OS question, need DOS on Win XP machine

Now that I'm about to upgrade to a modern computer I will want to use this one for my business but unfortunately my business software is DOS based, plus I also run some other DOS programs too. A Windows version of the business software is available, but it's too expensive for simply being able to run in a window, and I'm working at closing shop within a couple of years anyway.
SO can I load Win 98 onto this computer as a second OS, or simply install DOS 6.0 and get to it on start up using F 8, or should I just replace the HD and do a clean install of Win 98?
This computer is a Dell 2.8 Ghz Pentium 4 with 2 Gigs of RAM, Win XP home bought at the end of 2004.

Thanks, Larry.

have you tried running the software from windows ?
Open up a command prompt and see if you can run/install the softwre from there. If you can, all you need to do is create a shortcut on your desktop to the .exe file and you should be fine

failing that, there is a dos emulator called DOSBOX, its mainly used for games but I dont see why any application couldn't run in it

cicopo wrote in post #9532078
Now that I'm about to upgrade to a modern computer I will want to use this one for my business but unfortunately my business software is DOS based, plus I also run some other DOS programs too. A Windows version of the business software is available, but it's too expensive for simply being able to run in a window, and I'm working at closing shop within a couple of years anyway.
SO can I load Win 98 onto this computer as a second OS, or simply install DOS 6.0 and get to it on start up using F 8, or should I just replace the HD and do a clean install of Win 98?
This computer is a Dell 2.8 Ghz Pentium 4 with 2 Gigs of RAM, Win XP home bought at the end of 2004.

Thanks, Larry.

Go to a scrap yard and get a free computer from 2000. Then install dos alone on it. You can also just use an emulator/virtual machine if your computer supports VT.

I've already got spare 486 machines (friends donate them) plus I'm running one now under Win 98. It's just that there would be advantages to using the Dell for the same job.
Re running my business program inside an MS DOS prompt window yes I can but only about 1/4 of it's functions can be used that way. To close a month, or do many of the important functions it must run under DOS & only DOS. The Windows version was over $1000 the last time I checked so you can see why I can live without it.

cicopo wrote in post #9532759
I've already got spare 486 machines (friends donate them) plus I'm running one now under Win 98. It's just that there would be advantages to using the Dell for the same job.
Re running my business program inside an MS DOS prompt window yes I can but only about 1/4 of it's functions can be used that way. To close a month, or do many of the important functions it must run under DOS & only DOS. The Windows version was over $1000 the last time I checked so you can see why I can live without it.

That 486 machine will probably runs dos natively much faster than most pentium 4 chips could run it emulated (XP doesn't have dos after all)