Title:DOS and Windows Protected mode (DOS

extenders in C)

Author: Al Williams
ISBN: 0-201-63218-7
Cost: 36-00UKP
Disk: included 5.25”

 

This was an unusual book to review in these times (though it was published in 1993). It is about DOS and has a 5.25 inch disk with it. However not everyone has moved to Windows though the 5.25 inch disk might be a problem to some users. Why the disk? It contains not only the code examples but a ”lite” version of Phar Lap’s 16 bit 286 extender. This can be used on 286, 386 and 486.

 

As for the book itself: I was not that impressed. A large amount of the book is taken up with source code. Not just fragments but complete programs. (with the programs on disk fragments would have been enough to illustrate the required points. ) Around 50 pages are the Phar Lap manual. Then the chapter on tools and the history of dos. The actual text is therefore a small amount of this book around 80 pages. I did not find this very readable as it is interspersed among the source code. It is difficult to find specific information and the Phar-Lap manual and the DMPI at calls at the back were more helpful.

 

I was left with the question is £36 too much for this book? Not if you want a DOS Extender as they are not cheap. However I would recommend that any one interested in extenders read “Get Protected” by Zak Beck in CVu V9I5 for a good description of extenders and sources of information.

 

If you use Borland compilers try and get a copy of the Borland Power Pack. They should be less than £36 at computer fairs. If you can’t get the Borland Power Pack or you use a non Borland compiler the book may be worth it for a cut price extender otherwise I would not recommend this book to anyone who as an extender and just needs a detailed description of how extenders work.