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 MAMEdev's platform of choice. Still, running a MAME build from pure DOS will give you 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 MAMEdevs left msDOS 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.
Advantages
| 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. |
Dis-Advantages
| 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 | 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Purple MAME - a good (but outdated) site on getting DOS Mame running on a cab.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.
