You'll need to know the special keys for DOSBox. Each game will require a specific number for speed to have the best performance.
================
5. Special Keys:
================
ALT-ENTER Switch to full screen and back.
ALT-PAUSE Pause emulation.
CTRL-F1 Start the keymapper.
CTRL-F4 Change between mounted disk-images. Update directory cache for all drives!
CTRL-ALT-F5 Start/Stop creating a movie of the screen. (avi video capturing)
CTRL-F5 Save a screenshot. (png)
CTRL-F6 Start/Stop recording sound output to a wave file.
CTRL-ALT-F7 Start/Stop recording of OPL commands.
CTRL-ALT-F8 Start/Stop the recording of raw MIDI commands.
CTRL-F7 Decrease frameskip.
CTRL-F8 Increase frameskip.
CTRL-F9 Kill dosbox.
CTRL-F10 Capture/Release the mouse.
CTRL-F11 Slow down emulation (Decrease DOSBox Cycles).
CTRL-F12 Speed up emulation (Increase DOSBox Cycles).
ALT-F12 Unlock speed (turbo button).
Other than the special keys above, all you really need to know is how to use the mount command. For example, let's say your C drive has a directory called Games. Just type mount C C:\Games. Type in the mounted drive letter, and you should now be in the contents of the Games directory. Run the game, and have fun!
P.S. - You may need to configure specific audio settings thru the game's install program, and as a general rule Soundblaster works best.

I haven't tried DOSShell, but D-Fend Reloaded is very good. It can also make profiles for non-DOS games, so it can be used as a sort of universal game launcher.
Don't ever try to use DOSBox without a frontend, unless you're extremely geeky and patient.

There's a tutorial out there for every game if you google it, that's what I always do. Follow step-by-step.

Ehm, you have to "mount" a folder where the game you want to play is. Then you have to execute the game's file from the DOSBox command prompt (es."prince.exe").

Well, there's at least two that I know of:
D-Fend Reloader
DOSBox Game Launcher

If you don't want to fuss around with additional programs and just want each game to run independantly like GOG's DOS games do try the following:
1. Copy your DOSbox install folder to the game's directory (after you've installed it via DOSbox, of course).
2. Find DOSbox's .conf file. It's usually in C:\Users\Yournamehere\AppData\Local\DOSBox. It depends on your OS. Copy it to your new DOSbox folder in the game's directory and change the name to something more applicable, like gamename.conf
3. Edit the file in Notepad. Switch fullscreen to true and add the following after [autoexec]
"mount C "C:\GAMELOCATION\"
mount D "D:\" -t cdrom
c:
NAME OF EXE OR BAT HERE"
Just remember that C points to your install location. Which by default would be something like C:\GAMENAME. D points to your optical drive so make sure you input the correct letter.
4. Create a shortcut to the new DOSbox. Include
-conf "gamename.conf"
(with the initial space) at the end of the target. Change gamename.conf to whatever you called it.
Now you should be good to go.

You expect too much of people. I was trying to get this point across to a colleague, and after hearing a few technical terms, like "right click" and ".conf", he got all defensive like I was trying to rape his PC. That's just crazy! Most of the time, I'm not even near his PC's regedit.

Like Navagon said. Throw all games in one \old_games\ folder, mount that old games as drive C and learn some DOS basics. It's easy, and cool. Chicks dig retro junkies!
Well, perhaps, they don't, but one should understand [to a certain degree] the environment he is using. Basically, You'll only use 2 commands at most, but at least You won't have to ask someone everytime You want to set up sound in a game, etc.:)
Have phun!:)
[disclaimer]
I'm one of the weird ones who jumped into DosBOX and felt i was back in my natural habitat, so my view may be skewed.
[/out of memory]

I know what you mean. When you use a few basic commands in DOS, for the rest of the world, you're hax0r1ng.

If he's got some interest in old DOS games then chances are that's partly down to nostalgia. In other words he's played them the first time around and knows a bit about DOS and has probably been using various versions of Windows since.
Now that's a big assumption, true. But it's one that's going to be true most of the time. Especially given that he's clearly got DOS games that aren't already wrapped.
It strikes me that he's looking for a way of easily starting the games each time rather than simply not having the first clue how to turn on his Alienware laptop. But then it's not like he's being very descriptive of the problems he's having so who knows?

Well, not what i've meant, but yeah, people have a tendency to think IT's are magicians, when they put a CD the right way in. [real story from an office] :P
I've meant, that when i installed DosBOX back in 2005, i was surprised that i didn't forget anything from my DOS days, it just felt so natural. And i didn't think much about it, until i've given DosBOX to my friends, who we're also players back in the early 90s, and they forgot everything. ;)

What I meant to say was (didn't use enough words :P) we used to use DOS like people now use windows, just in a very primitive way. You had to know the right combination of correct words to issue a command, and that was just to get to the .exe. Now, when I use dosbox just for that goal, people are awestruck at the "complexity".

D-Fend Reloaded is awesome! Thanks, this was what I was looking for. Now if you excuse me I will play some good ol' dos games. ;)