It was incompatible with dosgaming to protect itself.
The dosenvironment in NTs is only meant for system programs.
All the hardware request/adressing/memory management (IRQ-DMA...) must go via NT, no direct access allowed, and that's now precisely the greatest difference with dos and certainly dosgames!
And dosgames usually need fixed IRQ for sound, when pnp was introduced the IRQ were 'not fixed' anymore, the OS decided what gets the IRQ. Example: dosgames need a fixed SB IRQ (5 or 7 usually) and direct access ... what's refused by the NT os.
And add a ton more incompabilities, Fact is dosgames belong in Dos, not in NT, none finds it strange that you can't run dosgames directly on a Mac or in Linux, same goes for the NT ones.
That's why there is dosbox, VPC, VDMS ... etcetera.
__________________
Not a member of The Victorious People's Shoutbox Liberation Army.
Not a member of the GAG Guerrilla. Don't get A Grip!
FOR RENT
*Advertising space*
|