WAT?! You didn't enjoy running QEMM, running the optimizer to figure out the best order to load things. Configuring EMS and XMS memory? Editing your config.sys and autoexec.bat. Manually setting dip switches and setting pins to try to get your cards to each have a unique IRQ
I certainly have some fond memories but I'm pretty happy with modern UIs
On the surface of it, I look back fondly at those times. It was certainly a good environment to learn about computer basics.
But realistically, I also recall getting pretty frustrated at times. Such as when I just wanted to play Wing Commander: Privateer, but had to spend hours messing with memory settings in `autoexec.bat`/`config.sys` and rebooting just to get it to run. And then I had to spend hours more fiddling with the memory settings, IRQs and the like, just so I could get sound from my Gravis Ultrasound/Soundblaster instead of the PC speaker.
>Manually setting dip switches and setting pins to try to get your cards to each have a unique IRQ
Also, thinking about which IRQs are available when buying a hardware device and how that maps with possibilities for existing devices.
Even more fun - realizing that the solution is to swap network cards amongst a couple of computers because the other network card has more options. So you do the swap (and update the software to use the new ports) and then hope that both computers will even load afterward.
Had to do the planning by hand since this was before I was on the Internet and I don't remember seeing web apps that help with this.
I certainly have some fond memories but I'm pretty happy with modern UIs