Classic batch commands:

MODE

The MODE /? command shows us the following help screen:

Configures system devices.

Serial port:       MODE COMm[:] [BAUD=b] [PARITY=p] [DATA=d] [STOP=s]
								[to=on|off] [xon=on|off] [odsr=on|off]
								[octs=on|off] [dtr=on|off|hs]
								[rts=on|off|hs|tg] [idsr=on|off]

Device Status:     MODE [device] [/STATUS]

Redirect printing: MODE LPTn[:]=COMm[:]

Select code page:  MODE CON[:] CP SELECT=yyy

Code page status:  MODE CON[:] CP [/STATUS]

Display mode:      MODE CON[:] [COLS=c] [LINES=n]

Typematic rate:    MODE CON[:] [RATE=r DELAY=d]

I always considered MODE an MS-DOS legacy, used when parallel and serial ports were used for printers and modems could not set serial port speeds themselves. Nowadays most computers don't even have these ports anymore!

There is one MODE command that I do use on a regular basis:

MODE CON COLS=132 LINES=50

to resize a console window ("DOS prompt") to 50 lines of 132 characters each.
Unlike the console window's properties settings, this change in size will be undone as soon as the window is closed.
It may be very useful as the first command in a batch file that will display loads of information on screen.

Erik Johnson sent me a message stating he often uses the following MODE command to set his laptop's keyboard typing speed (typematic rate) at its maximum:

MODE CON RATE=32 DELAY=0

The most logical location for this command would seem to be in a batch file run at login time.

Thanks Erik

And while looking at the help screen I also discovered that MODE can be used as a replacement for CHCP, though personally I prefer CHCP's shorter commands.

MODE CON CP and CHCP both display the currently active codepage.

And MODE CON CP SELECT=437 and CHCP 437 both set the active codepage to 437.