Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote:
> The fact that GRUB is no longer around once it has loaded the program 
> means it's probably not actually an operating system.

  Sound pretty much like MS-DOS to me.

  If your definition of OS is a bunch of utility routines in memory a
program can call for diverse tasks (eg. accessing a disk), then I suppose
MS-DOS, is an OS, bios is an OS, and basically anything is an OS.

  Bios is, in fact, a perfect example of "operating system" by this
definition.

> In my experience, when someone simply answers "That's BS and you know it", 
> it often means "Good point, but shut up about it."

  Now you are insulting me.

> >> Do you think that the applications in your cell phone don't have complete 
> >> control over the hardware?
> > 
> >   Actually I do. The apps in my phone are extremely restricted on what they
> > can do.

> The ones written outside the phone, yes. I'm talking about the apps that 
> come with the phone. You know, like the address book and such? Response to 
> voice recognition? The bit that lets you pick which image from the camera to 
> send via MMS?

  Funny that you don't even know which phone I have.

  Since you are talking in such an expert tone of voice about cellphone
applications, I assume you have written programs for Symbian and know
perfectly what you are talking about?

> >> Other than scoffing, what do you think, specifically, an OS has to do that 
> >> MS-DOS doesn't do at least in a primitive way?
> > 
> >   Maybe I could answer with a question: If grub is not an OS and MS-DOS is,
> > then where exactly is the line?

> MS-DOS is still around after your application finishes running. It's 
> providing services to multiple (sometimes even concurrent) applications. It 
> manages resource allocations between different applications.

  Then bios is also an OS. I suppose that settles it.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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