Thread: what is windows?

  1. #1
    Linguistic Engineer... doubleanti's Avatar
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    what is windows?

    what is it? how does it work? the moment i boot up, past the POST, past all that jazz... what happens? i can understand DOS [as you might have figured by my ideas on the matter] since it's not multitasking, it's wired all in series, so to speak... so... what happens? how does windows keep tabs on all io and software interactivity? thank you.
    hasafraggin shizigishin oppashigger...

  2. #2
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    It's an operating system . It makes it so you press buttons and colors change on a magic color box.
    But seriously, I'd like to know too.

  3. #3
    Registered User Nutshell's Avatar
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    The questions you're asking is general. You'll find info on os'es if you go search for it in google. It's easy to find heaps of info, more than you need.

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    Searching takes too much effort and thinking.

    That's why no one ever searches the board or reads the FAQ.

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    Registered User Nutshell's Avatar
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    That site talks to you like you are a 2 year old. I can't stand it!

  7. #7
    Linguistic Engineer... doubleanti's Avatar
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    hmm thanks i guess... sorry if it seems like that. it's just that, the initial fascination of windows has passed and i might be reinterested in it once again. so i'm curious. [i'll bribe ya, if you get me far enough on this, i'll do a windows port of my demos! ha! ] thanks... and besides, how come no one asks how DOS works?! i'd surely explain it to them!!!
    hasafraggin shizigishin oppashigger...

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    Go ahead, explain.

  9. #9
    Registered User Nutshell's Avatar
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    Yeah i'll ask.

    'How does dos work?'

    pls explain

  10. #10
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    DOS is a highly complicated loop.

  11. #11
    Linguistic Engineer... doubleanti's Avatar
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    okay well here goes... [she said, knowing she was destined to fail...]

    after the boot sequence, you load your HIMEM.SYS and maybe you're extended memory manager [*DPMI] and follow your config.sys for further drivers [mouse sound etc] and your autoexec.bat for environment variables and other [still series wired] startup thingies... and then you have the control as the cursor blinks and stares back at you... then you can give control to any programs other than the command.com thingy... and plus DOS [6.22 at least] comes on 3 1.44 floppies and is really convenient... so... hmm, that's it...
    hasafraggin shizigishin oppashigger...

  12. #12
    "The Oldest Member Here" Xterria's Avatar
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    um...i read one of andre la monthe's books and he spent 5 chapter telling how windows works...

    he said stuff like how each windows takes a small thread of processor memory and uses it, and how each window you see does not really work at the same time, they work at one-millionth of a second different each to keep the windows going. But if you have two processors, two windows work at the exact same time to keep the window updated. the rest is just a bunch of croc.

  13. #13
    &TH of undefined behavior Fordy's Avatar
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    32Bit Windows uses pre-emptive multitasking........

    With DOS, one program had to pause or end execution before another could begin. Win32 operates a kind of rotational queue and gives each thread an execution period and then moves along the queue. This happens so fast that it simulates multitasking. The OS controls the access to execution time, not the program that is executing.

  14. #14
    DOS-based Windows or NT-based Windows?
    What will people say if they hear that I'm a Jesus freak?
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    I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak, there is no disguising the truth!

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    -gnu-ehacks

  15. #15
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    bad grammer

    that was poor grammer DA....

    The proper thing to say is "What ARE windows?" and they are the clear things in buildings and cars that birds like to run into and i like to throw rocks through.
    boingy boingy boingy...hopping on my keyboard

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