MS-DOS type-ahead buffer limit?

From: Stan Sieler <ss_at_allegro.com>
Date: Wed Oct 21 12:09:16 1998

Re:
> > Does anyone know why MS decided to limit the type-ahead buffer in
MS-DOS
> > to 16 characters? Also, why they never increased this over time?

Lack of foresight? Lack of vision?

> Basicly it's BIOS not DOS, And as the machines got faster,
> the need for the type ahead decreased.

Boy, is *that* wrong! :)

I *still* run into the typeahead limits today, on the fastest
machines around. 16 characters is probably fine when you're
doing ordinary text entry, with no special machine tasks
being requested. It *isn't* fine when you do something like:

   deltree foo
   <typeahead 17 or more characters while the computer is working>

> Just add one of the many vintage type ahead buffer enhancer.
> They have been yery popular, once upon a time...

I'd still be running the one I used to use ... but it
stopped working as of Windows 3.1 :)
Received on Wed Oct 21 1998 - 12:09:16 BST