DOS: Difference between revisions
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'''DOS''' ('''D'''isk '''O'''perating '''S'''ystem) is a generic name for a variety of 16-bit text-mode operating systems. (Note that "DOS" is pronounced ''dahss'', not ''dose''.) The archetypal example is '''[[wp:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]]''', [[wp:Microsoft|Microsoft's]] long-running OS that was also sold by IBM as [[wp:PC-DOS|PC-DOS]]. MS-DOS (and PC-DOS) originated as [[wp:86-DOS|86-DOS]] (eventually renamed QDOS) from Seattle Computer Products, which was intended to be a [[wp:CP/M|CP/M]] clone. Other (modern) examples include [[wp:DR-DOS|DR-DOS]] and [[wp:FreeDOS|FreeDOS]]. |
'''DOS''' ('''D'''isk '''O'''perating '''S'''ystem) is a generic name for a variety of 16-bit text-mode [[:Category:Operating Systems|operating systems]]. (Note that "DOS" is pronounced ''dahss'', not ''dose''.) The archetypal example is '''[[wp:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]]''', [[wp:Microsoft|Microsoft's]] long-running OS that was also sold by IBM as [[wp:PC-DOS|PC-DOS]]. MS-DOS (and PC-DOS) originated as [[wp:86-DOS|86-DOS]] (eventually renamed QDOS) from Seattle Computer Products, which was intended to be a [[wp:CP/M|CP/M]] clone. Other (modern) examples include [[wp:DR-DOS|DR-DOS]] and [[wp:FreeDOS|FreeDOS]]. |
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DOS by itself had no graphical interface; instead, if one was desired, users had to buy one seperately. Several GUIs were available for DOS, but [[Windows]] displaced them all with [[wp:Windows 3.0|version 3]]. DOS was still present in Windows 95, 98, and Me, but is totally absent from all NT-based versions (including NT, 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7), instead being emulated (via [[wp:Virtual DOS machine|NTVDM]] and [[wp:cmd.exe|cmd.exe]]). |
DOS by itself had no graphical interface; instead, if one was desired, users had to buy one seperately. Several GUIs were available for DOS, but [[Windows]] displaced them all with [[wp:Windows 3.0|version 3]]. DOS was still present in Windows 95, 98, and Me, but is totally absent from all NT-based versions (including NT, 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7), instead being emulated (via [[wp:Virtual DOS machine|NTVDM]] and [[wp:cmd.exe|cmd.exe]]). |
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Revision as of 16:03, 7 October 2009
DOS (Disk Operating System) is a generic name for a variety of 16-bit text-mode operating systems. (Note that "DOS" is pronounced dahss, not dose.) The archetypal example is MS-DOS, Microsoft's long-running OS that was also sold by IBM as PC-DOS. MS-DOS (and PC-DOS) originated as 86-DOS (eventually renamed QDOS) from Seattle Computer Products, which was intended to be a CP/M clone. Other (modern) examples include DR-DOS and FreeDOS.
DOS by itself had no graphical interface; instead, if one was desired, users had to buy one seperately. Several GUIs were available for DOS, but Windows displaced them all with version 3. DOS was still present in Windows 95, 98, and Me, but is totally absent from all NT-based versions (including NT, 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7), instead being emulated (via NTVDM and cmd.exe).
Early versions of MS-DOS and PC-DOS included a BASIC interpreter (basic.exe), followed by BASICA, GW-BASIC, and finally QBasic. (QBasic wasn't installed by default under Windows 9x; it had to be copied from the install media.) There are compilers and/or interpreters for pretty much every programming language available for DOS.
DOS was considered a synonym of OS in the past.There have been a number of operating systems called "DOS", besides the ones discussed here, many of which are completely different systems. (For a fairly complete list, see the Wikipedia disambiguation page.)