[Fwd: Re: [Elecraft] Alas, it is time for contest logging software]

[Mark J. Dulcey]

Paul Erickson wrote:

>  > WILL NOT CONSIDER
>  >
>  > 1) DOS based programs! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! ;-) Anybody sending
>  > ideas for DOS based programs will have your email send to the Recycle
>  > Bin. (/dev/null for you UNIX geeks).
> 
> 
> Hi Ron, too bad you are limiting yourself this way. This is the
> equivalent of saying that morse code should be eliminated because
> of the availability of digital modes;-) So far, for contesting,
> the windows based programs have problems either sending cw, or
> with user interfaces designed for poor keyboarders, which may help
> those with mediocre keyboard skills, but slows down those who
> handle a keyboard well. Also, adding another input device (i.e. a
> mouse) for cw contesting is a regressive step.

On the other hand, Windows 2000 is what he already has installed on his 
computer, and running DOS-based programs in that environment can be 
awkward. First, there is the lack of long filename support. Second, the 
interface with serial and parallel ports can be a problem on some modern 
hardware; if you're depending on USB converters, they may not work 
correctly in the DOS box. Finally, some DOS software does not run 
reliably under Windows 2000, and even some programs that otherwise work 
properly fold when faced with an NTFS partition.

One could argue that booting DOS from a floppy is an option. But there 
are problems there, too. First, you have to have such a floppy; a user 
who entered the computing world with Windows 2000 probably doesn't own a 
copy of DOS, or even Windows 95 or 98, which can be booted to a DOS 
command line. And if your hard disk uses NTFS, DOS won't be able to see 
the hard disk at all, so you'll have to do everything from the floppy. 
Finally, of course, you have to have a computer with a floppy drive - 
not all modern laptops have them.

There is no reason that a Windows-based program could not have a user 
interface that equals or surpasses any DOS program. (Reliable sending of 
CW is probably the toughest nut to crack, because the operation of a 
multitasking OS can interfere with the necessary timing. The right way 
to do it would be to write a CW virtual device driver.) The ones that I 
have seen aren't there yet, though they have other strengths. In 
particular, Windows makes it simple to display a lot of information on 
the screen, if the user has a large enough display; DOS programs, by 
contrast, make you navigate between various information screens.