C:\happy-birthday.exe! MS-DOS, the cornerstone of Microsoft's software empire, is 30 years old today -- so let's boot into the command line for a celebration of the OS with the mostest.
On this day in 1981, Microsoft bought what was to become MS-DOS from Seattle Computer Products. SCP had developed the system under the name QDOS. Everybody knows MS-DOS stands for Microsoft Disk Operating System, but that's actually a neat bit of corporate whitewashing from Bill Gates and co -- QDOS originally stood for Quick and Dirty Operating System.
Yes, the foundation of the computing empire that would make Bill Gates the richest man in the world was a temporary fix. SCP had released in 1979 a processor intended to run Digital Research's CP/M-86 operating system, but the chip was ready months ahead of Digital Research's software. So in 1980 SCP's Tim Paterson came up with a basic OS that would act as a stopgap.
Microsoft then bought the OS for $75,000. But what Microsoft didn't tell SCP was that it was to supply the software to IBM -- in place of the Digital Research OS that had inspired the creation of QDOS in the first place.
Paterson joined Microsoft in time for the first release of the now-renamed MS-DOS in 1982. Microsoft went on to conquer the world of personal computing and finally took complete ownership of the software in 1986 in a $925,000 legal settlement with the original boss of SCP.
MS-DOS provided the foundation for Windows, Microsoft's all-conquering operating system, which turned 25 last year. And everyone who's in knows / MS-DOS is the best to run with Windows...
What are your favourite MS-DOS memories? Tell us in the comments section or on our Facebook page, or just check out the worst Microsoft videos of all time. MS-DOS is, coincidentally, the exact same age as CNET UK chief sub-editor Nick, but he goes blue and dies far less often.
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Comments 17
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LeeMoody1993 27 July, 2011 19:17
That is so awful it's awesome!
Anonymous 27 July, 2011 20:02
Used to love to change the cursor to "Disk Failure:\"... it was so easy to mess with someone's head.
Anonymous 27 July, 2011 20:52
>What are your favourite MS-DOS memories?
That's like asking "who is your favorite politician?", or "what is your favorite fatal disease?".
Anonymous 27 July, 2011 20:56
Sorry to say but DOS has never went BSOD or even BSOD ever!!
But, my favorite thing to do was to use PC-Tools to change the Microsoft Dos to something else. Also I liked that I could create alternative AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files to execute via a menu based upon what I was running.
Does anyone remember the add ons to DOS.
KILLDIR and 4DOS?
anonymous 28 July, 2011 00:28
So what IS your favorite fatal disease? Mine's that one from Outbreak
Dog Zero 28 July, 2011 01:53
What a DOSSER. See what I did there, mmmmmmm.
Anonymous 28 July, 2011 05:07
Sure. Why not ask what my fav STD is? MS-DOS was a blight on the world. If Amiga had the market share in the 80's it would have been a much better (computing) world...
Anonymous 28 July, 2011 05:34
Bill Gates is a determined & clever person. During his time with Microsoft he saw the future very clear. Bill Gates saw the power of home computers in the 70's/80's, Mobile computing in the 90's, touch screen in the 2000's.(remember that touch screen table). Unfortunately or fortunately he did not managed to enter the world of mobile computing as Apple did because Microsoft was too big and approval making was hard to make. I really admire the guy because with all his money he is still a down to earth guy. MS need to get rid of Balmer and put me CEO.
Anonymous 28 July, 2011 05:37
DR-DOS was far superior to MS-DOS in every way. To me Bill Gates will always be the anti-competitive *#$#%&* he was back in the 80's. The kinder, gentler Bill you see now is only an attempt to soften his image for a better place in history as a new generation doesn't remember his predatory business practices.
Nick Hide 28 July, 2011 09:38
Yeah, he shouldn't get any credit at all for trying to cure AIDS and malaria, that's just PR. :|
Anonymous 28 July, 2011 10:43
I'd like to give the lady in red some pearl earrings to match her necklace. Phwoar!!!
Yours,
Dennis
Anonymous 28 July, 2011 13:26
I think that should be "C:\hpybday.exe". No long file names in DOS. Still feeling nostalgic?
anonymous 28 July, 2011 14:17
We were using LFN. Still feeling smug?
rcharrington 29 July, 2011 13:17
I loved the fact that you could pop into assembler and write your own code.....useful if you couldn't find a DOS command that did what you wanted.
I continued to use MSDOS even when Windows came out as you could write some great scripts (with the help of GREP and AWK).
Anonymous 30 July, 2011 06:25
best memory?, adding format command onto the autoexec.bat and leaving the lab, when next class starts it used to delete everything on the lab computers in our colleage.
Anonymous 31 July, 2011 14:27
I can not even count the number of times I typed EDIT CONFIG.SYS or EDIT AUTOEXEC.BAT to adjust memory to play games. Good times
Anonymous 31 July, 2011 22:20
That commercial alone is awesome! "No PC should be without it!"