Quinto,
The good news is that, of course, you already have command line in Windows if you like, but I bet you prefer the GUI. The bad news is that DOS compatibility is still a no-no because Windows 5.x (2000/XP) is 32-bit (also there's XP 64-bit), whereas DOS (and Windows 3.x and lower) was 16-bit (too limited) and it didn't use the same APIs. No matter its name, even if it was called DOS the current MS OS wouldn't be backwards compatible, virtualization technology would still be necessary. And there are virtualization solutions available, like Virtual PC which MS provides for free afer all, or DOSBox for DOS (even XP 32-bit built-in ntvdm.exe, but this is useful only for console programs).
Also Quinto, you can be in control with Windows just like you were with DOS. The problem is that, even though it's easier to just use Windows than DOS, it's actually harder to be a power user of Windows than DOS, simply because Windows is plain more complicated and powerful. But you can configure whatever you want, if you want to learn about Windows just like you did about DOS, you can start
here or in Google.
Quote:
Originally Posted by _r.u.s.s.
i have only tried vista on new notebook before switching back to xp, but if you tell me how to for future i will be glad. and yes, homecalling, it calls it's home
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I have XP and I've seen it call home (saw it in my firewall's log then I checked the remote IP and it belonged to Microsoft). So it would seem this is not only about Vista, XP also does it. I wouldn't be too tinfoil-hat paranoid about all the urban legends romaing the Web as to the evil purposes of these calls.
I wouldn't be concerned about them and besides, if you're really concerned get an outbound firewall and block them.
Anyway If you don't trust Microsoft and think they feed your personal data to the ESA and the Skull&Bones, then by all means you shouldn't use any MS program let alone Windows. The important point here is that once you've installed an operating system in your computer, you've already trusted it with everything, even if you think you're in control you're only as far as the OS lets you (but it is its job to let you, unless there's some hidden agenda, and unless so many people I don't think so). These calls home are done in the open, Windows could very easily do them without your being able to know or block them, just like malicious rootkits do.
Vista is nothing special, just the next version of Windows, it provides new multimedia capabilities (not only for its own silly eye candy which you can disable, but most important for use by third-party programs), and it improves security which was a great complaint against Windows specially from Mac and Linux users. The next Windows version after Vista is already in development.