IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof

From: Glen Goodwin <acme_ent_at_bellsouth.net>
Date: Mon Oct 1 23:16:07 2001

I wrote:

> > This was the point to my original question: why would clone makers go
to
> > the trouble of displaying the message and then halting the system,
instead
> > of just *halting the system*? (Unless they were using stolen code.)
Just
> > doesn't quite make sense . . .

Hans replied:
 
> To tell the user what had happened?

> The code pointed to by Int 18H is responsible for printing that message
> and could be invoked from elsewhere than th BIOS boot sequence so it
> seems just user friendly to display some message if you are going to
> hang the system.

"No ROM BASIC" does not tell the user what happened. "No bootable device
found" would be more helpful.

> Of course today you would get a BSOD - much more informative ;-)

Yes, thank God for Bill Gates ;>)

Glen
0/0
Received on Mon Oct 01 2001 - 23:16:07 BST