If you grew up in the mid to late 80s, like I did, then you have probably experienced the pleasure of playing classic MS-DOS games like Classic Concentration, Wheel of Fortune, and Bowling. As time has moved on, many of these games have become relics as operating systems, like Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X, become more advanced. Thanks to emulation technology, however, I can relive my childhood and play these classic games on my Windows 7-based laptop computer. And today, I’m going to show you how to play classic MS-DOS games on your Windows or Mac computer (this also works on Linux, too!).

Step One: Download DOSBox for Your Operating System. This emulation software recreates the look and feel of the classic MS-DOS operating system, but runs on Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, and numerous distributions of the Linux operating system. It is currently free to download at www.dosbox.com and is 100% legal.

Step Two:  Find Games That You Loved (or Still Love). There are numerous Web sites available that have classic MS-DOS games available for free and paid download. Just a few of them are:

• The DOS Games Archive:  http://www.dosgamesarchive.com
• Classic DOS Games: http://www.classicdosgames.com/online.php
• Classic PC Games – Abandonware & Classic Games:  http://www.classic-pc-games.com
• Over 500 DOS Games:  http://www.dosgames.com

On these sites, you can find a wide variety of the classic MS-DOS you grew to know and love. Among these titles, you will find Crazy Cars 3, Lemmings, The Incredible Machine, The Price is Right, Family Feud, Classic Concentration, and a multitude of others. Personally, I recommend any of the games based off of television series. All the fun you can have without commercial interruption (not only that, but they support multiplayer, too)!

Step Three:  Download the Games to Your Hard Drive. Most of these games are available in the ZIP format, which is compatible with both WinZip and WinRAR software. Upon extracting these archives, however, make sure that you unzip each archive to the same directory. This will make step four much easier.

Step Four:  Run DOSBox and Mount Your Directory. This isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Let’s say that you download the archives to C:\Downloads. All you have to do is run DOSBox and, when prompted, type mount c c:\Downloads. All you have to do is browse to the directory that houses your game, run the appropriate file, and have fun playing!

What were some of your favorite DOS games growing up? Please leave your thoughts and insights in the comments below!

File-sharing can be tricky business, especially on the Microsoft Windows operating system. There are numerous settings to be configured and, even then, you’re not sure if they’ve been configured correctly. Fortunately, Microsoft has found a way to simplify the file-sharing process through the invention of Mesh, part of the Windows Live software series (which now includes Live Writer, Windows Movie Maker, and Photo Gallery).

Mesh is a unique service since, unlike other file-sharing services, it allows you to sync and share files across numerous computers and operating systems. Through this service, you can sync and share files between your PC, a Mac (if you’re one of the lucky ones to own both) and even mobile devices like the Apple iPhone and BlackBerry lines of cellular telephones. You can also share and sync your files with additional devices, if you feel the need to do so.

The service is currently in beta and doesn’t have a lot to offer at the moment (like most new services), but Mesh shows a lot of promise. This could, quite possibly, be the most useful tools for computer users who use several computers (like most computers geeks) or who are constantly traveling and are forced to use a wide variety of computer systems.

How do you keep your files in sync across numerous computers and operating systems? Please leave your thoughts and insights in the comments section below!

All my life, I have been told that I love my technology just a little too much. Obviously, they’re wrong, seeing as how the man in the video above (known on YouTube as FattySpins) has written a full-length love song utilizing products created for (or used on) Apple computers, including iChat, the iPod line of digital media players, and even Final Cut Pro.

So, my question to you is this:  how much do you love the Apple Store? Leave your thoughts and insights in the comments below!

I have a bit of a confession to make. I am a Mac fanboy at heart. I use Windows PCs in my office but, in secret, I long to have an Apple computer of my very own. Unfortunately, Apple computers remain, much to my dismay, out of my price range. Fortunately, a group has been founded online that hopes that remedy such a problem. MacLenders.com is a community of Apple enthusiasts, whose sole purpose is to build the Apple community by lending money to new and existing Macintosh users. The web site is run on the Prosper engine, an auction engine similar to the one used by eBay. This helps borrowers afford the Macintosh computers they have always wanted, while paying a lower interest rate than that of credit card financing or Apple Credit. In fact, MacLenders.com even presents you with a comparison of the interest rates you get from their site. In addition to helping you find lenders, the MacLenders group also presents you with several resources, including a loan calculator (compatible only with Mac OSX, unfortunately) and a bulletin board. Most importantly, MacLenders.com also provides articles and tips on how to check and improve your credit score.