and optimize at a
later time.
Alternately, you can set RAMBoost to AUTOMODE. In this mode,
RAMBoost does not ask the user whether to re-optimize. Instead,
RAMBoost automatically re-optimizes whenever the configuration
watcher detects changes. This technique requires no user
intervention. In comparison, MS-DOS's MemMaker does not
implement dynamic memory optimization. Instead, MemMaker uses
the static approach, and you are responsible for knowing when to
run MemMaker.
When installing RAMBoost, PC DOS now prompts you if it finds an
EMM386 statement in your CONFIG.SYS. You then have the choice of
either letting RAMBoost create a new EMM386 statement or using
the existing EMM386 statement. (In DOS 6.x, if an EMM386 line
was found, it was used as-is, but if it was not configured
correctly or optimally, the user would not realize the best
possible memory savings.) Although it is usually preferable to
permit RAMBoost to create a new EMM386 statement, PC DOS 7 offers
a choice to accommodate the user who has previously set up the
EMM386 statement in a particular way and wants to continue using
that statement.
Another feature in RAMBoost is its multi-configuration awareness.
RAMBoost searches the CONFIG.SYS file to determine whether PC DOS
7's multi-configuration support has been implemented. If found,
PC DOS 7 optimizes and tracks each environment separately, giving
you dynamically optimized memory utilization in
multi-configuration environments. MS-DOS's MemMaker is not
multi- configuration aware.
Additional UMB Device-Driver support for devices found in 8088
and 80286 computers. Users who have video cards or EMS boards
can realize as much as 60 KB of additional free memory. By
adding these drivers, PC DOS 7 supports users who have EGA, VGA,
or EMS cards. With PC DOS 7, the extra memory found in these
cards won't be wasted.
Advanced Upper Memory Usage Editor. If you are an experienced
user, PC DOS 7 comes with an easy-to-use graphical editor that
allows you to directly manipulate the High Memory Area (HMA).
Compression
PC DOS 7 includes Stacker for Windows and DOS. This award-
winning data compression standard safely increases your disk
capacity.
Upgrading from prior compression technologies such as MS-DOS
DoubleSpace/DriveSpace, PC DOS SuperStor/DS, or earlier versions
of Stacker is fast and easy. Even with its many features,
Stacker is designed to use less conventional memory then other
compression programs.
Stacker's patented LZS compression and the new Stacker SmartPack,
both of which are in PC DOS 7, combine to give you a better
compression ratio and more disk space than any other data
compression product. Whereas other compression schemes have, at
best, an average 1.7-to-1 compression ratio, Stacker transforms a
typical 100 MB disk into 250 MB, or 2.5-to-1. Stacker is the
first real-time software compression technology that breaks
through the 2-to-1 compression barrier, more than doubling your
hard disk's capacity.
PC DOS 7's new compression features give you:
o Easy access to your Stacker- compressed drives, from either a
DOS or Windows Toolbox. You can easily see how much free space
is available, how fragmented the drives are, when the data was
last backed up, which compression settings are being used, the
current compression ratio, and disk usage information.
o The ability to read and write data on compressed disks on
another computer, anywhere -- even if that computer does not
have Stacker compression installed. Stacker Anywhere,
Stacker's transportable floppy technology (called Universal
Data Exchange in PC DOS 6.3), makes using compressed diskettes
practical in all environments.
In contrast, with MS-DOS's compression scheme, you cannot read
from or write to compressed diskettes unless both computers are
running the same compression scheme, i.e., DriveSpace or
DoubleSpace.
o Easy conversion from DriveSpace, DoubleSpace, SuperStor/DS, or
other Stacker drives to the new Stacker 4.0 compression
algorithm. The resulting conversion yields more space and
reliability.
o More free memory then other compression schemes, by loading the
compression driver into protected mode using DPMS support. The
compression driver uses only 17 KB of memory in the address
space below 1 MB.
o Fine-tuning options to control the balance between how tightly
and how quickly you want data compressed. The Stacker Tuner
controls the balance between how fast Stacker works (MaxSpeed)
and how tightly it compresses data (MaxSpace). Stacker Setup
automatically sets the Tuner to maximum speed. You can
fine-tune your compression settings with the three Toolbox
settings, or by editing the STACKER.INI file.
o Protection for your data. Every time you start your system, PC
DOS 7 runs AutoProtect to ensure that your data is in good
condition.
o Reminders, by flashing an icon or sounding an audio tone, when
maintenance tasks need to be performed. You can customize PC
DOS 7's compression to let you know when the disk is getting
full, it is time to back up files, or it is time to optimize
the disk drive.
o The ability to check the integrity of your Stacker drive and to
fix any errors, by using the Check tool option, which examines
your data and drive integrity.
Checking drive integrity includes:
- Checking file structures
- Repairing any errors found
- Checking the disk media (scan).
o An estimate, based on the kind of data on your hard disk, of
how much your data will compress. (Compression ratios vary
depending on the type of data.) No longer do you have to guess
which ratio to enter -- PC DOS 7 automatically adjusts its
compression based on the data in the system, always giving you
the most possible space.
o Password protection for your compressed drives. By assigning
passwords to your compressed drives, you can ensure that only
your users you specify have access to information on these
drives. PC DOS 7 supports read/write or read-only passwords.
Backup
PC DOS 7 includes a full-featured DOS and Windows version of
Central Point's PC Tools backup utility program. Both user
interfaces are easy and intuitive, using a tree-view display of
your file system for easy point-and-click operations. However,
if you do not want to use the DOS or Windows interface, PC DOS 7
lets you run backup from the command line.
This full-featured backup utility comes with features not found
in other DOS products. These features include file viewers (for
both DOS and Windows files) that let you view the contents of
files prior to backing them up. The backup program also includes
a very easy-to-use scheduler program that you can use to back up
your hard disks during a time when the computer is otherwise
idle.
With today's hard disks exceeding 300 MB, a full backup solution
must include the ability to back up to tape. PC DOS 7 supports
tape backup to many tape formats, including QIC 40/80 and SCSI.
You can also specify to have your data compressed during backup
to tape.
PC DOS 7 supports a wide array of backup media, including:
o Tape
o Optical
o Hard disk
o Diskette
o High-speed diskette
o Removable disk drive
AntiVirus
Protection of PC and LAN environments must be a key component of
every business recovery process.
Understanding the importance of safeguarding your business is
easy, but protecting against the threat of computer viruses can
be difficult. Viruses are a leading cause of business
disruptions, and inadequate protection against them can bring
your business to a standstill.
Consider:
o Three new viruses are created each day.
o Viruses are rarely isolated to a single PC as they spread via
networks and diskette distribution.
o Instances of businesses infecting one another are on the rise.
PC DOS 7's AntiVirus is an integral part of any recovery
strategy, providing the most technologically advanced virus
database and tracking service available today. Developed by IBM
research scientists, PC DOS 7's AntiVirus benefits from years of
experience in dealing with virus incidents around the world. The
result is a highly reliable product that has been certified by
the National Computer Security Association.
With PC DOS 7, you gain access to highly advanced virus detection
technologies, dedicated technical support, and the security of
knowing that your business continues to be protected even as new
viruses are discovered.
PC DOS 7's AntiVirus is "install-and -forget" protection for your
computer. As soon as it is installed, AntiVirus begins
protecting your system from being penetrated by viruses.
Thereafter, it remains active all the time, preventing common
viruses from becoming active in your system and spreading. In
addition, AntiVirus scanning can be run automatically at
prescheduled times to check all of your hard disks for viruses.
PC DOS 7's AntiVirus does not damage the programs that it is
disinfecting. It disinfects programs only when it knows exactly
what the virus is and how to disinfect it. If AntiVirus does not
recognize the virus, it notifies you of its suspicion.
One of the most important things an AntiVirus program can do is
provide the smallest possible memory footprint. PC DOS 7's
AntiVirus uses as little as 6 KB of conventional memory. This
means you can run your programs while PC DOS's AntiVirus is
present, rather than having to unload drivers and/or
applications. In addition, keeping the memory footprint small
encourages more users to take advantage of AntiVirus protection.
AntiVirus provides:
o A full-screen DOS and Windows interface.
o Instant and automatic virus protection against over 2,100 known
viruses as well as unknown viruses.
o Automatic checking for "boot sector" viruses on diskettes.
o Detection and disinfection of viruses with the touch of a
button.
o Detection technology virtually eliminates false positives, and
all virus incidents are logged for tracking and control.
Major AntiVirus features include:
o Integrity checking, which tries to detect unknown viruses. It
tries to find out when things have changed in the system, and
if the changes were done by a virus rather than something
legitimate. It informs you only if things change in a way such
that a virus is suspected. Integrity checking drastically
reduces the number of false alerts that you get, and leads you
to have more trust in your virus program when it actually does
issue an alarm.
o Signature scanning, a technology for finding known viruses. It
looks for a particular sequence of bytes, or more complicated
things, that exist in a known virus. If a certain sequence of
bytes occurs both in a virus and in a file or a boot sector on
a computer, it indicates that a virus is on the computer.
o Fuzzy logic detection, a technology that IBM developed to
complement signature scanning. Many viruses are variants of
older viruses, where only a few bytes in a sequence are
modified in order to circumvent antivirus programs' signature
strings. PC DOS 7's AntiVirus program uses a fuzzy scanning
technique that is smart enough to determine when these changes
have occurred, and is less prone to allow a virus to go by
undetected.
o TSR protection. PC DOS 7's AntiVirus protection comes in the
form of a TSR program. This is very important, because an
effective protection scheme requires an active sentry at all
times to warn you when a virus is present, or when one has been
introduced to your system.
o Safe running of infected programs. Another valuable feature in
PC DOS 7's AntiVirus program is its ability to safely run
infected programs as though they were not infected. The
ability to run critical applications that have been infected by
a virus -- without any fear of spreading the infection or doing
damage -- is indispensable.
o Minimal RAM requirements. It is important for antivirus
software to have as small a memory profile as possible. PC DOS
7's AntiVirus memory footprint is very small in comparison to
other antivirus programs. When loaded into expanded memory, PC
DOS 7's AntiVirus program takes up as little as 1 KB; when
loaded into conventional memory, the AntiVirus program takes up
to 6 KB. By keeping the memory footprint small, PC DOS 7
allows you to keep the AntiVirus program running at all times,
ensuring maximum protection while not using memory that can be
better utilized by other programs. In contrast, MS-DOS's
memory footprint can take as much as 44 KB.
o Network drives. Antivirus program users usually have to scan
network drives with one program and local drives with another.
PC DOS 7's AntiVirus program scans all drives at once, no
matter how they are configured. As long as DOS recognizes a
drive, PC DOS 7's AntiVirus program will protect it.
o Customized alert messages. PC DOS 7's users can personalize
alert messages to say anything they want. The system
administrator can customize alert messages to give specific
phone numbers and directions to follow when a virus is
encountered. For example, a message might say: "Warning:
Contact Virus Specialist Elaine Smith at extension 675".
o Virus service plan. PC DOS 7's virus update plan is a flexible
service plan that includes quarterly updates and a toll-free
electronic bulletin board that provides up-to-date information
and protection against the latest viruses. If you happen to
get a virus that has not been seen before, you can contact IBM
AntiVirus Services. This service gives you information for
detecting and eliminating the virus as quickly as possible.
Help System
The PC DOS help system is an online publication viewer. It lets
you search, view, and print information in online books created
by the OS/2 IPF Compiler. With PC DOS 7, you can now easily
access information online and fast.
This versatile viewer includes features like hypertext links,
extended print, and search capabilities. It uses a subset of the
IPF standard format, and can read other books that use this
format (.INF extension).
Included in PC DOS 7 are three on-line books:
o PC DOS Command Reference (CMDREF.INF)
o REXX Information (DOSREXX.INF)
o PC DOS Error Messages (DOSERROR.INF)
To create an .INF document viewable by the DOS Viewer, you need
to use the OS/2 Toolkit, which contains the OS/2 IPF Compiler.
IBM's Information Presentation Facility Guide and Reference,
order number S10G-6262, gives detailed information for using and
creating IPF-based books. Note that PC DOS handles only a subset
of the IPF tags documented for OS/2.
Even though PC DOS can view OS/2 .INF files, it cannot display
OS/2 books that use tags not supported by the DOS Viewer. The
subset of supported IPF tags is documented in the PC DOS 7 Red
Book. The OS/2 Toolkit is included in The Developer Connection
to OS/2, which is a subscription service available by calling
1-800-6-DEVCON.
Features in the PC DOS online help facility are:
o Multipane viewer, which lets you view the table of contents
along with the item.
o Hyperlinks, highlighted words or phrases that link you to
related subjects and topics.
o Services, which let you search by keyword, print one or more
sections, or copy information to an ASCII file.
o Options, which let you change the way information is displayed
on your screen by selecting from: Expand one level, Expand
branch, Expand all, Collapse branch, Collapse all, Contents,
and Index.
Docking Support
Mobile users who have Plug and Play (PnP)-enabled hardware can
take advantage of "cold", "warm", and "hot" docking support.
Indeed, PC DOS 7's docking support could eliminate the need to
reboot your docking station whenever you dock your mobile PC.
Whether you need to reboot will depend on what is connected to
your docking station.
Cold docking means that, when a mobile PC is docked, it must be
re-booted in order to recognize any of its associated
peripherals. Cold docking support in PC DOS was enhanced with
the multi-configuration support implemented in DOS 6.x.
In warm docking, a mobile PC is in a suspended state when a
docking event occurs. In this situation, many if not all of the
associated peripherals are recognized and activated. In hot
docking, a mobile PC is fully active when docked, and many if not
all peripherals are recognized and activated. In PC DOS 7,
docking support has been extended to both warm and hot docking.
Accompanying this new docking support is the ability to configure
a mobile PC to execute a predefined command, batch file, or
program when either docking or undocking takes place. This new
function, called DOSDOCK, executes at the DOS command line. It
loads and remains resident, waiting for the docking or undocking
event. When the event occurs, DOSDOCK examines the environment
for the docking or undocking parameters, and (depending on the
Plug and Play interrupt received) tells DOS to execute the
docking or undocking command. A message informs you that the
docking or undocking support is executing. DOSDOCK greatly
enhances usability, and makes docking and undocking a PC simple
and painless.
Docking support cannot be activated while running Windows.
However, PC DOS 7 notifies you, in a pop-up Windows message, that
you must shut down Windows to allow the DOSDOCK operation to
commence.
A new command, DYNALOAD, enables you to dynamically load certain
device drivers from the C: prompt without requiring you to
modify your CONFIG.SYS and restart your computer. DYNALOAD does
not run under Windows, in a VDM, or while a task swapper is
active.
The PC DOS 7 Command Reference lists the drivers shipped with DOS
that are supported by DYNALOAD. However, users may find that
many additional device drivers are DYNALOADable. Because there
are no standards for loading DOS device drivers after CONFIG.SYS
is processed, the rule of thumb is: Attempt to load the device
driver. If any errors occur, or the driver does not behave
properly, do not use DYNALOAD with that device driver.
Drivers that DYNALOAD definitely cannot load include those that
require DOS system initialization, execution via CONFIG.SYS, and
Block Device Drivers. (IBM has tested only the drivers listed in
the PC DOS 7 Command Reference.)
File Synchronization
PC DOS 7's File Update keeps your work current wherever your work
resides. This new full-screen utility automatically updates
files between two personal computers, enabling you to easily
synchronize files between your mobile and desktop computers. You
don't have to remember which files you have changed -- just let
PC DOS's File Update synchronize the files!
The PC DOS File Update utility provides filters for ignoring
non-data files and for synchronizing files between two computers.
To use File Update, you need to establish a connection between
two computers, via parallel or serial port, LAN connection, or
even sneakernet (on diskette) File Update's full-screen and
command-line interface works with any connection that shows a
drive letter. PC DOS 7 comes with a utility, INTERLNK, that lets
you establish a connection between two PCs using a parallel or
serial cable.
Using INTERLNK:
(1) Connect two systems via either a serial or parallel cable
(the parallel transfer rate is much higher than serial).
(2) On both PCs, include in CONFIG.SYS the line:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\INTERLNK.EXE
(3) Reboot both PCs to activate the INTERLNK driver.
(4) Establish one PC as the server, and at that computer's
keyboard, type
INTERSVR
(5) Establish the other PC as the client, and at that computer's
keyboard, type
INTERLNK
After you do the steps above, the server displays a screen that
shows the remapped drive letters. Now you are able to access the
server's drives from the client.
Now you can work transparently at your client computer, accessing
the server drives as though they were on the client. The server
cannot otherwise be used during the INTERLNK connection.
Editor
The E Editor was designed by IBM Research to be a full-function
editor, giving you all the basic editing functions. Its power
and flexibility enable you to perform many functions found only
in high-end word processors.
New pull-down menus and mouse support make the E Editor easy to
use. You can edit multiple files, view them simultaneously, cut
and paste between them, set margins/tab stops, reflow paragraphs,
search and replace, and undo previous actions. The E Editor has
an autosave feature that helps to ensure that you don't lose any
of the data you have created.
Several new features in the E Editor include:
o Full menu and mouse support. You can easily navigate with a
mouse or use pull-down menus to run E Editor commands.
o Browse mode, which lets you view files without editing.
o Deletion recovery, which lets you undo the previously deleted
text.
o 132-column support, which allows for more than 80 columns on
the screen.
o Expanded search support, which searches multiple files, places
its findings in a separate file, and allows you to toggle back
and forth between the searched files and findings.
o REXX and C auto-syntax support, is automatically provided when
you use a language-specific keyword, followed by the space bar.
For example, suppose you edit a REXX language file, and you use
the language keyword IF, followed by the space bar key. When
you press the space bar, auto-syntax takes place -- the E
Editor automatically puts the associated THEN and ELSE
keywords in the file for you. This helps eliminate syntax
errors.
o ACALC, a function that supports integer and floating-point
arithmetic as well as a rich set of logical operands. ACALC
can also be run from the DOS command prompt.
o Switch capability, offering improved switching among files.
o Customizable E.INI, which enables you to customize your E
Editor functions.
o Online help, providing information about function keys and
commands.
o Macros, that automate various editor functions like:
<DRAW> lets you do freehand drawing with the arrow keys
<SORT> lets you mark a block of data and sort it
<ADD> lets you do column addition
<BOX> lets you draw boxes of arbitrary size
Undelete
PC DOS 7's undelete feature is a full-function, full-screen
undelete program that allows you to re-access files that have
been inadvertently deleted. Both DOS and Windows interfaces are
provided.
PC DOS 7's undelete supports three levels of protection. The
lowest level is Standard, which gives you the ability to recover
files that have not been overwritten. The middle level of
protection is Tracker. With this level of protection, DOS leaves
the files on the hard disk, but marks the file's clusters as
available. DOS then records the file's cluster address. As long
as the clusters have not been overwritten, the chance of recovery
is excellent.
The highest level of protection is Sentry. Files protected by
Sentry are saved to a hidden directory, and can be retrieved by
Sentry in perfect condition. If Sentry detects your that hard
disk is running out of space, it automatically removes the oldest
files that have been stored in the hidden directory, freeing up
space for newer ones. You can customize this feature.
With PC DOS 7's file viewers, you can examine the contents of
files prior to undeleting them. Files are shown in their native
format, when it can be determined; otherwise, they are shown in
either text or binary format. Windows file viewers are available
when using the Windows Undelete interface.
Scheduler
PC DOS 7 includes a full-functioning program scheduler that
allows you to run any program or DOS command automatically. It's
great to have tools such as BACKUP, DEFRAG, and AntiVirus, but
it's not so great to have to bide time waiting for them to finish
running. With PC DOS 7's program scheduler, you can schedule all
these utility programs, as well as any other DOS programs or
commands, to run at a certain time. PC DOS 7's scheduler comes
with a very easy-to-use calendar interface.
REXX
REXX has been added to PC DOS 7 as the programming language of
choice. REXX for PC DOS includes utilities and REXX commands for
designing powerful REXX programs that can also run on other
operating systems like OS/2 Warp.
PC DOS 7 REXX is a superset of the standard REXX programming
language. PC DOS 7 adds new REXX functions to classic REXX .
These functions are:
o Standard and advanced function, .BAT file commands, and
arithmetic operations.
o A REXX-aware kernel. The kernel checks the syntax in the first
two bytes of a .BAT file. If it finds a REXX comment, it
launches the REXX interpreter and executes the program. If it
does not recognize the .BAT file as a REXX program, the kernel
processes it as a batch file.
o Portability. REXX is portable to other operating systems, such
as OS/2 Warp, AIX, and VM.
APM Support
To help minimize the power usage of mobile systems, PC DOS 7
supports the latest standard of Advanced Power Management (APM)
1.1. PC DOS 7 continues to support systems that contain an APM
1.0 BIOS, and supports the two-phase broadcast protocol for
standby/suspend requests.
PCMCIA
PC cards of all types are expanding the definition of mobile
computing. Storage cards enable users to take their information
with them wherever they go, and to transfer files as though they
are carrying a floppy diskette. Fax/modem cards and LAN cards
make communications to and from portable systems easier than
ever.
PC DOS 7 comes with PhoenixCARD Manager Plus (PCM+), which
enables personal computers to use a wide range of PC cards that
conform to the standards of the Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association (PCMCIA). PCM+ is a set of drivers,
utilities, and applications designed to provide maximum function
for PCMCIA PC cards.
In the past, installing or configuring a PCMCIA card was often
messy and frustrating. Each time you removed or inserted a
PCMCIA card, you had to use a series of commands to alert the
computer, and then the system had to be manually reconfigured to
accept the new card. Despite all this, most times the computer
still could not recognize the new card.
With PC DOS 7, all this has changed. Instead of a book full of new
commands filled with arcane utility switch options, PC DOS 7
gives you simple menu selections through either a DOS or Windows
interface. Most cards -- whether they are flash memory, SRAM,
network, fax/modem, or IDE hard drives (ATA) -- are configured
automatically by PC DOS 7. On the rare occasions when you need to
set up or reconfigure a card, PC DOS 7 has an easy-to-use setup
and configuration program.
Do you need to swap out a card in the middle of a program? Go
ahead! PC DOS 7 can set up and reconfigure on the fly, so there
is no need to back out of an application and begin again each
time you want to use a new card.
Many new features have been added to PC DOS 7's PCMCIA support.
First and foremost is the easy-to-use installation program and
user interface. A second major feature added is the ability to
recognize DOS 6.x's multiple boot configurations. PCMCIA's
installation program is now fully aware of multi-config, and
makes sure that the installation is being performed with the
desired boot configuration. Each PCMCIA component recognizes
this support and uses this information accordingly.
Program Association is a new feature you will find in PC DOS 7's
PCMCIA support. This feature gives you the ability to associate
PC cards with any program. So anytime you insert a card that has
been associated the system will run the associated program. For
example: if you have associated a FAX program with a given FAX
card; every time you insert the card into the PCMCIA slot PC DOS
7 will recognize the card, using its hot-plugabiilty feature,
then it will recognize that the card has an association to a
program on your system. PC DOS 7 will then run the FAX program.
This functionality gives you quick and easy access to your FAX
system or any other PC card you have.
New features in PC DOS 7's PCMCIA support include:
o A setup program that enables the novice user to quickly and
easily install PCMCIA support, while also providing a full
range of customization features for the sophisticated user
o Support for Microsoft's Flash File System II (FFSII)
o Easy-to-use information/ configuration utilities for managing
PC cards in both DOS and Windows versions
o Hot insertion and removal of PC cards without the need to
reboot
o Support for power management
o Support for the largest number of PCMCIA cards: Flash Memory,
SRAM Memory, Network/LAN, fax/modem, ATA, hard disks, SCSI, and
other I/O cards
o Card and Socket Services 2.1 compliance
o Centralized initialization file (.INI) support for all
components
o Support for DOS 6.x multiple configuration
o FDISK utility that supports multiple partitions
o Super Client Driver that supports definable card lists for
minimal memory requirements
o Enhanced resource detection in the Resource utility
o Improved error reporting mechanism
Here are details about some of these features.
Socket Services is the API for all card support. Socket Services
is a DOS-loadable driver that can be loaded in the CONFIG.SYS
file or run as a TSR from DOS. Socket Services works with any
OEM 2.0-level socket services in any OEM or IBM system. It also
works with existing PC (short for PCMCIA) cards that meet the 2.1
specification. Socket Services complies with the PCMCIA Card
Services 2.1 interface specification as defined by the PCMCIA
Board.
Additionally, PC DOS 7 includes the socket services required to
support the following PCMCIA controllers:
Cirrus Logic CL-PD6710 / CL-PC6720 Databook 86082 / 86082A
IBM Stinger
Intel 82365SL (A-B step, and final) Ricoh RF5C266/RF5C366
Card Services is operating-system code that provides a standard
application programming interface (API) for clients. PC DOS 7
incorporates PCMCIA Card Services at the 2.1 level.
The Super Client Driver is a collection of client drivers that
perform PC card configuration. After configuration, the PC card
operates exactly as though it was a permanent component when the
system was started.
PC DOS 7's Super Client Driver consists of a set of client
drivers that is determined at link time. Each individual client
driver can either be linked separately or with a group of other
client drivers. The Super Client Driver does not support every
PC card in the industry. If the Super Client Driver does not
support a PC card, then a client driver will have to be provided
by a third-party supplier.
PC DOS 7's information utility program provides the status of
each PC card that has been installed into the PC card socket.
After the information utility is run, the status of each socket
is displayed, advising the user whether a socket is empty, or
whether the socket is in the process of configuring a card. If a
card has been installed, the information utility displays the
name and information about the PC card. In the case of a
non-configurable card, a message is displayed informing the user
of that status. This utility has DOS and Windows interfaces.
The SRAM format utility program is a format utility program for
SRAM PC cards being accessed as either drive A or drive B. This
utility is necessary because a DOS format program limits the
capacities available for drives A and B. SRAM cards can also be
made bootable by using this utility program.
A driver is provided in PC DOS 7 for FAT diskette emulation.
When this driver loads, it performs diskette drive emulation on
the specified socket, and then registers it with Card Services as
a memory client.
Pen Support
With its PenDOS support, PC DOS 7 gives PC hardware manufacturers
the ability to include Pen enablement for no additional cost --
it's part of the PC DOS operating system!
PC DOS 7's PenDOS supports existing, unmodified, mouse-aware DOS
applications, as well as pen-aware applications. The Pen
extensions offered in PC DOS 7 are mouse emulation, gesture
recognition, numeric recognition, writing window, and a pop-up
soft keyboard.
Mouse emulation enables any current existing DOS mouse-aware
application to function with a pen, just as it would with a
mouse.
Gesture recognition brings common editing gestures to your
current DOS applications (if those applications support the
gestures "undo", "cut", "paste", and so on). For example, if you
are using a word-processing program for DOS that is mouse-aware,
you can use the pen to pull down menus, select items or highlight
text, and then make an X gesture to delete the highlighted text.
With both mouse emulation and gesture recognition, PC DOS 7 makes
current DOS applications function easier and more intuitively.
Numeric recognition enables pen-aware applications or standard
DOS applications to accept numeric hand-written text. With a
pen-aware application, numbers can be hand-written directly into
fields and recognized. If using standard DOS applications, a
writing window must be displayed. Once it is displayed, numbers
can then be hand-written, recognized, and sent to the DOS
application.
Another PenDOS extension in PC DOS 7 is the pop-up soft keyboard.
This feature displays a keyboard on the screen, which can be used
to send keystrokes to any DOS application.
The only Pen extension not shipped in PC DOS 7 is alphanumeric
handwriting recognition. This extension is available in the
PenDOS operating system. A coupon in the PC DOS 7 User Guide
enables PC DOS 7 users to upgrade to the full-featured PenDOS
operating system for $39.95 (a $40.00 savings).
Additional items
PC DOS 7 continues to feature several items originally included
in PC DOS 6.3 these items include:
Clean Boot, PC DOS 7 has an option at bootup called clean boot.
When you see the DOS startup screen and press F5, your system
bypasses CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT, sending you directly to the
C:> prompt.
Interactive boot lets you step through your CONFIG.SYS and
AUTOEXEC.BAT. In the DOS startup screen, when you press F8, the
system steps through both files line-by-line, prompting you to
enter Y or N after each line.
Multi-Confiuration support, lets you set up multiple
configurations within a single computer. This is done within
your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT by placing groups of statements
into configuration blocks. When the computer is booted, PC DOS
displays a customized menu, indicating the different available
configurations, and asks you to choose the configuration you want
to run. This feature provides flexibility when managing multiple
configurations, especially in office environments where one
computer might perform various functions.
SmartDRV disk cache, that increases performance of hard disk and
CD-ROM drives. Two major improvements in SmartDRV are:
o The addition of lazy writing, also called delayed writing,
which stores information to be written to your hard disk, and
writes it to the disk later, when the system is less busy.
This results in significant performance improvements for write
operations.
o SmartDRV is now an executable (*.EXE), allowing you to change,
enable, or disable caching on the fly.
Defragmentation reorganizes files on your hard disk so that each
file is intact rather than fragmented. Defragmentation
minimizes the time it takes your computer to access and retrieve
data. PC DOS 7's defragger uses extended memory to defragment
even large hard disks safely and efficiently.
Interactive batch processing brings the step-through feature
found in interactive boot to batch files. Its functions are
similar to interactive boot, except that you do not have to
reboot your system in order to step through a batch file.
Instead, simply type:
command /y /c filename.bat
This feature is very handy for debugging a batch file that is
failing. When you execute a batch file in interactive mode the
system will step through each batch command individually.
Prompting you, yes or no, to execute that command. With this
feature the user will be able to observe where the batch file
fails. Interactive batch processing is not only for debugging
batch files. You can use this feature to step through a batch
file and omit certain commands.
Deltree command lets you delete a whole sub-tree or a
hierarchical directory structure of files at once. If you want
to delete a directory, you no longer need to delete all the files
and subdirectories first. Instead, you can specify DELTREE
followed by the name of the directory you want to remove. PC DOS
7 then deletes all subdirectories and files below and including
the level of the directory you specified.
Move command gives you the ability to move a file or group of
files from one directory to another, or to move a whole directory
hierarchy from one directory to another directory. The files in
the original directory are placed in the new location, then
deleted from the original location.
PC DOS 7 has a "smart" installation, which recognizes the
multi-configuration support delivered in PC DOS 6.1 and MS-DOS
6.0/6.2. Until now, when upgrading or changing to DOS 6.x, the
installation process did not recognize multi-configuration
support, and installation files would be randomly placed within
the CONFIG.SYS. In PC DOS 7, installation is now aware of multi-
configuration support, and files are added to the CONFIG.SYS
correctly.
Additional installation enhancements are:
o An option enables viewing or changing any modifications made to
the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. Once the installation is
complete, the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT are displayed in the
E Editor. At this point, you can edit either file.
o The DOSKEY command-line statement is now automatically added to
your AUTOEXEC.BAT.
o Mouse navigation is supported.
o Comment lines are added to CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT to show
you what has been added or changed.
Materials
The following materials are available:
o PC / MS DOS Feature Comparison Chart. To obtain, call
1-800-IBM-4FAX, and specify document number 1530.
o PC DOS 7 Specification sheet. To obtain, call 1-800-IBM-4FAX
and specify document number 2435, or order IBM publication
number G221-4320-00
o PC DOS 7 What's New sheet. To obtain, call 1-800-IBM-4FAX and
specify document number 1532.
o PC DOS 7 Technical Update Video Tape. To obtain, call
1-800-456-1426.
o PC DOS 7 Audio Cassette. To obtain, call 1-507-498-3279 or
send a fax to 1-507-498-3554.
o PC DOS 7 features diskette demonstration (3 1/2 media). To
obtain, call 1-407-443-9810.
Second Edition (v2.0)
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