(1) (Disk Operating System) Pronounced "dahss." An earlier single-user operating system from Microsoft for the PC. It was the first operating system for IBM and IBM-compatible PCs and remained the underlying control program for Windows 3.1, 95, 98 and ME. In order to support DOS applications, Windows NT, 2000, XP and Vista include their own version of DOS, called "DOS emulation."
Although DOS in the IBM PC was called "PC-DOS," and the DOS used by all other vendors was called "MS-DOS," all releases of PC-DOS and MS-DOS were generally referred to as "DOS." Except for DOS 6, which contained different versions of various utilities, PC-DOS and MS-DOS commands and system functions were the same. A great number of DOS commands have been executable in all versions of Windows. See DOS abc's.
DOS Lives On
In various versions, DOS is still deployed where a small OS footprint is required, typically for embedded systems. Having gone through many incarnations, Digital Research's DR-DOS is still available (see DR-DOS). Other DOS versions are ROM-DOS from DataLight (www.datalight.com) and the open source FreeDOS (see FreeDOS).
(2) (DOS, DOS/370, DOS/VS, DOS/VSE, VSE/ESA) A series of IBM mainframe "disk operating systems" for System/360, System/370 and System/390. DOS started as a variant of TOS (Tape Operating System), but soon supplanted TOS as disk storage became accepted in the late 1960s. DOS was always the "junior partner" to OS/360 and its progeny. It continues today as VSE/ESA.
Although DOS in the IBM PC was called "PC-DOS," and the DOS used by all other vendors was called "MS-DOS," all releases of PC-DOS and MS-DOS were generally referred to as "DOS." Except for DOS 6, which contained different versions of various utilities, PC-DOS and MS-DOS commands and system functions were the same. A great number of DOS commands have been executable in all versions of Windows. See DOS abc's.
DOS Lives On
In various versions, DOS is still deployed where a small OS footprint is required, typically for embedded systems. Having gone through many incarnations, Digital Research's DR-DOS is still available (see DR-DOS). Other DOS versions are ROM-DOS from DataLight (www.datalight.com) and the open source FreeDOS (see FreeDOS).
(2) (DOS, DOS/370, DOS/VS, DOS/VSE, VSE/ESA) A series of IBM mainframe "disk operating systems" for System/360, System/370 and System/390. DOS started as a variant of TOS (Tape Operating System), but soon supplanted TOS as disk storage became accepted in the late 1960s. DOS was always the "junior partner" to OS/360 and its progeny. It continues today as VSE/ESA.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Clockwork 1.0.0.b5 (Mac)
- Succinct - Clockwork provides a clear list of events and to dos. Convenient - Clockwork lets you easily create, edit and delete events and to dos without having to open iCal. Synchronised - Changes you make in iCal and Mail instantly show up in Clockwork and vice versa. Unobtrusive -...
- Software downloads 2009-11-20
- Microsoft still working on an Adobe Lightroom competitor, but with a social twist
- Maybe MS needs myLife instead of focusing on cloud everything.I've been a Windows user since Windows 1.0 on MS-DOS. I used Multiplan and Word with a mouse before Windows even existed. Over the years I've purchased so many copies of MS Office, OS upgrades, mice, keyboards, joysticks, development environments (MASM,...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- Do we need a 'beautiful mess' in operating systems? Yup
- To make a good soup, you've got to stir the pot...Ok, sure - it turns cloudy, short-term. Just be sure to filter it or let it settle, before serving.Whereas the classic 'design-by-committee' model so often fails, its always useful to have multiple, talented teams working on similar projects, independently. With...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- Deductions 1.1.2 (Mac)
- Deductions is educational software designed to help students learn proofs in formal logic. It is intended to be used by instructors and students of college-level logic courses in philosophy, mathematics and computer science. It gives immediate feedback at each stage of a proof, provides hints about how to complete proofs,...
- Software downloads 2009-11-19
- Office 2010 Beta 2: More than just a bunch of pretty icons
- Of course its better, they stole ideas fromOf course 2010 is better, they stole (oops, innovated) most of the new ideas from Office MVPs that built add ins to previous versions. (There is a very silent revolt going on in the MVP ranks over it and many long term...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-18
- TextPipe Lite 8.4.4 (Windows)
- TextPipe Lite searches and replaces your entire website even millions of files quickly and easily. Features: Perform one or more replacements at the same time. Search for multi-line text and special characters. Restrict replacing to just inside HTML tags like the TITLE tag, META tags, inside the ALT text of...
- Software downloads 2009-11-18
- TextPipe Standard 8.4.4 (Windows)
- Slam-dunk the most challenging code or Web site edit tasks with TextPipe - a powerful text-processing utility that combines more than 100 conversion, translation and filtering operations on multiple text or binary files. Update text using search and replace, which supports perl pattern matching, sounds-like matching, edit-distance matching and search/replace...
- Software downloads 2009-11-18
- TextPipe Pro 8.4.4 (Windows)
- Slam-dunk the most challenging edit tasks with TextPipe Pro a text-processing utility that combines 270+ conversion, transformation, extraction and report mining operations on multiple text or binary files. Update Web sites using multi-line EasyPattern search and replace, and new Unicode find and replace with patterns. Restrict changes to line or...
- Software downloads 2009-11-18
- Next year is THE year for cloud computing
- Not if SunGard is involvedIf the "cloud" runs out of SunGard data centers, I wouldn't rely on it for much...Next year is THE year cloud computing diesNext year might be the year that companies realize cloud computing is a step backward to the dinosaur days of computing. Next year might...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- Beware: Spam on Facebook and Twitter has reached epidemic
- another spammer paradise...tell me something I don't know.Duh reallyDuh really,you got payed to tell us were getting spammed?? Well actually you get spammed i don't subscribe to twitter or face book. I just simply email friends and family and guess what,i don't get spammed doing it that way,who woulda known!How...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- VirtualBox 3.0.12 (Mac)
- innotek VirtualBox is a family of powerful x86 virtualization products for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of...
- Software downloads 2009-11-17
- My new daughter is a lot like Linux
- Windoze is a boys smelly diaper, Linux is a girls one, that's the messageI guess some people will never be mature enough to get it.Handling the learning curve...is not very hard. Particularly when you let them use the simple Gnome user interface which the standard Ubuntu has.Maybe this website of...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-16
- Google: Firms can get rid of Office in a year
- In other words, Google Appsare still at that 1 to 2 percent mark.Good Riddance!It won't be missed.Man, so true, MS Office is a big hairball of baroque features to format for8.5x11. MS Office will be on a downward slide from here on out.In terms of what is need for the...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-13
- Did Microsoft copy Mac OS for Windows 7? Yes ... uh, wait ... no ...
- How do you like this....Microsoft has just patented "sudo":http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20091111094923390RE: Did Microsoft copy Mac OS for Windows 7? Yes ... uh, wait ... no ...Of course, Microsoft has been copying things from the Mac for years. Look at Windows and Mac OS from the very beginning... the Mac had a...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-12
- 1st Security Center Pro 7.5.5.31 (Windows)
- 1st Security Center is a powerful security utility that allows you to restrict access to Windows important resources. This easy-to-use utility helps you to keep your computer in order. It enables you to impose a variety of access restrictions to protect your privacy. You can deny access to each individual...
- Software downloads 2009-11-12
- Apple Safari exposes Windows to drive-by download attacks
- "May lead"?Whenever I see these kinds of statements, regardless of platform, I always wonder if the "may" in "may lead to?arbitrary code execution" is equivalent to the odd, statistically improbable and realistically negligible but observed drug side-effect possibilities, like dry-mouth from eye drops or headaches from suppositories or whether it's...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-11
- Wondershare Data Recovery 1.0.0.138 (Windows)
- Wondershare Data Recovery is easy to use utility data recovery software designed to recover deleted files and folders emptied from Recycle Bin or deleted by Shift + Del, Windows Command Line or from DOS. The capabilities of partition recovery, data backup and restore backup makes Wondershare Data Recovery is much...
- Software downloads 2009-11-11
- MB Rudraksha Numerology 1.0 (Windows)
- MB Rudraksha Numerology gives you the benefits of using Rudraksh beads based on numerology. These beads are said to have many medicinal and spiritual properties that can help you overcome many problems in life. MB Rudraksha Numerology is just the right tool that you should use if you want to...
- Software downloads 2009-11-11
- WinInstall Desktop Availability Suite 10.0 (Windows)
- WinInstall Desktop Availability Suite includes: Client Reset Templates. WinINSTALL's unique client reset technology allows IT administrators to build workflow templates around common desktop management tasks. Alternative to Imaging. Whether restoring a PC, deploying new hardware, or migrating operating systems, WinINSTALL eliminates the headaches triggered by creating, updating, and tracking images-without...
- Software downloads 2009-11-06
- Windows Security Officer 7.5.5.44 (Windows)
- Windows Security Officer is an autonomous provider of log-on and resource restriction security application integrated with, yet independent of, the Windows operating system. It has the capability of providing extremely strong, secure control of who can access a personal computer resources, and exactly what they can do and when they...
- Software downloads 2009-11-05
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Save time with automated shipping solutions
-
The Business Essentials Guide provides you useful tools and templates to help grow your business and save you time with automated shipping solutions.
- Visit the UPS Business Essentials Guide
- The more you simplify, the more you save
-
When you transition from your existing Red Hat environment to SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell, you can recognize dramatic cost savings, perhaps as much 50%
- Learn more >>
- The best support in the Linux business
-
If Linux is going to power your mission-critical applications, you'd better have the best support known to business. Novell was rated the top provider of Linux technical support.
- Learn more >>
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online - Free Six-Month Trial for Eligible Organizations
-
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online provides fast online access, simple contact management and better sales performance for a low monthly cost - the best value on the market today.
- Learn more about the free, six-month trial offer>>
Meet Doc
-
-
Here to help you with your Document Management Needs
- Doc is an enigma. Born to a Russian ballerina and a German electrical engineer, he grew up in various locations in the United States. He’s seen the insides of more brands, versions, and generations of printer and printer-related hardware than almost anyone.
- To learn more about this mysterious figure check out his blog on ZDNet and his Workspace on TechRepublic. You’ll be glad you did.
-
Produced by
ZDNet and -
