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[OM] Re: problem with file naming on my Oly E-10

Subject: [OM] Re: problem with file naming on my Oly E-10
From: Tim Hughes <timhughes@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 01:02:45 -0800 (PST)
Wayne asked if DOS was in E-10. 
 
The answer is sort of. 
 
The Aplication program interface for the compact flash cards etc is to a FAT 
(File Allocation Table) type system. This was the basic low level API 
(Apllication Program Interface") used by DOS for handling disk storage.  This 
is not exactly the same as saying that Dos is inside the E10. The actual source 
code will likely be quite different , it just has to meet the specifications 
for the software API and FAT model (CF hardware interface: essentially an ATA 
type interface with lower voltage, I believe)   and since the processor is not 
x86 the object code will be different even if by some strange chance the same 
DOS source were to be used.   There is so much mythology surrounding the 
operating system religious wars that a lot of these differences get swept under 
the rug, and people who are not programers don't care about the nuances. 
Remember, originally DOS was largely a clone  written to mimic the CPM 
operating system API. In the subsequent OS wars CPM lost out to DOS, which w
 as a
 great pity as by then CPM was a much better multi-tasking system, which DOS 
was not. Trying to do multi-tasking on top of single tasking Dos, was a problem.
 
Windows today can still be used with FAT formated disks which is what the CF 
camera cards look like, but the prefered file system is NTFS, which is a huge 
improvement, especially for database management and more secure transactions 
for financial institutions etc.  NTFS is supposedly more similar to Vax VMS, as 
the primary architect also designed VMS, but I don't actually know. Using FAT 
on cf cards etc is a typical pragmatic choice of simplicity and lowest common 
denominator compatibility. Remember even Apple had to read floppies from PC's 
and had to interface to ATA drives, so there exsisted expertise in dealing with 
FAT style software and hardware interfaces for most platforms.
 
Regards,
Tim Hughes


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