FreeDOS 1.4, the newest fully open‑source DOS‑compatible OS, arrives three years after 1.3 with a faster development pace, new Freecom shell commands, an improved fdisk, the mTCP networking suite, updated installation media, and detailed notes on components, memory requirements, and virtual‑machine usage.
The brief, turbulent open‑source episode of Winamp—its source code upload, swift removal, restrictive Winamp Collaboration License, community backlash, and subsequent license tweaks—offers a cautionary look at how legacy software, mixed‑code bundles, and licensing choices affect true open‑source viability.
Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 preview lifts the long‑standing 32 GB FAT32 partition size cap to 2 TB for command‑line formatting, revealing the historic origins of the original limit and its impact on modern usage.
This article chronicles the rise and fall of WordStar, the once‑dominant DOS word‑processing software, its final 7.0d release bundled for macOS, the passionate advocacy of author Robert J. Sawyer, and the modern tools that keep the classic alive for today’s writers.
Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer recounts how a quick‑and‑dirty formatting dialog he built in 1994 using VC++ 2.0 became a 30‑year‑old UI staple, persisting unchanged into Windows 11 and even imposing the 32 GB FAT volume limit due to an early design shortcut.
Microsoft and IBM have released the source code of MS‑DOS 4.0 on GitHub under an MIT license, providing the historic OS’s binaries, disk images and documentation, while the article recounts the system’s 36‑year legacy, the role of researcher Connor Hyde, and the broader impact on DOS history.
The article reflects on the rise and fall of Lotus Notes, illustrating how this once‑dominant email, database, and workflow platform once unified company operations, why it was eventually eclipsed by web‑based apps and Microsoft tools, and what its lingering legacy reveals about technology evolution.
