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Oxford Hachette Dictionary on Seven?


pointertovoid

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You shouldn't laugh at me, because this isn't fun.

 

I've installed DosBox on 64b-Seven, looks easy and fine.

Then I've started the Oxford-Hachette Dictionary (= the pasted executable folder) from DosBox.

Error: "This program needs Windows". :angrym:

 

The Oxford-Hachette Dictionary was written for Win 3.1, is that it?

It runs on W95a-95b-98-98se-Me-2k-Xp (I didn't try it on Nt4) - but NOT on 64b-Seven nor in DosBox.

 

Anyway, I keep for the coming eternity DosBox, which will certainly be useful. Maybe my nephew doesn't need a WinMe any more if his Dos games run on 2k or Xp.

 

Does MiniBos create a bootable small Win? To run on Seven in a virtual machine maybe?

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I could be wrong, but I believe that any of the "DOS based" OS, ie up to and including Win98 ( WinME? ), should be able to be installed on DosBox, and then you should be able to install your dictionary there.  It's getting a bit convoluted, but still, compared to Win7 x64, the space taken and boot times should be minimal.  But then again, I could be totally wrong. :)

 

Cheers and Regards

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Well I was referring to the note about the 1990-94 dates, it should mean that it should run in Windows 3.x.

Then it will probably have it's own GUI.

For obvious reasons on a same (low powered/slow)  machine Windows 3.x run circles around any Windows 9x, particularly it should load initially much faster.

 

The Minibox project is just a way to create a very minimal Windows 3.x from EITHER original Windows 3.x files or from the "minisetup" used for the 9x installation (and present on any 9x CD in the mini.cab) + some freely available files.

 

All in all in the intended use the scope should be that of providing the bare minimal resources needed to the Oxford-Hachette dictionary to run, in practice the "final result" should be an OS that runs one and only one application or, if you prefer, wrap around the program a very vertical scoped OS. 

 

A very minimal 9x might do as well, if this is the case you may have a look at the Winimize project:

http://reboot.pro/forum/53-winimize/

 

jaclaz

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Peeping into the dictionary's exe file, it tells

"Oxford-Hachette Dictionary Application for Windows 3.x"

"Copyright © 1994-1996"

"pure virtual function call"

but not a single known entry to a win32 dll.

 

That looks more difficult. Seven offers a compatibility more for Win95+, and enough people want to run Dos games to justify a DosBox, but who on Earth should want to keep a Win3.x program?

 

Virtual machine or Win3.x in the DosBox, yes... This begins to be a bit convoluted. A little bird tells me: much time and many trials.

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Virtual machine or Win3.x in the DosBox, yes... This begins to be a bit convoluted. A little bird tells me: much time and many trials.

 

Well, jaclaz offered you a very minimalist 3.1 in a DOSBox, which however might entail some measure tweaking and trials.

I've pointed you to a text tutorial and an alternative video tutorial for 9x on DOSBox... while it's more massive than 3.1, it's a ready-made recipe... and may be more general use, if you ever decide to run another olf application, besides the dictionary.

With all due respect, if even a video tutorial is too difficult, please do kindly tell me: what do you want instead? dubbio.gif

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but who on Earth should want to keep a Win3.x program?

 

I think you need to start to accept that 16 bit Windows is gone and done.

 

Some folks like to take on technical challenges and run cobbled-together environments just to see if they can do it, but that doesn't really sound like where you're at.

 

You never did, to my knowledge, answer my question directly: 

 

Is there a (more) current release of the Oxford product that does what you need and runs as a Windows 32 bit application?

 

If so, how much does it cost, and how does that compare with the time you're spending worrying about this?

 

-Noel

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I've searched for newer editions of the Oxford-Hachette Dictionary, and while paper versions cost $40, the v2.0 of the Cd-rom costs £ 343 (used) to £ 2200 (new)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oxford-Hachette-French-Dictionary-French-English-English-French/dp/0198614225

this isn't a typo error. Other sites too want $500 for a cdrom.

 

I'll check the competitors of Oxford-Hachette.

 

The other aspects are that

- I don't really see why a compatibility should be dropped. This application doesn't try to bypass the OS to access the hardware, since it runs on Xp.

- I wanted to check how compatible 64b-Seven is, and that application was a test.

Edited by pointertovoid
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Some folks like to take on technical challenges and run cobbled-together environments just to see if they can do it, but that doesn't really sound like where you're at.

Well, those people are usually cheap (and old, and grumpy, but this is irrelevant in this case) bastards :w00t::ph34r:, the good thing is that they do not spew as much negativity and have a lot of fun in doing their little experiments in their limited and "cobbled together environments".... :whistle:

 

It is queer that such a not-so-veiled critique comes from someone that continuously makes exactly the same kind of experiments, only on latest-latest version of the OS and on recent, powerful hardware, if you think a bit about it, we use our "cobbled together environments" to recreate (re-using available resources from the past) *something* that actually works whilst your own "cobbled together environments" are aimed to create (from current, new resources) *something* that actually works.

There are not that much differences...

 

...anyway Pointertovoid just gave us at least 343 good, additional reasons why we  (the cheap, old, grumpy ones) should continue on our path ....;)

 

jaclaz

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That was no critique!  I saw myself in that statement when I made it.  Maybe that didn't come across.

 

You worry way too much over the exact wording of things, jaclaz.

 

"Some of US like to experiment with cobbled-together environments...  That's kind of what this forum is about.". 

 

Better?

 

-Noel

Edited by NoelC
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That was no critique!  I saw myself in that statement when I made it.  Maybe that didn't come across.

No, it didn't. 

 

You worry way too much over the exact wording of things, jaclaz.

Very possibly, I read your incipit:

I think you need to start to accept that 16 bit Windows is gone and done.

as "Abandon hope all ye who enter here"   :ph34r: and thus I read the following as the usual consumerist advice, my bad  :blushing:  .

 

"Some of US like to experiment with cobbled-together environments...  That's kind of what this forum is about.".

Better?

Sure :).

 

Does that "US" mean that you want to join the club? :unsure:

 

I wonder if you are old and grumpy enough (or miss any of the other requisites ;)) to be eligible for membership.... :whistle:

jaclaz

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Hi Pointer,

 

I was looking on the web for a solution to your woes and came across the following links which may be of use to you:

 

http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-gb/app/3a9e8050-07b8-432b-91fc-cbdad19b420d

 

At that webpage they say the dictionary will run on x86 and x64 systems.

 

The product mentioned at that webpage also contains a link to the producer of this Oxford-Hachette dictionary. The webpage where it is listed is:

 

http://www.mobisystems.com/dictionaries/

 

The webpage for the Windows version of that product is:

 

http://www.mobisystems.com/windows-8/oxford-hachette-french-dictionary/

 

There is a trial version available for download there - so maybe you could try it out on Win7 and see if it is okay for your needs.

 

If you want to contact the company that produces the dictionary their email is: info@mobisystems.com You might get information from them that helps if you run into problems with this.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited by Radish
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At that webpage they say the dictionary will run on x86 and x64 systems.

Yep, though they also say on that same page:

Get Windows 8.1 to run this app.

 

:whistle:

 

It seems like Windows 7  is either too new or too old :w00t: depending on which side you look at it....;)

 

jaclaz

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Yeah I saw that Windows 8.1 blurb too. But then I thought, that it isn't ruling out running on Win7 - so maybe worth a punt. Contacting the producers and asking is probably the thing to do. Contacting them would be the thing I would do.

Edited by Radish
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Yeah I saw that Windows 8.1 blurb too. But then I thought, that it isn't ruling out running on Win7 - so maybe worth a punt. Contacting the producers and asking is probably the thing to do. Contacting them would be the thing I would do.

Well that thing is a (Metro) app, so, no, it won't run "as is" on Windows 7 :no:, though there are probably ways:

http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/542316/Run-Windows-Store-Apps-From-Desktop

 

Generically speaking (probably because apps suck so much :whistle:) there is seemingly not much interest in having them run in Windows 7 and earlier.

 

OT :ph34r: though of course every form of perversion - within limits - is a form of freedom, the good guys at iobit have a queer bi-polar attitude:

http://www.iobit.com/en/iobit-winmetro.php

http://www.iobit.com/en/iobitstartmenu8.php

 

jaclaz

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