Although DOS is neither easy nor friendly, this book succeeds in explaining it. The author addresses both beginners and serious users who want to work faster, smarter, and better.

The book is divided into five parts: (1) “Getting up to Speed,” a history of DOS evolution and discussion of the main characteristics of version 5.0 of DOS; (2) “DOS Tools,” a description of some important features like the EDIT and EDLIN word processors, a powerful debugger, and some drivers; (3) “Power User Secrets,” a collection of useful tricks; (4) a list of more than 100 new utilities culled from among the best freeware and shareware programs available; and (5) a quick reference to DOS 5.0 commands.

Chapter 1 presents the development of the microcomputer operating system from CP/M in the mid-1970s to the current DOS 5.0, delivered in 1991, alongside hardware evolution. The chapter is more than just a list of versions; it contains a critical comparison of the main characteristics of the different versions. The second chapter contains an overview of DOS 5.0.

In the next two chapters, the basic principles of data storage and the physical properties of the disk are described and the author takes a closer look at managing the files on a hard disk. He presents the rules that define the creation and use of files and directories, and gives some useful examples.

At first sight, chapter 5 is not necessary for DOS utilization. For those who really want to make their system hum, however, it is important to know what is inside. This chapter is dedicated to binary and hex representations. A better example of the usefulness of these number systems is found in the chapter on the DEBUG tool.

A few basic tricks with the PC keyboard are described in the next chapter, “The Keys to the Kingdom.” All the components of the keyboard are presented, but the author emphasizes those with a special purpose. Because virtually no standardization of codes exists today, the examples refer only to DOS and BASIC commands. The new DOS5.0 command DOSKEY and its set of features for dealing with the command line are described fully. Some useful tables summarize the ASCII hex and decimal values and give the scan code values in both hex and decimal for the various keys and key combinations.

The goal of chapter 7 is to familiarize the reader with the PC’s internal structure--chips and memory. The CPU and memory characteristics are presented progressively from 8088/8086 to 80386 and 80486 machines, along with the corresponding increases in speed and memory. Solving the perennial memory problem in previous DOS versions and DOS 5.0 represents one of the main parts of this chapter. The author asks the question “expanded or extended memory?”

The second part of the book describes some of the most important DOS tools, including two text editors--the full-screen EDIT and the line editor EDLIN--the debugger, and a few drivers. He presents the main advantages and limitations of EDIT and EDLIN.

Chapter 9, “DEBUG,” is especially important for power users who are familiar with the system’s internal structure and evolution. This chapter is a real programmers’ guide. It also describes a powerful mini-assembler and the corresponding disassembler. The DEBUG commands often serve as examples in other chapters.

Ten of the most common drivers provided by DOS are described in chapter 10: DRIVER.SYS and RAMDRIVE.SYS, useful in certain hardware configurations for virtual disk definition; DISPLAY.SYS, KEYBOARD.SYS, COUNTRY.SYS, and PRINTER.SYS for their “code page switching” abilities; SETVER.EXE, used to fool applications that look at the DOS version number so that they will run anyway; EGA.SYS, needed when the Task Swapper is used with an EGA display; and HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE, representing a complete set of memory management utilities that can handle both extended and expanded memory. The author describes the powerful device driver ANSI.SYS separately. Its abilities are presented at length, and many examples accompany the discussion.

For those who really want to step on their system’s accelerator, the third part of the book contains some useful tricks, like batch techniques, DOS environment commands, and screen color setting methods. The main characteristics of the most important display adapters are described in chapter14.

Of particular interest are the last two chapters of Part 3, which contain some useful tips on DOS commands, filters, printers, security, communication, and more. This advice is beneficial to those who are interested in wringing the maximum horsepower out of their system.

Part 4, “The Utilities DOS Forgot,” contains over a thousand descriptions of commands that could be added to the operating system. The book is accompanied by three diskettes containing these commands.

The final section of this book contains two additional resources: a detailed program manual and a series of handy quick reference charts for DOS. The manual is more than just a list of command syntaxes. It is jam-packed with extremely useful tips, technical explanations, and ingenious customization hints.

Written for those who need a great deal of information in a hurry, this text is well organized and concise.