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> But on that time two things happens: - Windows 3.11 was released and spread like wildfire. No more limitations.

That is not what I recall.

First, given that pre-95 Windows ran on top of (MS-)DOS, it had no better capabilities, except that now a bunch of resources (e.g., RAM) was used to run a GUI. And it wasn't really "multi-tasking", again because it ran on DOS, and was more (co-operative) task-switching (like MacOS 9).

Further, Windows 3.11 was garbage with regards multitasking / task-switching compared to DESQview. I knew plenty of running multi-line BBSes with DESQview, but it would have been laughable to try that with Windows. I remember (perhaps incorrectly) running Windows under DESQview just fine.

Perhaps for 'normies' Windows 3.11 was good enough, and the GUI was helpful, but from a technical point of view saying "no more limitations" did not reflect reality.




Windows/386 (enhanced mode) did preemptive multitasking for DOS applications by running them concurrently in separate virtual machines.


AFAIK - WfW 3.11 uses only this mode. They disable real mode.


Well - at this time i was manage some large spreadsheet like in app called Multiplan on DOS. But due size - it was split on several spreadsheets.

At this time i found Excel 4 or 5 and start to use it. I turn back spreadsheet into one single file.

Same happens with Word. As soon as i start using WinWord i couldn't hit anymore memory limitations.

Of course - only DOS for gaming.


Minor point: Windows ran on DOS up to Win98. If you shut down '95 or '98 you were actually at a DOS prompt, but with the screen set to black on black lettering. You could run the usual MS/DOS command to change the colours to something visible - sorry, can't remember the incantation at the moment, but it was nothing obscure.




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