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Number   :  1371
Date     :  2002-01-20
Author   :  Bob Weir
Subject  :  What Next?
Size(KB) :  1


Some thoughts about sustaining XXCOPY: -

a) Microsoft restrict the capabilities of their copiers and are unlikely to
purchase or support such a competent and versatile programme as XXCOPY.
b) The /CLONE switch is an elegant solution for hard disk replication which
should be useful to hard disk manufacturers. Unfortunately the larger makers
of hard disks will favour in-house royalty free versions.
c) The /CLONE switch is very popular but many (most?) users are not skilled
enough to use command lines, DOS, FORMAT, FDISK etc. without assistance when
they make errors and things go wrong. Such failures will give XXCOPY an
undeservedly poor reputation.
d) As the usage of /CLONE grows Kan will be overwhelmed by repetitive
queries relating to the use of /CLONE. I fear that this will happen in 2002
unless avoiding action is taken soon.

I suggest that a clone only (well almost) subset of XXCOPY be issued
separately, perhaps as XXCLONE with support via a new set of FAQ's and a
specific version of XXTB#10. The target customers being Win9x/ME users.

My own holy grail would be for a subset version which would fit on and boot
from a (slimmed down?) Start-up diskette but handle LFN's etc. Whether this
is a subset of XXCOPY on an "enhanced DOS" Start-up diskette or an enhanced
subset of XXCOPY16 on a normal start-up diskette I simply have no idea.
(It was only due to XXCOPY that I wrote my first batch file!) I see the big
advantage of this approach being that it could avoid the "files in use"
problem. A bootable CD version might be a better way ahead long term, but
this could require selling a physical CD and bring problems associated with
MS licensing. Alternatively, competent users with a CDR could use their own
Win9x files plus an XXCLONE download.

Any support for an XXCLONE version?

Hoping that professionals (i.e. not me) would get more of Kan's time on
complex queries if something like this became available.

Regards,

Bob Weir



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