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!

The day has finally arrived, and Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system is now available at all major retail outlets. I’ve already had a few days to work with the operating system (having received Windows 7 Ultimate Signature Edition at an earlier date) and I have noticed a large amount of features that have not been included with previous versions of Windows. As a matter of fact, I have discovered so many new features that I couldn’t possibly publish them all here (not without boring you to death, anyhow). Instead, I have decided to publish a top-ten list of my favorite new features.

1. Burn backup copies of your favorite DVDs. In the past, you would have to search Google and download a program called Free ISO Burner to  burn those pesky ISO files (most commonly used in a BitTorrent environment) to a CD or DVD. Now, thanks to Windows 7’s included ISO burning software, this is no longer the case. And, thanks to the increased speed and function of the operating system, you can burn ISO’s in half the time. To burn an ISO, all you have to do is load a CD or DVD into your computer’s DVD burner.
2. Make sure your kids don’t “overload” your computer. Anyone who has children (I have three nephews and two nieces) will tell you that children can put a major strain on your computer system. Thankfully, Microsoft has heard your cries of agony and has implemented a new feature called AppLocker, which lets you control who can access certain applications on your computer system.
3. Make your photos and videos appear consistent on all monitors. If you’re into graphics editing or video of any kind, then you’ll definitely take interest in the monitor calibration feature, which automatically sets up the contrast, brightness, and color settings of your monitor to make sure that what you see on your monitor is the exact same as it would appear on another Windows user’s monitor.
4. Create a desktop slideshow. If you’re anything like me, you get bored of your desktop wallpaper fairly quickly. Windows 7 has followed in the footsteps of third-party software applications like Desktoptopia and made it possible to create customizable slideshows that appear on your computer’s desktop. You can also set the time intervals closer or further apart, depending on how quickly you get bored of your desktop.
5. Turn off the damn User Account Control! One thing I always hated about Windows Vista was the UAC dialog box that popped up every single time you tried to install a program or run a installed program in Administrator mode. Fortunately, Microsoft learned their lesson from this and decided to make the UAC customizable, letting users decide just how secure they want their Windows PC to be.
6. Search online from your desktop. If you have ever used the Windows Search function (located in the Start menu of Windows Vista), then you know that it’s a highly useful tool. What it wasn’t able to do, however, was perform web searches like Google, Yahoo, and even Microsoft’s own Bing search engine. With the help of online search connectors (some of which can be downloaded at WindowsClub), you can get results from online resources straight to your desktop.
7. Organize your application windows. I’ve never had a problem with the Windows operating system, except that I could never seem to get enough screen space to house every single one of my application windows. That’s no longer a problem, however, since Windows allows you to dock windows on the top, bottom, left, and right side of the screen. All you have to do is drag the window to the side of the screen you want to place it on and a blue outline will appear, showing you the drop location.
8. Move application windows across multiple monitors. For the average computer geek, one computer monitor is never enough. Thankfully, Windows 7 simplifies this process. How simple, you ask? All you have to do is press the Windows key (the key with the Windows logo on it) and the Shift key. After that, all you have to do is tell the computer which direction you want the application window to move (using the left and right keys).
9. Encrypt your USB flash drive. If you’re into security (and who isn’t), then I would highly recommend this feature. Usually, this would involve third-party software but, in the case of Windows 7, all you have to do is insert your USB flash drive, right click it in the My Computer application window, and click “Turn on BitLocker”.
10. Create realistic paintings with Microsoft Paint. In the past, images created with Microsoft Paint tended to look more like Nintendo Entertainment System graphics than actual paintings. Due to recent innovations in touchscreen and modeling technologies, however, you can create far more realistic images, as strokes created with each move of the mouse respond and appear like that of the medium being simulated (crayon, marker, spray paint, pencil, etc.).

Have you purchased Windows 7 yet and, if so, what are some of your favorite features? Feel free to leave your thoughts and insights in the comments below! If you’re looking for more Windows 7 tips, then look no further than technology expert Chris Pirillo:

In an effort to celebrate the forthcoming release of Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system, I have decided to give away a few of the free Windows 7 tote bags that came with the Launch Party kit (which also included a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate Signature Edition) to you, my loyal blog readers.

All you have to do is correctly answer the ten Microsoft-related questions below in the comment section below, donate $5 using the button on the right (for shipping and handling purposes), and you will automatically be entered into the random drawing to win one of these rare collectible tote bags! Some of these questions are difficult, so you will have to really know your Microsoft (hint – Wikipedia can be an excellent source of information here). Have fun!

1. Bill Gates founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, shortly after the launch of what microcomputer?
2. On what date did Microsoft go public?
3. What version of the Internet Explorer web browser was the first to be released for the rival Mac OS system?
4. In what year did Steve Ballmer become president of the Microsoft Corporation?
5. How man people currently sit on the Microsoft board of directors?
6. What comedian/author represents Microsoft Windows in the famous “Switch to Mac” advertising campaign?
7. How many versions of the Microsoft logo has been created since its founding?
8. Name just one of the actions taken by Microsoft to become more environmentally-friendly.
9. How much was Microsoft’s initial public offering of stock worth?
10. What is your favorite version of the Windows operating system?

Be sure to leave an e-mail address so that we can contact you if you won.