Hi everyone.

I have recently bought a book which comes with a floppy disk with files for "Mathcad 2.5 or higher".

Now, I think that 2.5 can only run on DOS, so would DOSbox do?

I am not quite sure how it works - will I be able to install Mathcad onto the DOSbox ?

I have a windows 7 os.

Thanks,

Sparky

 

Well, I've managed to get it working - kind of...

Th program loads, but the text is mangled.

This is strange as the help menu is fine.

what could this be?

 

You install Dosbox. Then you run Dosbox. Run your Dos app inside the Dosbox shell. I recommend reading this http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/Basic_Setup_and_Installation_of_DosBox

 

I did so, but the text is garbled.

 

It could be your graphics card settings. I have run quite complex games in Dosbox without any problems. If I remember correct the default setting for graphic card emulation in Dosbox will often give problems. Take a look here and do some experiment on the machine = "settings" start with trying the svga_s3 option
http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/Configuration:DOSBox

 

Hi thanks.

What's even stranger is that some programs run fine. Their text is easy to read. :/

 

The old DOS (Disk Operation System) used some files that automatically loaded some system settings. Autoexec.bat and Config.sys.
I remember that my old config.sys settings had some keyboard settings. Could it be that you need to configure Dosbox?

device = keyboard.sys

It was also some language settings....

 

yep, it would load CP (code page) for language of choice. but it also could be that your copy of program is corrupt (MCAD but also DosBox). floppies are not the most reliable way to store data.

i just tried this one (it is only a demo, not sure what the limitations) and it works fine:
http://archives.math.utk.edu/software/msdos/linear.algebra/mathcad/.html

but do you have to use this software? why not just go with wolfram? does much more than MCAD and shows step by step solutions (free registration required).

http://www.wolframalpha.com/

for example
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=y=2x^2+8x-9
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=y=e^x+ln(3x)-5
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=differentiate+x^3-sqrt(x^3+111)-ln((1/x+1))
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=factor+x^7-8x^6+3x^2-11x+120
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=integrate+x^2-5x+10-sin(x+pi/4)
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=y"+5y'-4y=0.5*cos(x)-8

 

Thanks,

I would go with wolfram, but I don't know the programs within the floppy. It is part of the course within the book, so I thought it would be worth using it.

 

according to google Mathcad 2.5 is abandonware and can be obtained from
http://vetusware.com/download/Mathcad 2.5/?id=3430

which only requires free registration.
30 seconds later full version of Mathcad 2.5 is on my computer:
http://www.use.com/ddc2e818959f0d7d426c

It runs and everything is readable. If it runs for you too, then you know that file or two in your copy from the floppy was corrupt.

Btw, they also have Mathcad Plus 5.0 as a Windows version
http://vetusware.com/download/Mathcad PLUS 5.0/?id=74