Re: QOTW (Well, more like Question Of The Season...)

["Josiah Avery" <josiahavery@hotmail.com>]

    Hello all,

   Good to here all is well. I think this is one of the few topics discussed 
recently of any real intrest to me because it directly involves some of the 
things I do, so here goes.

>So, I have to ask why is DOS still so popular? There is NO commercial
>market for DOS games. You can't take advantage of new hardware from >DOS. 
>You can't even be sure that your code will run on another >computer.
>
>My guess is that it is a matter of cost. There are a lot of old
>computers out there that can still do a good job of running DOS, but >not 
>Windows. There are a lot of free tools for DOS such as DJGPP and
>Allegro. There is a lot of free tutorial information around for DOS. >The 
>down load tend to be a lot smaller so the tools are easier to >get. And, 
>well maybe coding on DOS makes you feel more like a >programmer because you 
>are working closer to the metal.

*** All of those are all very valid, common reasons... for a hobyist whom 
wishes not to futher his/her dev skills further. But totaly impractical ( 
well.. perhaps not *totally* ) as far as pursuing a career using modern 
design techniques. I personally, as a demo/graphics coder, find that DOS is 
the most ideal platform for learning low level graphics application. But I 
by no means have plans to stick with it.... It is a stepping stone towards 
appreciating and utilizing hardware rendering api's with greater 
understanding. One must agree that DX/OGL abstract most things into oblivion 
( things which, argruably, belond there... ).

    All in all, DOS allows graphics coders to better understand the 
underlying priciples used in modern api's, teaches coding to the metal, 
optomization techniques, etc; But it is by no means a viable platform for 
most other things used in modern dev scenarios.... Basicly, what you said in 
[sic]"And, well maybe coding on DOS makes you feel more like a programmer 
because you are working closer to the metal."

   Josiah
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at 
http://profiles.msn.com.

=================================================================
The GameProgrammer.Com mailing list is for the open discussion
of any topic related to the art, science, and business of
programming games. This list is especially tolerant of beginners.
We were all beginners once

To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE please visit:
http://gameprogrammer.com/mailinglist.html