PC Operating System Comparison

Introduction

TODO: Add Linux, DOS and Windows are not the only two operating systems

Back in the day, MAME was developed to run from DOS and users had to use a Windows frontend or Mame32 to get it running in Windows. From MAME v0.37b15 onwards, Windows became the MAME developers' platform of choice. Still, running an older version of MAME from pure DOS will give you the best bang for your buck; allowing you to take that 8 year old PC out of the dumpster and turn it into the heart of your home arcade machine.

These days DOS is a mystery to most people, and a DOS system can take a lot of work to set up correctly; so it's understandable that most people choose to go the Windows route.

From a development perspective, it makes sence that the MAME developers left DOS for a more modern work environment. However, if you're got a PC based home arcade machine, DOS can have many advantages over a Windows based PC.

DOS

DOS	Windows
Boots to your Front-End faster	Is a current OS that more people are familiar with
Is solid as a rock	Hardware and software makers develop for Windows
Can display on an Arcade monitor without special hardware.
Using batch files (.bat) a high degree of customization is available (including menu creation).

Windows

DOS	Windows
Nobody seems to understand DOS anymore	Is difficult to display on arcade monitor without special hardware
Newer hardware may not work under DOS (such as TV - Out)	Takes some time to boot to your Front-End

Relevant Links

Purple MAME - a good (but outdated) site on getting DOS Mame running on a cab.

Dos Mame Support - another good site on getting DOS Mame running on a DOS cab, including getting sound cards working and memory management.

How to make DOS Menus - a site showing how you can create menus in DOS (great for boot menus).