Timeline of DOS operating systems#DOS era version overview (1980–1995)
{{short description|Events in the history of 16-bit x86 DOS-family disk operating systems}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019|cs1-dates=y}}
This article presents a timeline of events in the history of 16-bit x86 DOS-family disk operating systems from 1980 to present. Non-x86 operating systems named "DOS" are not part of the scope of this timeline.
Also presented is a timeline of events in the history of the 8-bit 8080-based and 16-bit x86-based CP/M operating systems from 1974 to 2014, as well as the hardware and software developments from 1973 to 1995 which formed the foundation for the initial version and subsequent enhanced versions of these operating systems.
| class=wikitable style="float: right;" width="225"
|+ Color key |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft: 86-DOS, MS-DOS |
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM: PC DOS |
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research: CP/M, DR-DOS |
| style="background: #ffebeb;"|Compaq MS-DOS |
| style="background: #ddffff;"|FreeDOS, GNU/DOS |
| style="background: #ffefbf;"|Other |
DOS releases have been in the forms of:
- OEM adaptation kits (OAKs) – all Microsoft releases before version 3.2 were OAKs only
- Shrink wrap packaged product for smaller OEMs (system builders) – starting with MS-DOS 3.2 in 1986,
Microsoft offered these in addition to OAKs - End-user retail – all versions of IBM PC DOS (and other OEM-adapted versions) were sold to end users.
DR-DOS began selling to end users with version 5.0 in July 1990, followed by MS-DOS 5.0 in June 1991 - Free download – starting with OpenDOS 7.01 in 1997, followed by FreeDOS alpha 0.05 in 1998
(FreeDOS project was announced in 1994)
<span id="Overview"></span>DOS era version overview (1980–1995)
{{further|#1980–1995: Important events in DOS history}}
| class="wikitable"
|+First end-user releases of IBM–Microsoft-compatible versions !Date !Version !Primary developer !Notable introduction !IBM hardware |
| August 1980
|86-DOS 0.10 |First Seattle Computer release | |
| August 1981
|PC DOS 1.0 |First IBM release |
| May 1982
|PC DOS 1.1 |Upgraded IBM Personal Computer |
| March 1983
|PC DOS 2.0 |
| November 1983
|PC DOS 2.1 |Half-height disk drives, ROM cartridges |
| August 1984
|PC DOS 3.0 |Support for larger disks |
| April 1985
|PC DOS 3.1 |Local area networking support |
| March 1986
|PC DOS 3.2 |3{{1/2}}-inch 720 KB floppy support |Token Ring network |
| April 1987
|PC DOS 3.3 |IBM |3{{1/2}}-inch 1.44 MB floppy support, extended partitions |
| November 1987
|MS-DOS 3.31 |Hard disk partitions over 32 MB |rowspan=13 style="background: #dcffdc;"|File:IBM logo.svg |
| May 1988
|DR DOS 3.31 |ROMable DOS |
| July 1988
|IBM DOS 4.0 |IBM |
| April 1990
|DR DOS 5.0 |
| June 1991
|MS-DOS 5.0 |MS-DOS Editor, QBasic, first retail upgrade |
| September 1991
|DR DOS 6.0 |Disk compression (AddStor's SuperStor) |
| March 1993
|MS-DOS 6.0 |Disk utilities, DoubleSpace disk compression |
| June 1993
|PC DOS 6.1 |IBM |First IBM release after split with Microsoft, E |
| September 1993
|MS-DOS 6.2 | Improved version of DoubleSpace |
| February 1994
|MS-DOS 6.21 | DoubleSpace removed due to legal injunction |
| April 1994
|PC DOS 6.3 |IBM |SuperStor/DS disk compression |
| June 1994
|MS-DOS 6.22 |Last Microsoft release; DriveSpace disk compression |
| April 1995
|PC DOS 7.0 |IBM |
1973–1980: Hardware foundations and CP/M
{{flatlist|*8-bit CP/M : First licensed release
}}
1980–1995: Important events in DOS history
{{flatlist|
}}
| class=wikitable
|rowspan=10|1980 | rowspan=2|April | style="background: #ffcccc;"|{{anchor|1980}}Paterson begins writing an operating system for use with Seattle Computer Products' 8086-based computer, due to delays by Digital Research in releasing an operating system for the 8086 and 8088, and concerns about CP/M's shortcomings. |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft introduces the Z-80 SoftCard, which lets Apple users run CP/M.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Wj4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT2 Z-80 Board Puts CP/M on Apple], InfoWorld, April 28, 1980 | ||
| June | Shugart Technology releases the ST-506, the first 5{{1/4}}-inch Winchester disk drive—price: $1,500.[https://books.google.com/books?id=lD4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PP1 Shugart Technology Announces 5.25–inch Winchester Disk Drive], InfoWorld, June 23, 1980 | |
| July | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM first contacts Microsoft to look the company over. Their secret Project Chess needs both programming languages and an operating system. | |
| rowspan=2|August | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Paterson's operating system, which he calls QDOS 0.10 ("Quick and Dirty Operating System"), ships. It's crammed into 6 KB of code.Allen, Paul (2011). Idea Man, Penguin, {{ISBN|978-1-59184-382-5}}. Seattle Computer Products runs an ad in Byte marketing it as 86-DOS for $95.[//archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1980-08/1980_08_BYTE_05-08_The_Forth_Language#page/n173/mode/2up 86-DOS advertisement], Byte, August, 1980, p. 173. Seattle Computer contacts Microsoft about adapting Microsoft BASIC for the new operating system, proposing a cross-licensing arrangement. | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft announces Xenix, a port of Version 7 Unix to x86 computers, saying that it will prevent a 16-bit software crisis. Xenix will also be available for the PDP-11 as early as October; Motorola 68000 and Zilog Z8000 versions are also coming. Interest in Unix as "the next CP/M" resulted in the creation of several Unix-like operating systems, including an Onyx Systems version for the Z8000.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Pj4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT4 The Coming of UNIX], InfoWorld, October 13, 1980[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZD0x4O_ruUAC&pg=RA1-PA1-IA5 Microsoft advertisement], Computerworld, August 25, 1980[https://books.google.com/books?id=mj4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT7 COMDEX Spotlights New Software], InfoWorld, December 31, 1980 | ||
| September | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Allen negotiates an agreement with Seattle Computer for a non-exclusive sublicense for 86-DOS to an unnamed OEM customer for $25,000. All that was left was to translate the terms into a formal contract within 60 days. | |
| October | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research announces CP/M-86 for Intel 8086/8088 microcomputers. The file format of CP/M, Release 2, was retained for compatibility.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Qj4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT19 Software Briefs], InfoWorld, Oct 27, 1980, p. 20 | |
| November | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM signs a contract to license Pascal, COBOL, FORTRAN and BASIC compilers, a BASIC interpreter and an operating system for Project Chess from Microsoft. | |
| December | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Seattle Computer releases 86-DOS 0.3. | |
| rowspan=8|1981 | rowspan=2|January | style="background: #ffcccc;"|{{anchor|1981}}Microsoft and Seattle Computer formally sign their agreement. Exhibit "A" of the agreement detailed extended 86-DOS features to be developed by Seattle Computer, including "Directory expanded to include date."{{cite web |title=86-DOS version 0.3 (1980-11-15) License Agreement between Seattle Computer Products and Microsoft |date=1981-01-06 |url=http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/0000/PX00001.pdf |access-date=2013-04-01 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218165128/http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/0000/PX00001.pdf |archive-date=2020-02-18}} (NB. Published as part of the Comes v. Microsoft case as plaintiff's exhibit #1.) |
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research ships CP/M-86 on January 23.[https://books.google.com/books?id=kz4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT10 Introducing CP/M-86 (advertisement)], InfoWorld, January 19, 1981 Like CP/M, CP/M-86 consists of three major modules: the BIOS, BDOS (Basic Disk Operating System) supporting 60 system calls and the CCP (Console Command Processor). New system calls are mainly for the new memory allocation scheme that CP/M-86 uses. Intel's PL/M-86 was used to generate CP/M-86, which is basically the same as the 8-bit version, with the addition of file system enhancements as well as memory management.[https://books.google.com/books?id=BzAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47 Software Reviews: CP/M-86 operating system from Digital Research], InfoWorld, September 27, 1982[https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1981-06/1981_06_BYTE_06-06_Operating_Systems#page/n217/mode/2up CP/M: A Family of 8- and 16-bit Operating Systems], Byte, June 1981, p. 216 | ||
| February | style="background: #ffcccc;"|O'Rear gets 86-DOS to run on IBM's prototype computer. 86-DOS had to be converted from 8-inch to 5{{1/4}}-inch floppy disks and integrated with the BIOS, which Microsoft was helping IBM to write. An Intellec ICE-88 in-circuit emulator expedited the debugging.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20131109022700/http://www.intel-vintage.info/photos/Intel-ICE/ICE-88.jpg Photo of Intel Intellec ICE-88 module]}} www.intel-vintage.info | |
| April | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Paterson finishes, and Seattle Computer releases, 86-DOS 1.0[http://www.86dos.org/ Howard's Seattle Computer Products SCP 86-DOS Resource Website] – presumably completing the requirements specified in Exhibit "A" of the Microsoft agreement. | |
| May | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Paterson leaves Seattle Computer Products for Microsoft and joins O'Rear to help finish adapting 86-DOS to IBM's prototype hardware. | |
| June | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Lifeboat Associates, the leading independent distributor of CP/M and CP/M software, offers Seattle Computer Products $200,000 or $250,000 for 86-DOS, to make it Lifeboat's 16-bit standard. | |
| rowspan="2"|July | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Kildall, angry after seeing the API for IBM's secret computer, that IBM had let selected programmers have, meets with IBM and agrees not to sue IBM for CP/M copyright infringement; IBM agrees to market CP/M-86 alongside DOS, but could not agree to set a price—according to Kildall's attorney, "They told us they feared it would be a violation of antitrust laws." Immediately afterwards, IBM sent their prototype machine to Kildall so that CP/M-86 could be installed. Digital Research hired consultant Andy Johnson-Laird to customize CP/M-86 for IBM's computer, and Johnson-Laird quickly discovered O'Rear's name in the boot sector of IBM's floppy. Johnson-Laird said that Kildall "went ashen" when he saw that.[https://books.google.com/books?id=w_OhaFDePS4C&pg=PA110 Perspectives on Protection], PC Magazine, April–May 1982[https://books.google.com/books?id=w_OhaFDePS4C&pg=PA50 Operational Choice], PC Magazine Charter Issue, February–March 1982Hamm, Steve; Jay Greene (October 25, 2004). {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120111092229/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_43/b3905109_mz063.htm "The Man Who Could Have Been Bill Gates"]}}. BusinessWeek.{{cite web|last=Sedory|first=Daniel B.|title=IBM Personal Computer DOS Version 1.00|url=http://thestarman.pcministry.com/DOS/ibm100/}} | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|On July 27, Microsoft buys all rights to 86-DOS from Seattle Computer Products, initially for a further $50,000 and favorable licenses back from Microsoft.{{cite journal|last=Paterson|first=Tim|date=June 1983|page=246|title=A Short History of MS-DOS|journal=Byte|issn= 0360-5280|url=http://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-06/1983_06_BYTE_08-06_16-Bit_Designs#page/n245/mode/2up|accessdate=18 August 2013}}[http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/0000/PX00002.pdf 86-DOS sales agreement between Seattle Computer Products and Microsoft], dated 1981-07-27, published as part of the Comes v. Microsoft case as plaintiff's exhibit #2, retrieved 2014-09-02. After settling a 1986 SCP lawsuit, the total cost to Microsoft was $1 million. | ||
| rowspan=2|1981 | rowspan="2"|August | style="background: #ffcccc;"|{{anchor|8108}}Microsoft delivers its adapted 86-DOS 1.14 to IBM. The product includes three major modules: the BIOS initialization module SYSINIT, the kernel (IBMDOS.COM), including the DOS API, and the shell (COMMAND.COM) supporting internal commands COPY, DIR, ERASE, RENAME and TYPE, plus Paterson's EDLIN line editor and DEBUG debugger, linker LINK.EXE and a few external commands: FORMAT, CHKDSK, SYS, BASIC, BASICA, DATE and TIME (the latter two added on IBM's request). This product was later called MS-DOS 1.0 by Microsoft. Similar in many ways to CP/M, it consisted of 4000 lines of assembly language source code and ran in 8 KB of memory. |
style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM announces the IBM Personal Computer (PC), model number 5150, featuring:
IBM combined SYSINIT with its customized ROM-BIOS interface code to create the BIOS extensions file IBMBIO.COM, the DOS-BIOS which deals with input/output handling, or device handling, and added a few external commands of their own: COMP, DISKCOMP, DISKCOPY, and MODE (configure printer) to finish their product. The 160 KB DOS diskette also included 23 sample BASIC programs demonstrating the abilities of the PC, including the game DONKEY.BAS. The two system files, IBMBIO.COM and IBMDOS.COM, are hidden. The first sector of DOS-formatted diskettes is the boot record. Two copies of the File Allocation Table occupy the two sectors which follow the boot record. Sectors four through seven hold the root directory. The remaining 313 sectors (160,256 bytes) store the data contents of files. Disk space is allocated in clusters, which are one-sector in length. Because an 8-bit FAT can't support over 300 clusters, Paterson implemented a new 12-bit FAT, which would be called FAT12.{{efn-ua|The FAT is a table with one entry for every cluster, indicating whether the cluster is in use or available. The biggest number 8 bits can store is 255; FAT12 has room for 340 entries in a 512-byte sector: 340 × 1.5 {{=}} 510 + 2 reserved bytes {{=}} 512}} DOS 1.0 diskettes have up to 64 32-byte directory entries, holding the 8-byte filename, 3-byte filename extension, 1-byte file attribute (with a hidden bit, system bit and six undefined bits), 12 bytes reserved for future use, 2-byte last modified date, 2-byte starting cluster number and 4-byte file size. The two standard formats for program files are COM and EXE; a Program Segment Prefix is built when they are loaded into memory. The third kind of command processing file is the batch file. AUTOEXEC.BAT is checked for, and executed by COMMAND.COM at start-up.Norton, Peter (1983). Inside the IBM PC, Brady. {{ISBN|0-89303-556-4}}. Special batch file commands are PAUSE and REM. I/O is made device independent by treating peripherals as if they were files. Whenever the reserved filenames CON: (console), PRN: (printer), or AUX: (auxiliary serial port) appear in the File Control Block of a file named in a command, all operations are directed to the device. The video controller, floppy disk controller, further memory, serial and parallel ports are added via up to five 8-bit ISA expansion cards. Delivery of the computer is scheduled for October.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Mj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 IBM Announces New Microcomputer System], InfoWorld, Sep 14, 1981 | ||
| rowspan=6|1981 | rowspan="2"|October | An InfoWorld article asks, "Which Operating System Will Prevail?". Potential software developers must decide whether DOS or CP/M-86 will become the IBM PC standard. Rubinstein asserted that CP/M would be the winner. Nevertheless, MicroPro has made sure that WordStar will be available for both.[https://books.google.com/books?id=JT0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA50 Some Confusion at the Heart of IBM Microcomputer], InfoWorld, October 5, 1981 |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Lifeboat Associates, having lost its bid for rights to 86-DOS, announced that it will market Microsoft's MS-DOS under the name Software Bus-86 (SB-86).[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZD0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9 Lifeboat will support MS-DOS], InfoWorld, November 2, 1981 Their line of trademarked Software Bus products included SB-80, Lifeboat's version of CP/M. | ||
| rowspan="2"|November | style="background: #dcffdc;"|Many of the approximately 50,000 attendees of the Northeast Computer Show in Boston keep IBM's booth packed with people interested in the new IBM Personal Computer and the Datamaster.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Wz0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10 Northeast Computer Show in Boston draws 50,000], InfoWorld, November 9, 1981 A two-page IBM ad in InfoWorld features a picture of the components of the PC and invites readers to write to IBM's Personal Computer Software department who will consider programs submitted by outside programmers for publishing by IBM.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Vj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA36 IBM advertisement], InfoWorld, Nov 23, 1981, p. 36-37. | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft signs its first major DOS deal at COMDEX, with Chuck Peddle's new startup company Sirius Systems Technology, whose Victor 9000 was among the first of many 16-bit computers similar to and better than the IBM PC—but incompatible with it. Earlier, Microsoft signed its first DOS customer, Cleveland's Tecmar, but they put their 8086 machine on the back burner when they became a major player in the PC peripherals business.[https://books.google.com/books?id=oz0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA7 Victor Business chosen to peddle Peddle's computer], InfoWorld, December 14, 1981{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130819161628/http://www.scientific-solutions.com/archives/ssi_history.html Scientific Solutions company history]}} | ||
| rowspan="2"|December | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research releases MP/M 2.0 and MP/M-86 multi-user or concurrent single-user multiprogramming monitor control programs (operating systems) which support multiterminal access with multiprogramming at each terminal.[https://books.google.com/books?id=oz0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA35 InfoViews], InfoWorld, Dec 14, 1981, p. 35. Kildall told InfoWorld that it took Digital Research three months to develop CP/M-86, while MP/M-86 (suggested retail $500) took four-man-years (two actual years). Solving the problem of concurrency, among other things, accounted for the extra MP/M-86 development time. In concurrent systems, several functions, organized by the operating system, run simultaneously, using different files. These functions operate in the background, or multiground if there is more than one function operating. While this is happening, the user works on another task using the terminal screen, i.e., the foreground. The minimum system memory requirement for MP/M-86 is 128 KB.[https://books.google.com/books?id=gT0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Digital Research eyes 16-bit sales], InfoWorld, December 7, 1981 | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|A Seattle Computer ad in InfoWorld offers an 8086 system with 86-DOS under its new name MS-DOS, noting that MS-DOS is "also called 86-DOS, IBM PC-DOS, Lifeboat SB-86".[https://books.google.com/books?id=oz0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA7 Seattle Computer ad], InfoWorld, December 14, 1981. An [//archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1981-10/1981_10_BYTE_06-10_Local_Networks#page/n347/mode/2up SCP ad in the October 1981 Byte] still called it 86-DOS. Seattle Computer was the first company to offer the product under the MS-DOS name. | ||
| rowspan=7|1982 | rowspan=2|January | style="background: #dcffdc;"|{{anchor|1982}}The U.S. Justice Department drops its 13-year case against IBM, that had sought to break up the firm that has dominated the computer industry, saying the suit was "without merit and should be dismissed." Government lawyers said the case was outdated because IBM no longer enjoyed a virtual monopoly in the computer industry.[https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/09/us/us-settles-phone-suit-drops-ibm-case-at-t-to-split-up-transforming-industry.html U.S. Settles Phone Suit, Drops I.B.M. Case; A.T.& T. to Split up, Transforming Industry], New York Times, January 9, 1982 Time called it "the case of the century" in 1979, in the midst of a five-year trial in which the defense eventually called 856 witnesses.Thomas Barr, [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/business/30barr.html Top Lawyer in I.B.M. Case, Dies at 77], New York Times, January 30, 2008 |
| Corvus Systems released interfaces to make its line of Winchester disk drive systems and local area network (LAN) fully hardware- and software-compatible with the IBM PC. Corvus offers storage capacities of 5, 10 and 20 MB on 5{{1/4}}-in. and 8-in. Winchester disk systems. Prices range from $3,750 to 6,450.[https://books.google.com/books?id=M_ACDiwEnJYC&pg=PA127 Mini Bits: Interfaces Increase Corvus Compatibility], Computerworld, December 28, 1981 - January 4, 1982 The Corvus Omninet local network scheme can spread the cost of a hard disk drive among several users.[https://books.google.com/books?id=dD4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44 InfoWorld selects hardware product of the year], InfoWorld, January 11, 1982 Omninet, which uses twisted pair cabling, is billed as a low-cost alternative to more costly coaxial-based networks such as Ethernet.[https://books.google.com/books?id=WYnHD9WSWdAC&pg=PA56 Corvus Systems], PC Magazine, August 1982, p. 56 | ||
| March | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Paterson finishes work on the first DOS upgrade, quits Microsoft and returns to work for Seattle Computer. | |
| rowspan=4|April | style="background: #eaeaff;"|At a recent meeting of the Homebrew Computer Club, members learned about Intel's just-announced iAPX 286 superchip. Digital Research is producing an operating system for the 286. MP/M-286 will exploit the processor's memory management and protection. Intel is supplying Digital Research with the hardware to develop and test MP/M-286. Intel's marketing manager also spoke briefly of the planned iAPX 432, Intel's next major processor.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA4 Homebrew Computer Club views Intel's superchip], InfoWorld April 5, 1982 | |
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|On April 5, {{Background color|#dcffdc|IBM releases CP/M-86 (price: $240) as the third operating system it is offering for the IBM PC}}, after a delay for functional, usability and performance testing (when first loaded out of the box, it displays the date 2/10/82, perhaps suggesting when it was finished). For about six months PC DOS was the only operating system available for the PC. Recently, IBM also released the UCSD p-System. Existing CP/M-86 programs running on other computers must be converted to run on the IBM PC.[https://books.google.com/books?id=azAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8 IBM releases CP/M-86 for the Personal Computer after delay], InfoWorld, April 26, 1982 Partly because CP/M-86 was priced six times higher than PC DOS (price: $40), it fails to challenge PC DOS as the 16-bit industry standard.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkxksoOqk-U&NR=1 Comments by Tom Rolander, first Digital Research employee] Computer Chronicles[https://books.google.com/books?id=w_OhaFDePS4C&pg=RA2-PA43 CP/M Arrives], PC Magazine, June–July 1982 96 percent of the early PC owners chose DOS over CP/M or the p-System.[https://archive.org/stream/BYTE-1988-08#page/n153/mode/2up/ Why OS/2?], Byte, August 1988, p. 131 | ||
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research announces Concurrent CP/M-86, aka Concurrent CP/M, a new CP/M-86-compatible single-user multitasking operating system. Concurrent CP/M allows users to go from one screen to another at the push of a key and programs to directly address up to 1 MB of memory. The first implementation will be on the IBM Displaywriter. The Concurrent CP/M project was an offshoot of MP/M development, and the two programs share a lot in common, including a real-time nucleus that is the essential element in the system that allows programs to run simultaneously. The enthusiastic introduction of Concurrent CP/M is clear evidence that Kildall is betting on a future with powerful personal computers, not multi-user systems linking dumb terminals to a central processor.[https://books.google.com/books?id=YzAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28 Concurrent CP/M, an OS that lets you do three things at once], InfoWorld, April 19, 1982 | ||
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft runs an ad in InfoWorld promoting MS-DOS to OEMs.[https://books.google.com/books?id=YzAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10 Microsoft ad: "MS-DOS gives you the only complete set of software tools for 16-bit systems. Now. From Microsoft."],InfoWorld, Apr 19, 1982, p. 10. | ||
| rowspan=5|1982 | rowspan=3|May | {{anchor|8205}}Rodent Associates announced its incorporation as an optical mouse engineering firm. The mouse is called a Fitts's law pointing device by human factors researchers, meaning that it points as well as the human finger.[https://books.google.com/books?id=bzAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12 Rodent Associates make computer mice], InfoWorld, May 17, 1982 |
| The Context MBA, the first integrated software package, ships. It combines financial modeling, graphics, relational database management and word processing in one program.[https://books.google.com/books?id=WTAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13 IBM Personal Computer software provides 4 functions], InfoWorld, May 24, 1982{{cite web
|url= http://www.dvorak.org/blog/whatever-happened-to-context-mba/ |title= Whatever Happened to Context MBA? |accessdate= 2012-12-30 |publisher= Dvorak Uncensored }} | ||
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM releases an upgraded PC with IBM PC DOS 1.1 which supports its Tandon TM100-2 320 KB (327,680 bytes) double-sided, double-density floppy disk drive. The double-sided directory increased from four to seven sectors, allowing up to 112 directory entries, leaving 630 sectors, i.e. 315 clusters (322,560 bytes) for data (cluster size doubled to two sectors). The 2-byte last modified time was inserted at the end of the directory's reserved field, reducing the reserved field to 10 bytes. Timestamping on files is useful for incremental backup with the Corvus hard disk. Based on MS-DOS 1.24 as of March 1982, PC DOS 1.1 still ships on a 160 KB diskette. The DEL command is added as a synonymous name for the ERASE command and REN is an abbreviated name for RENAME. DATE and TIME become internal commands. The EXE2BIN command is added and MODE is enhanced to configure serial ports and redirect printing to a serial port. A "P" MODE option causes continuous retries when a device is not ready, by making a portion of MODE permanently resident in memory. BIOS modifications permit DOS to recognize whether a disk is single or double sided. IBM also released the Microsoft BASIC compiler. All five Microsoft languages are now available—FORTRAN released in December, and COBOL last month. Also available is Microsoft's Macro Assembler. A typical PC with 320 KB of disk storage, keyboard, printer, monochrome display and MDA costs $3695.[https://books.google.com/books?id=XDAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3 IBM enhances Personal Computer with 2-sided drives], InfoWorld, June 7, 1982[https://books.google.com/books?id=w_OhaFDePS4C&pg=RA2-PA128 IBM Announces New PC Products], PC Magazine, June–July 1982, p. 128[https://books.google.com/books?id=WYnHD9WSWdAC&pg=PA111 IBM Updates DOS To 1.10], PC Magazine, August 1982, p. 111[https://books.google.com/books?id=w_OhaFDePS4C&pg=PA93 New On The Market], PC Magazine, February–March 1982, p. 93 | ||
| rowspan=2|June | style="background: #ffcccc;"|{{anchor|8206}}Microsoft releases MS-DOS 1.25 (equivalent to PC DOS 1.1; system files are IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS; GW-BASIC is an entirely disk-based substitute for BASICA).Duncan, Ray (1988). Advanced MS-DOS Programming, Microsoft Press. {{ISBN|1-55615-157-8}}. Columbia Data Products introduces the MPC, the first PC clone—which runs MS-DOS 1.25—soon followed by others including Eagle Computer. These machines were not 100% IBM PC compatible. Satisfying "near-compatible" OEM requests for IBM compatibility proved difficult, and not until version 3.1 was Microsoft able to supply a system that other OEMs agreed was identical with IBM's. | |
| Peter Norton, a pioneer in the DOS-based utility software industry, advertises his utilities in the third issue of PC Magazine.[https://books.google.com/books?id=w_OhaFDePS4C&pg=PA164 Ad in PC Magazine], June–July 1982, p. 164. This may have been Norton's first display advertisement. He ran a classified ad in the April–May issue, p. 136. Norton sells programs providing disk editor functionality and an UNERASE program which solved "a common problem to which there was no readily available solution."Krumm, R. 1990. Inside the Norton Utilities, Revised and Expanded, Introduction by Peter Norton, p. xiv. Brady (Prentice Hall) {{ISBN|0-13-468406-0}}. Microsoft would not provide a solution until version 5.0 of MS-DOS, and over a decade would pass before Windows 95's Recycle Bin appeared. Initially the programs were sold separately, but by October Norton offered them as a package called The Norton Utilities.[https://books.google.com/books?id=WYnHD9WSWdAC&pg=RA2-PA296 Norton ad in PC Magazine], October, 1982, p. 296 Earlier, an UNERASE program to restore files accidentally deleted by CP/M's ERAse command was marketed for CP/M-based systems by MicroDaSys.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZD4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT13 Software/Briefs], InfoWorld, August 4, 1980 | ||
| rowspan=6|1982 | rowspan=2|August | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM introduces a new 64 KB memory-expansion card, expandable to 256 KB by adding three 64 KB RAM module kits. Two fully loaded expansion cards added 512 KB (cost $2150) to the main board's 64 KB, giving the PC 576 KB of memory.[https://books.google.com/books?id=VDAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11 IBM PC can be expanded by additional 512K], InfoWorld, August 23, 1982 |
| The MDA-compatible Hercules Graphics Card is introduced.[https://books.google.com/books?id=BzAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA77 Hardware News: New peripherals], InfoWorld, Sep 27, 1982, p. 77 It added a 720×348 monochrome graphics mode, adequate for drawing bar graphs, pie charts, and other business graphics. Most DOS software packages would support it as a de facto display standard, but DOS provided no graphics support, so every program manipulated the board's registers and video memory directly via special drivers.[https://books.google.com/books?id=lTAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT47 High-Resolution Standard Is Latest Step in DOS Graphics Evolution], InfoWorld, June 26, 1989, p. 48 Color graphics are not considered important for business computing, and computers featuring color graphics (e.g., Apple II, TRS-80 Color Computer and Commodore 64) are largely viewed as home computers.[https://books.google.com/books?id=a91QXlvTPHAC&pg=PA140 The Enhanced Graphics Standard Comes of Age], PC Magazine, August 1986 | ||
| September | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Zenith releases the Z-100. Zenith calls its MS-DOS variant Z-DOS.[https://books.google.com/books?id=KTAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10 Zenith's new Z100 has something for everybody], InfoWorld, July 12, 1982[https://books.google.com/books?id=EDAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA35 Zenith challenges IBM's share of micro market], InfoWorld, September 13, 1982[https://books.google.com/books?id=0C8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA91 Review: Zenith Z-100], InfoWorld, November 7, 1983 | |
| October | Mouse Systems' optical mouse, wired to a Sun workstation and an Atari 400 running Missile Command, attracts many observers at the Mini/Micro 82 conference in Anaheim, attended by over 10,000 people—and wins a "best new product" award. Interface cards for the IBM PC will be available when the mouse is released in January.[https://books.google.com/books?id=CzAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Speech tech, mice draw crowds at Mini/Micro 82], InfoWorld, October 11, 1982 | |
| rowspan=2|November | VisiCorp, the top personal computer software firm (built by its VisiCalc spreadsheet for the Apple II), demonstrates its Visi On graphical user interface-based operating environment, or windowing applications manager, at COMDEX. It had been in secret development for two years, and the demo was a loud wakeup call to Bill Gates.[https://books.google.com/books?id=IDAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 New 16-bits get boost], InfoWorld, December 6, 1982 | |
| style="background: #ffebeb;"|Also at COMDEX, Compaq announces the first IBM PC compatible portable computer, the Compaq Portable. Compaq achieved compatibility legally by reverse engineering through clean room design. The Compaq Portable has a CGA-compatible display adapter which shows its text mode characters with MDA-resolution, effectively combining the virtues of the CGA and the MDA. Its operating system was called Compaq-DOS, adding to the confusing host of names for MS-DOS. Microsoft finally insisted that their operating system be called MS-DOS, and eventually everyone but IBM complied. A June 1983 PC Magazine product review said "the Compaq comes with Microsoft's MS-DOS 1.1 operating system, which is almost identical to PC-DOS 1.1."[https://books.google.com/books?id=14Kfbrc6cbAC&pg=PA186 COMPAQ: Have Computer Will Travel], PC Magazine, June 1983 | ||
| rowspan=3|1983 | January | {{anchor|1983}}Lotus Development Corp. releases Lotus 1-2-3, which would become the IBM PC's first "killer application", making the PC as VisiCalc made the Apple II and WordStar made the CP/M machines. It was programmed entirely in assembly language and bypassed the slower DOS screen input/output functions in favor of writing directly to memory-mapped video display hardware. This reliance on the specific hardware of the IBM PC led to 1-2-3 being utilized as one of the two litmus test applications for true 100% compatibility (the other was Flight Simulator, for which Bruce Artwick wrote his own purposive built-in OS). The Compaq was the only non-IBM machine that could run 1-2-3. |
| rowspan=2|February | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM announces a new color display, the IBM 5153 Model 1 for the PC, for presentation of CGA-resolution business data and graphics.IBM. Color Display 5153 Announcement Letter. 1983-02-04 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/2/897/ENUS183-002/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). Home users can connect a television using a frequency modulator. | |
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|At the CP/M'83 show in San Francisco, Digital Research announces that it will market a retail version of CP/M-86 for the IBM PC for $60, which includes a print spooler and GSX, which was formerly sold separately.[https://books.google.com/books?id=7wCiNAUEuAMC&pg=PA56 CP/M-86 Price Plunges to $60], PC Magazine, February 1983[//archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-06/1983_06_BYTE_08-06_16-Bit_Designs#page/n65/mode/2up Digital Research ad], Byte, June, 1983. | ||
| rowspan=2|1983 | rowspan=2|March | style="background: #ffcccc;"|{{anchor|8303}}Microsoft releases MS-DOS 2.0, which introduces a Unix/Xenix-like hierarchical file system and installable device drivers (e.g. ANSI.SYS) in the system configuration file CONFIG.SYS—a first step towards plug and play. New internal commands are BREAK, CHDIR or CD, CLS, CTTY, EXIT, MKDIR or MD, PATH, PROMPT, RMDIR or RD, SET (environments), VER, VERIFY and VOL. New external commands are FC, DISKCOPY (not identical to IBM's version), PRINT (spooling); three filters supported with standard devices and redirection: FIND, SORT and MORE; BACKUP, RESTORE and RECOVER. New batch file commands are ECHO, FOR, GOTO, IF and SHIFT. CONFIG.SYS commands are BREAK, BUFFERS, DEVICE, FILES and SHELL. New file attribute bits are read-only, volume label, subdirectory and archive. A team of six developers produced version 2.0, led by Paul Allen, Mark Zbikowski and Aaron Reynolds. |
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|The IBM PC/XT, the first PC to store data on a hard disk (10 MB), is announced. It ships with PC DOS 2.0, and introduces nine sectors per track floppy disk formats, which increase floppy storage capacity by about 12%. Single-sided 180 KB (184,320 bytes; 360 sectors) and double-sided 360 KB (368,640 bytes; 720 sectors) diskettes require more than the maximum 340 FAT entries a 512-byte sector can hold, so the FAT size is doubled, leaving 351 sectors (179,712 bytes) for data on single-sided disks and 354 clusters (362,496 bytes){{efn-ua|Clusters on these double-sided disks are two sectors in length: 354 clusters × 2 sectors per cluster × 512 bytes per sector {{=}} 362,496 bytes.}} on double-sided disks.
In addition to Microsoft's new commands in MS-DOS 2.0 (above), IBM adds more including FDISK, the fixed disk{{efn-ua|Fixed Disk was IBM's term for the PC's hard drive (i.e., the hard drive was not a removable disk).}} setup program, used to write the master boot record which supports up to four partitions on hard drives. Only one DOS partition is allowed, the others are intended for other operating systems such as CP/M-86, UCSD p-System and Xenix. The fixed disk has 10,618,880 bytes{{efn-ua|305 cylinders (the equivalent of tracks) × 2 platters × 2 sides or heads per platter × 17 sectors per track {{=}} 20,740 sectors × 512 bytes per sector {{=}} 10,618,880 bytes}} of raw space. The DOS partition on the fixed disk continues to use the FAT12 format, but with adaptations to support the much larger size of the fixed disk partition compared to floppy disks. Space in the user data area of the disk is allocated in clusters which are fixed at 8 sectors each. With DOS the only partition, the combined overhead is 50 sectors{{efn-ua|DOS's FAT is eight sectors (16 sectors for two copies) + 32 sectors for the root directory, room for 512 directory entries + 2 sectors (one master and one DOS boot sector) {{=}} 50 sectors }} leaving 10,592,256 bytes{{efn-ua|(20,740 sectors total space on the drive - 50 sectors of overhead) ÷ 8 sectors per cluster {{=}} 2,586 clusters with 2 sectors unused which can not fill an 8 sector cluster. 2,586 clusters * 8 sectors per cluster * 512 bytes per sector {{=}} 10,592,256 bytes}} for user data. A BIOS parameter block (BPB) is added to volume boot records. PC DOS does not include the FC command, which is similar to COMP. DOS 2 is about 12 KB larger than DOS 1.1 – despite its complex new features, it's only 24 KB of code.IBM. PC DOS 2.0 Announcement Letter. 1983-03-08 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/4/897/ENUS283-034/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]).[https://books.google.com/books?id=7wCiNAUEuAMC&pg=RA3-PA108 DOS Marches On], PC Magazine, April 1983, p. 108[https://books.google.com/books?id=7wCiNAUEuAMC&pg=RA3-PA252 Branching Out With The IBM Fixed Disk], PC Magazine, April 1983 Under pressure from IBM to leave sufficient memory available for applications on smaller PC systems, the developers had reduced the system size from triple that of DOS 1.1. Peter Norton found many problems with the release. Interrupts 25h and 26h, which read or write complete sectors, redefined their rules for absolute sector addressing, "sabotaging" programs using these services.DOS 1.1 reads all sectors on side 1 first, incrementing the track number before the head number, while DOS 2.0 increments the head number before the track number. {{cite journal|last= Norton |first= Peter|title= The Dark Side of PC-DOS 2.0|journal= PC Magazine|date= July 1983|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=V2588uIxmAQC&pg=PA287}} The XT motherboard uses 64-kilobit DIP chips, supporting up to 256 KB on board. With 384 KB on expansion cards, users could officially reach the 640 KB barrier of conventional memory.[https://books.google.com/books?id=7wCiNAUEuAMC&pg=RA3-PA90 IBM Drops The First Shoe], PC Magazine, April 1983, p. 90 The power supply capacity was doubled to about 130 watts, to accommodate the hard drive. | ||
| rowspan=10|1983 | rowspan=2|April | style="background: #eaeaff;"|{{anchor|8304}}Digital Research releases the last 8-bit version of CP/M, it was major version 3, often called CP/M Plus. It incorporated the bank switching memory management of MP/M in a single-user single-task operating system compatible with CP/M 2.2 applications. CP/M 3 could therefore use more than 64 KB of memory on an 8080 or Zilog Z80 processor. The system could be configured to support date stamping of files. The operating system distribution software also included a relocating assembler and linker.Stephen Mann. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ui8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA49 CP/M Plus, a third, updated version of CP/M]. InfoWorld, August 15, 1983, Vol. 5, No. 33, page 49ff., {{ISSN|0199-6649}}. CP/M 3 was available on the last generation of 8-bit computers. |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Responding to VisiCorp and other competitors working on operating environments, Microsoft's Rao Remala assembles the "Interface Manager" demo which consisted of a screen filled with overlapping windows apparently running programs that really didn't do anything. At Microsoft it became known as the "smoke-and-mirrors" demo. | ||
| rowspan=2|May | Fujitsu Microelectronics releases the first 256-kilobit DRAM chip, and its Micro 16s computer. A memory board using the 256-kb chips that allows the Micro 16s to store a full megabyte will be made available later this year.[https://books.google.com/books?id=_n9Sw_hGU_MC&pg=PA59 Fujitsu Releases 256K-Bit RAM Chip], Computerworld, May 30, 1983[https://books.google.com/books?id=BDAyLAfw0j4C&pg=PA11 Raft of Portable Micros Displayed on Floor], Computerworld, May 23, 1983[https://books.google.com/books?id=X_o3RYqR1x0C&pg=RA2-PA64 Systems at NCC '83], Computerworld, May 9, 1983 | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|At the Spring COMDEX in Atlanta, Microsoft introduces the Microsoft Mouse, priced at $195. It comes in either a bus or serial version, with the Multi-Tool{{efn-ua|The Multi-Tool product line began with expert systems for Multiplan.[https://books.google.com/books?id=7i8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA40 Microsoft ad], InfoWorld, April 25, 1983[https://books.google.com/books?id=ty8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34 In designers' scenario, software undergoes behavior modification], InfoWorld, August 29, 1983}} Notepad, a mouse-based text editor written by Richard Brodie.[https://books.google.com/books?id=4i8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA85 Microsoft ad], InfoWorld, May 23, 1983 Microsoft also introduces Multi-Tool Word, designed by Charles Simonyi to work with the mouse.[https://books.google.com/books?id=4i8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 COMDEX: Micros in American mainstream], InfoWorld, May 23, 1983[https://books.google.com/books?id=4S8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10 Mouse and new WP program join Microsoft product lineup], InfoWorld, May 30, 1983 Most watching Simonyi's demonstration had never heard of a mouse. As many as eight documents could be edited at the same time in so-called windows. | ||
| June | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft releases the Microsoft Mouse. Initial sales were modest, as there was little you could do with it except run the demonstration programs included in the box (a tutorial, practice app and Notepad) or program interfaces to it. The mouse began shipping in July.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ty8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA31 In Focus], InfoWorld, August 29, 1983 | |
| July | Wang Laboratories announced it had developed the Wang SIMM (single in-line memory module), which integrates nine 64-kilobit RAM chips into a .75 by 3-inch space. Wang said the SIMM could lessen the need for 256-kilobit chips which have just started production and are relatively costly, since the SIMM is denser than 256 kb and is available now. The SIMM is being offered to interested semiconductor makers, and National Semiconductor and Zenith Microcircuits have committed to manufacture 64 KB (9 × 64 kb) RAM modules based on the SIMM design. The SIMM's 30 pins are inserted into a plastic chip carrier rather than the gold-plated leadless ceramic chip carrier. Added address pins were included to enable upgrading, and Wang said it will soon assemble 256-kb components around SIMM. National Semiconductor plans to market a modified SIMM with surface-mounted chips in early 1984.[https://books.google.com/books?id=vy8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13 New chip package reduces cost, space requirements for memory], InfoWorld, August 1, 1983[https://books.google.com/books?id=OL640VLAZo4C&pg=RA1-PA77 Wang 64-K-Bit RAM Module To Compete With 256-K-Bit Chip], Computerworld, July 11, 1983 | |
| rowspan=4|October | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM releases the IBM 3270 PC, an IBM PC/XT containing added hardware which could emulate the behaviour of an IBM 3270 mainframe terminal. | |
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research releases CP/M-86 Plus Version 3.1, based on the multitasking Concurrent CP/M kernel. It could run up to four tasks at once. CP/M-86 Plus was available for the ACT Apricot PC (UK) and the Olympia PEOPLE computer. | ||
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|The NEC PC-100, modeled blatantly after the Apple Lisa, is the star introduction at Tokyo's Japan Data Show. It runs MS-DOS 2.01, which added support for individual country date, time and currency display formats via the CONFIG.SYS COUNTRY command, and 7000 16-bit Japanese kanji characters.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ui4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA66 Japan on 16k a day], InfoWorld, May 28, 1984 With the help of Kazuhiko Nishi, leader of ASCII Microsoft, Microsoft arrived early in Japan. | ||
| The Philips/Sony "Yellow Book" sets rules for storing data on CD-ROM, but omits mention of any logical structure for files and directories. | ||
| rowspan=5|1983 | rowspan=4|November | style="background: #dcffdc;"|{{anchor|8311}}The IBM PCjr is announced.[https://www.nytimes.com/1983/11/02/business/the-debut-of-ibm-s-junior.html The Debut of I.B.M.'s Junior], New York Times, Nov 2, 1983 It had half-height 5{{1/4}}-inch disk drives and ran PC DOS 2.1.IBM. PC DOS 2.1 Announcement Letter. 1983-11-01 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/9/897/ENUS283-389/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). which supported PCjr's ability to run programs from ROM cartridges and slightly different disk controller architecture. Its built-in CGA-compatible display adapter added three special graphics modes which would not be supported by later generation adapters. International modifications in MS-DOS 2.01 were not included because IBM did not want them. PCjr ships first quarter 1984 in limited supply. |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft Word ships. On the suggestion of Rowland Hanson, who also convinced Gates to change the name "Interface Manager" to "Windows", the Multi-Tool name was killed. PC World bound an envelope containing a Word demonstration disk inside its pages.[https://books.google.com/books?id=sy8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA79 Software], InfoWorld, November 28, 1983[https://books.google.com/books?id=sy8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56 Microsoft Word ad], InfoWorld, November 28, 1983[https://books.google.com/books?id=5i8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA73 Review: Microsoft Word], InfoWorld, December 12, 1983 | ||
| Borland is launched by a single full-page ad for Turbo Pascal in Byte magazine. Lacking money to pay for the ad, the company deceives Byte's salesman into running the ad on credit, by hiring extra people so Borland would look like a busy, venture-backed company, making sure the phones were ringing and the extras were scurrying around. Borland expected to sell maybe $20,000 worth of software and at least pay for the ad—they sold $150,000 worth. Without subterfuge, Borland International would almost certainly have folded.[http://hbr.org/1990/09/why-be-honest-if-honesty-doesnt-pay/ar/1 Why Be Honest If Honesty Doesn't Pay], Harvard Business Review, September 1990[//archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-11/1983_11_BYTE_08-11_Inside_the_IBM_PC#page/n129/mode/2up Borland ad: Pascal $49.95], Byte, November 1983, p. 129[https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-delphi-1056847 Delphi History – from Pascal to Embarcadero Delphi XE 2] www.thoughtco.com. | ||
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Less than two weeks after VisiCorp announced the release of Visi On (see below), in New York on November 10, Microsoft officially announced Windows as "a graphical user interface to cover DOS." Gates said that with Windows, users would finally be able to use their software on any PC without compatibility issues.The Making of Microsoft, pg. 177, Daniel Ichbiah with Susan L. Knepper, Prima Publishing, 1993[https://books.google.com/books?id=uy8EAAAAMBAJ Now Microsoft Does Windows], InfoWorld, November 21, 1983 | ||
| December | |Visi On, the first graphical user interface-based operating environment for the PC—generally viewed as VisiCorp's answer to Apple's Lisa—ships.[https://books.google.com/books?id=xS4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48 Can Visicorp come back?], InfoWorld, July 2, 1984 It runs on top of DOS 2.0 and requires at least 512 KB RAM and a 5 MB hard drive, a Mouse Systems-compatible mouse and CGA. It does not make use of color[https://books.google.com/books?id=2y8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 Finally, Visi On is here], InfoWorld, October 31, 1983—it uses black-and-white graphics at 640×200 resolution. Although it was highly hyped in 1982 and 1983, Visi On never caught on—it was painfully slow and overpriced ($1765 with the mouse, a spreadsheet similar to VisiCalc, and word-processing and graphics programs).[https://books.google.com/books?id=TzoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA69 12 Years Ago in InfoWorld], InfoWorld, Oct 30, 1995, p.69[http://toastytech.com/manuals/Visi%20On%20AM%20Setup%20Guide.pdf Visi On Applications Manager setup guide][https://books.google.com/books?id=li4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA45 Review: Visi On Applications Manager], InfoWorld, March 12, 1984. "(Don't be confused by the manual, which states that 256K RAM is all that is necessary. The system requirements listed on the Visi On box specify 512K, and you will need it.)" Few users had mice and hard disks, and many balked at paying $2500 or more to add them to their computers.[https://books.google.com/books?id=-C_xVnQCcsEC&pg=PA41 VisiCorp Repositions Its Products and Approach], PC Magazine, August 7, 1984 | |
| rowspan=7|1984 | rowspan=2|January | |{{anchor|1984}}Clone competition heated up in the past two months, with new microcomputers from Leading Edge, Panasonic, Tandy, Sperry, North Star, Gavilan and others. A similar spate of IBM clones existed during IBM mainframes' late 1960s/early 1970s heyday, when many companies developed plug compatible computers. IBM improved its models and changed specifications so the clones were no longer compatible, and many plug compatible mainframe manufacturers went bankrupt. Suspicious that history could repeat, many recent microcomputer entrants are proud of their technological advances earned at the cost of compatibility, such as portability, faster performance, better graphics, increased memory or a simpler user interface than the IBM PC or PC/XT.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ey4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA79 IBM PC clone makers shun total compatibility], InfoWorld, January 16, 1984 |
| The Macintosh 128K, a milestone computer designed around a graphical user interface, is introduced. It would be several years before the PC platform had graphics as a standard feature, and not until 1990 would PC graphics "really work". | ||
| February | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research ships Concurrent CP/M Release 3.1, featuring PC-Mode, which allows users to run either PC DOS or CP/M-86 applications.Digital Research (1984): Concurrent CP/M ships early in response to team effort. Digital Dialogue - Employee Newsletter of Digital Research Inc., Volume 3, Number 1, p. 1 ([http://corphist.computerhistory.org/corphist/view.php?s=documents&id=1008]). | |
| March | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft combined versions 2.1 and 2.01 to create MS-DOS 2.11 for other OEMs. Version 2.11 was sold worldwide and translated into about 10 different languages. It was shipped by every major OEM, including Hewlett-Packard, Wang, DEC, Texas Instruments, Compaq, and Tandy. By June, Microsoft will have licensed MS-DOS to 200 manufacturers.Allan, Roy A. (2001). A History of the Personal Computer, Allan Publishing, {{ISBN|0-9689108-0-7}}. [https://archive.org/details/A_History_of_the_Personal_Computer eBook on archive.org.] [https://archive.org/download/A_History_of_the_Personal_Computer/eBookAB.pdf Appendix B: Versions of DOS ] | |
| rowspan=3|May | Quarterdeck Office Systems ships their Desq text-mode operating environment (list price $399) which runs on top of DOS 2.0.[https://books.google.com/books?id=JRgDwCkMX_cC&pg=PT64 In Depth – Women, technology and power], Computerworld, March 28, 1988. "By May 1984, Desq finally went out the door" Desq allows nine windows to be open at the same time, on either a color or monochrome display. However, concurrent processing (multitasking) isn't supported. Unlike Visi On, it doesn't require developers to configure their programs to operate inside its windows. A mouse is optional—the Microsoft, Mouse Systems and Logitech mouse types with either two or three buttons are supported.[https://books.google.com/books?id=9eJxx_ZGKngC&pg=PA214 Desq: Through An Open Window], PC Magazine, April 17, 1984[https://books.google.com/books?id=vi4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12 Desq hits the deck], InfoWorld, June 4, 1984[https://books.google.com/books?id=IGkuDrOYjOcC&pg=PA33 Will Desq Top Windows?], PC Magazine, June 26, 1984[https://books.google.com/books?id=Dy8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47 Desq product review], InfoWorld, July 30, 1984 Desq got off to a slow start, with like products from better known developers still on the horizon.[https://books.google.com/books?id=a8FBzsfoBZEC&pg=PA22 AST memory board to come with Quarterdeck Desqview], Computerworld, November 4, 1985 | |
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|Accepting the emergence of PC DOS as a de facto standard, Digital Research announced Concurrent PC DOS, which allows users to run up to four programs simultaneously using PC DOS and/or CP/M. Concurrent PC DOS supports up to four windows and requires 256 KB RAM, with 512 KB recommended. It can support two users, with one attaching a dumb terminal to the micro's serial port.[https://books.google.com/books?id=BrEo9KtAQH4C&pg=PA6 IBM micro gets ability to run four programs], Computerworld, May 14, 1984 Concurrent PC DOS, due out by the end of 1984, will be offered for the AT&T 6300.[https://books.google.com/books?id=HC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12 Unix Picks up Steam], InfoWorld, August 6, 1984[https://books.google.com/books?id=Hy8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53 Multiuser Systems Returning], InfoWorld, Sep 10, 1984 However, the PC mode is not perfectly compatible. It may have trouble with programs that bypass the operating system to address specific memory locations, and is only DOS 1.1 compatible, so it can't read beyond 2.0's root directories. PC expert Peter Norton thinks multitasking and multiuser abilities are more than the PC was meant to handle.[https://books.google.com/books?id=IGkuDrOYjOcC&pg=PA39 Digital Research Ties CP/M, DOS], PC Magazine, June 26, 1984 | ||
| Phoenix Software Associates introduces the first Phoenix PC ROM-BIOS which enabled OEMs to build essentially 100%-compatible clones without having to reverse-engineer the IBM PC BIOS themselves, as Compaq had done for the Portable, helping fuel the growth in the PC compatibles industry and sales of non-IBM versions of MS-DOS.[https://books.google.com/books?id=zzAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8 Phoenix Eagerly Waiting to Clone Next-Generation IBM BIOS], InfoWorld, March 9, 1987 Phoenix said it used a "TI-9900 programmer" to reverse-engineer IBM's BIOS, and its ads touted an insurance policy against copyright-infringement suits. IBM had sued companies that simply copied the code. | ||
| rowspan=3|1984 | June | Borland runs a two-page ad in Byte for Sidekick, a memory-resident, or terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program that uses a hot-key pop-up window to superimpose a calculator, calendar, notepad, phone dialer, and ASCII table onto PC DOS software.[//archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1984-06/1984_06_BYTE_09-06_Computers_and_Education#page/n69/mode/2up/ Borland Sidekick ad], Byte, June 1984[https://books.google.com/books?id=wy4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14 Sidekick Boosts {{sic|hide=y|expected=PC DOS|PC |
| DOS}} Features], InfoWorld, June 11, 1984[https://books.google.com/books?id=CS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34 Turning On the Electronic Desk], InfoWorld, October 1, 1984 Other companies soon discovered this wonderful DOS feature and TSRs began competing for the PC compatible's finite memory space. InfoWorld would name it 1984 Software Product of the Year (1-2-3 was their 1983 awardee).[https://books.google.com/books?id=-i4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30 Products of the Year: Winning Big By Thinking Small], InfoWorld, January 14, 1985 | ||
| rowspan="2"|August | style="background: #ffcccc;"|{{anchor|8408}}Microsoft releases MS-DOS 3.0,{{efn-ua|Some OEMs (in Europe) labeled this version MS-DOS 3.05}} after a difficult year and a half of grappling with problems of software incompatibility, remote file management, and logical device independence at the network level. In laying the foundation for networking, the core team of five people led by Zbikowski and Reynolds redesigned and rewrote the DOS kernel. Redirector and sharer interfaces for IBM's network adapter card were added, but the redirector itself, which interacts with the transport layer of the network, wasn't ready. Per Zbikowski: "The product was not ready for us to ship when IBM said, 'Fine, we'll take it.'" | |
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|The IBM PC/AT, a computer built around the 6-MHz Intel 80286 microprocessor, with a 16-bit ISA bus, new CMOS clock and 20 MB hard drive, is introduced. It ships with PC DOS 3.0, which adds support for quadruple, or high density (80-track), 15 sectors per track 1.2 MB (1,228,800 bytes; 2,400 sectors) floppy disks. Their FAT fills seven sectors (14 for two copies) and root directory 14 (holding up to 224 entries), leaving 2,371 1-sector clusters (1,213,952 bytes) for data. The hard disk has 614 cylinders, four sides, and 17 sectors/track, a total of 41,752 sectors or 21,377,024 bytes raw space. The 12-bit FAT design allows for a maximum of 4,078 clusters.Norton, Peter (1986). Inside the IBM PC, Revised and Enlarged, Brady. {{ISBN|0-89303-583-1}}, p.114-116, 157, 171, 175. DOS cluster sizes are powers of two,[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/67321 FAT Type and Cluster Size Depends on Logical Drive Size], Microsoft support so to avoid using 16-sector clusters and support larger hard disks more efficiently, DOS added a new partition type (0x04) for partitions larger than 15 MB, using a 16-bit FAT, which allows a smaller 4-sector cluster size. As a result, DOS 2.x hard disks larger than 15 MB, which used a 12-bit FAT (type 0x01) are incompatible with later versions of DOS.[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/69912 MS-DOS Partitioning Summary], Microsoft support The 286 has a 24-bit address bus that can address 16 MB of RAM, and IBM officially supported expansion to 3 MB. PC DOS 3.0 supported use of extended memory with the VDISK.SYS installable device driver, which allowed configuration of one or more virtual disks (RAM disks). The /E switch caused virtual disks to use extended memory rather than conventional memory. VDISK used a BIOS memory transfer service, termed the Interrupt 15h interface, to avoid switching directly into protected virtual address mode. However, the ROM-BIOS routine did switch from real mode to protected mode and back again, a relatively slow process which was not reliable for some applications. PC DOS 3.0 also provided the same international support included earlier in version 2.11. IBM also announced a PC/AT version of the Xenix multiuser operating system, the IBM PC Network (developed for IBM by Sytek and supported by PC DOS 3.1), and a new multitasking windowing software utility called TopView—all will be available in first quarter 1985.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Hy8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11 IBM Rolls out New PC: Networking products, windowing software also announced], InfoWorld, Sep 10, 1984[https://books.google.com/books?id=msSKK7cn2K4C&pg=PA40 DOS 3.0 Is Bigger, but Only Manual is Better], PC Magazine, October 16, 1984[https://books.google.com/books?id=58pZmMUUxWQC&pg=PA105 The Dissection of DOS 3.0], PC Magazine, October 30, 1984IBM. PC DOS 3.0 Announcement Letter. 1984-08-14 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/3/897/ENUS284-283/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]).IBM. PC Network Announcement Letter. 1984-08-14 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/0/897/ENUS184-100/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]).IBM. PC DOS 3.1 Announcement Letter. 1984-08-14 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/4/897/ENUS284-284/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]).IBM. TopView Announcement Letter. 1984-08-14 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/2/897/ENUS284-282/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). The redesigned keyboard added an 84th key. IBM's software engineers were tasked with making it switch the AT from DOS into a "virtual machine" or "hypervisor" mode that would enable multitasking programs written for different operating systems. The motherboard grew in size to fit in the added circuits such as the clock and the second Intel 8259 & 8237 controllers. | ||
| rowspan=3|1984 | September | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM introduces the Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA), which costs $524 and has 16 KB ROM and 64 KB RAM. A further 64 KB RAM ($199) comes on a piggyback board called the Graphics Memory Expansion Card. A further 128 KB ($259) added to the piggyback board produces a fully loaded 256 KB EGA card (total cost: $982). For use with monochrome monitors, the EGA supports MDA-text mode and adds a 640×350 monochrome graphics mode, a slightly lower resolution than the Hercules' 720×348. The EGA has the advantage of being "IBM standard" with built-in BIOS support, while Hercules has the initial advantage of being more widely used and software-supported. For color monitors, all seven CGA modes are supported. 80-column text mode resolution improved from the CGA's 640×200 to 640×350—shy of the 720×350 resolution achieved by Compaq. Three new graphics modes were added, including 16 colors simultaneously from a palette of 64 colors at 640×350 resolution (see EGA palettes).Norton, Peter (1990). Inside the IBM PC and PS/2, Third Edition, Brady. {{ISBN|0-13-467317-4}}.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ci8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA19 News Briefs, Big Blue Turns Colors], InfoWorld, October 8, 1984[https://books.google.com/books?id=_S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA32 Market Looks to EGA as De Facto Standard], InfoWorld, August 19, 1985 The IBM 5154 enhanced color monitor ($849, planned availability January 1985) is needed to display the increased resolution.IBM. Enhanced Graphics Adapter Announcement Letter. 1984-09-10 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/4/897/ENUS184-114/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]).IBM. Enhanced Color Display 5154 Announcement Letter. 1984-09-10 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/3/897/ENUS184-113/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). IBM also announces the 640×480, 256-color Professional Graphics Controller (PGC) for computer-aided design (CAD) workstations. The PGC has IBM's first graphics coprocessor and is its first video controller to produce an analog signal.[https://books.google.com/books?id=CDoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT77 IBM's Other Analog Video Standards], InfoWorld April 17, 1989 |
| November | style="background: #ffcccc;"|In Europe, AT&T and Microsoft release MS-DOS 3.1,{{efn-ua|Some European OEMs labeled this version MS-DOS 3.06}} which added a new local area network supplement Microsoft Networks 1.0 (identified earlier as MS-Net)[https://books.google.com/books?id=qS4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16 MS-DOS {{sic|3.0|expected=3.1|nolink=y}} Makes Debut, Upgrade of operating system supports networks], InfoWorld, December 3, 1984 for use on non-IBM network cards. Microsoft Networks services are provided by a file server which is part of the Networks application and runs on a computer dedicated to the task. Neither MS-Net, nor its successor LAN Manager, was particularly successful competing against market leader Novell, whose product Novell NetWare had a seventy percent market share. | |
| December | Qualitas announces TallScreen, a utility that lets you scroll up the screen to see text that's scrolled off the top of the display, and Rational Systems announces Instant-C, a C language interpreter. These two small businesses would become better known for their memory manager and DOS extender products introduced in July 1987.[https://books.google.com/books?id=I22P2C-ydp4C&pg=PA64 Software], Computerworld, December 17, 1984[https://books.google.com/books?id=0deFa0SWTOkC&pg=PA173 TallScreen: More DOS Power to You], PC Magazine, December 24, 1985 | |
| rowspan=7|1985 | January | style="background: #eaeaff;"|{{anchor|1985}}Digital Research previews Concurrent DOS 286 in cooperation with Intel. The product functions strictly as an 80286 native mode operating system, allowing users to exploit the protected mode fully to perform multi-user, multitasking operations while running 8086 emulation.{{cite journal |author-first=Edward |author-last=Foster |title=Super DOS awaits new 80286 – Concurrent DOS 286 – delayed until Intel upgrades chip – offers Xenix's power and IBM PC compatibility |publisher=InfoWorld Media Group |journal=InfoWorld |volume=7 |issue=19 |date=1985-05-13 |issn=0199-6649 |pages=17–18 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2y4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17}} |
| March | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM ships their TopView text-mode operating environment.IBM. TopView Announcement Letter. 1985-02-19 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/1/897/ENUS285-071/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). A June InfoWorld product review called it slow and memory hungry, and said it required users to know too many technical details about their programs.[https://books.google.com/books?id=FS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44 Topview in No Shape for the Average User], InfoWorld, June 17, 1985 | |
| rowspan=2|April | style="background: #dcffdc;"|{{anchor|8504}}The IBM PC Network program, supporting IBM's network adapter card, is released. It runs on PC DOS 3.1.IBM. PC Network Program Announcement Letter. 1985-04-02 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/2/897/ENUS285-132/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). | |
| At the Spring COMDEX, Intel announces a memory board called Above Board that circumvents the 640 KB memory barrier, and Lotus Development Corp. announces new versions of Lotus 1-2-3 and Symphony intended to make use of the newly available memory. Above Board uses bank switching so the IBM PC and PC/AT can use what Intel and Lotus call the expanded memory device interface specification 3.0 (EMS, not to be confused with IBM's extended memory). The specification allows use of up to 8 MB of RAM. Above Board packs up to 2 MB, and two Above Boards can coexist in the same system. A source estimated that 4 MB of RAM would yield about 500,000 cells in a spreadsheet. EMS is implemented with the expanded memory manager (EMM), a device driver supplied by the board manufacturer as a CONFIG.SYS DEVICE directive. The specification was publicly released to product developers, and similar memory boards were soon released by others including Tecmar and Quadram.[https://books.google.com/books?id=2C4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA15 New 1-2-3 Gets 4 Megabytes of Memory, Lotus, Intel Break {{sic|hide=y|expected=PC DOS|PC | ||
| DOS}} Memory Barrier], InfoWorld, April 29, 1985[https://books.google.com/books?id=FS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30 Board Makers Flock to New Standard], InfoWorld, June 17, 1985[https://books.google.com/books?id=uqInkwnBdacC&pg=PA45 Lotus & Intel: Power Banking], PC Magazine, June 25, 1985 Many of the first programs supporting EMS assumed that all available EMS memory was for them, resulting in "EMS wars" as disk caching software, resident programs and applications stomped over each other's use of expanded memory. Only by embracing the spec could peace reign and multiple programs safely share and simultaneously use expanded memory. | ||
| rowspan=3|May | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft is "just now shipping" DOS 3.1 in the US; PC users complain that availability is limited.[https://books.google.com/books?id=2S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16 IBM Struggles To Improve DOS], InfoWorld, May 6, 1985 The major LAN players have announced their support, e.g. 3Com's LAN will incorporate a portion of Microsoft's Redirector.[https://books.google.com/books?id=4C4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30 Key Application Packages Still Missing], InfoWorld, June 10, 1985 | |
| Seven months after its introduction, the EGA has not displaced IBM's first generation of video boards because most developers have yet to adapt their software to it. Among the handful of software packages now fully supporting the EGA is Digital Research's GEM (Graphics Environment Manager). For a number of reasons, software designed for the CGA's graphics mode won't work properly under the EGA's emulation mode, but software designed for the MDA generally does.[https://books.google.com/books?id=2S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 IBM Graphics Board 'Useless'], InfoWorld, May 6, 1985 | ||
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research exposed problems with the emulation features on the C-1 step of Intel's 80286 chip which would not allow Concurrent DOS 286 to run 8086 software in the protected mode. The release of Concurrent DOS 286 was delayed until Intel develops a new version of the chip. Industry observers are by no means certain that Concurrent DOS 286 will ever be able to run existing software effectively in protected mode, even with Intel's refinements to the chip. | ||
| rowspan=9|1985 | rowspan=3|June | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research releases Concurrent DOS 86 Version 4.1, an updated version of Concurrent DOS that supports high-end IBM-compatibles, MS-DOS 2.1 applications and Digital Research's GEM software.[https://books.google.com/books?id=0sNDKMzgG8gC&pg=RA1-PA37 Digital Research offers enhanced DOS version], Computerworld, June 3, 1985 |
| AST Research announces the RAMpage multifunction board, designed as a superset of the Lotus-Intel standard, to operate in a multitasking environment on the PC.[https://books.google.com/books?id=jy8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12 Rampage, Desqview Are Bundled], InfoWorld, October 21, 1985 | ||
| Atari shows a prototype CD-ROM at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, hooked to an Atari 520ST, running a 58-million character encyclopedia. Software for the CD-ROM is being developed by Activenture, a company founded by Kildall.[https://books.google.com/books?id=EC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18 Atari: 500 Megabytes for $500], InfoWorld, July 1, 1985 | ||
| rowspan=2|July | Quarterdeck ships DESQview. Facing bankruptcy after IBM's TopView announcement "stopped" sales, they rewrote Desq to be TopView-compatible.[https://books.google.com/books?id=eS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA39 Desqview Clarifies Windowing System], InfoWorld, September 9, 1985[https://books.google.com/books?id=UFvuOLZA2D0C&pg=PA115 DESQview], PC Magazine, February 25, 1986 | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft says it is joining forces with Lotus and Intel in support of the EMS, which will now be named the Lotus-Intel-Microsoft Specification. Microsoft plans to integrate expanded memory abilities into its future systems software products. Together with the announcement, Intel released a new version 3.2 of the specification. Intel said that enhancements in the revision allow multitasking operating systems to support more easily multiple application programs sharing expanded memory.[https://books.google.com/books?id=f1yp2lZQyz8C&pg=PA72-IA5 Microsoft to back memory spec], Computerworld, August 12, 1985 Application programs communicate directly with the EMM using a software interrupt, bypassing DOS. A new EMM function supported multitasking operating systems by saving and restoring page maps.[http://www.ctyme.com/intr/rb-7430.htm Int 67/AH=4Eh : LIM EMS - GET OR SET PAGE MAP] Ralf Brown's Interrupt List. | ||
| rowspan=4|August | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM and Microsoft announce a long-term joint development agreement to share specified DOS code and create a new multitasking operating system from scratch, known by various code names: CP-DOS, 286DOS, DOS 5, New DOS, or Advanced DOS (OS/2 would eventually be released in late 1987). The pact was signed in June.[http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/0000/PX00004.pdf Joint Development Agreement], published as part of the Comes v. Microsoft case as plaintiff's exhibit #4, retrieved 2014-09-03.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ki8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10 Microsoft, IBM Sign Pact for Operating Systems], InfoWorld, September 2, 1985 | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft announces its first LAN-compatible application, Microsoft Word for Networks. The program is stored on the network file server. | ||
| Market reaction to IBM's Enhanced Graphics Adapter has not been overwhelming, partly because the EGA's complexity—five custom chips and 12 modes—has slowed software development and the board's price tag has been a damper for many, but the EGA is emerging as the next graphics standard. Lotus expects to release drivers supporting 1-2-3 and Symphony by the end of the month, and Microsoft Chart will join Word and Windows in supporting the EGA. Several clone boards are expected to hit the market over the next six months. Chips and Technologies (C&T) is creating a full, custom EGA chip set. IBM tried to insulate developers from the board and sidestep the driver problem by incorporating the Virtual Device Interface (VDI) from Graphic Software Systems (GSS) of Wilsonville, Oregon (founded in 1981 by four former Tektronix engineers) into the EGA, but many developers are choosing to ignore the IBM VDI. Digital Research has its own Virtual Device Interface, which they describe as similar to a superset of IBM's VDI, which they say has limited raster graphics support. A number of vendors are writing directly to the screen rather than the VDI to get better performance, including Lotus and Ashton-Tate. Microsoft's upcoming Windows uses Microsoft's Graphics Device Interface, a superset of Graphic Software Systems' VDI. Ashton-Tate's development director said that because the EGA slows down the 8088, creating performance problems, the EGA's technical benefits almost require the 80286. A Microsoft software engineer said the basic 64 KB EGA forces a trade-off between resolution and color—a user can have either 4-color 640×350 or 16-color 640×200 resolution, recommending the 64 KB piggyback board for good performance of 16 colors at 640×350 resolution. Historically, graphics has been viewed as a vertical market—charting or computer-aided design. Graphics is moving from niche markets to an overall system technology incorporated in almost every type of application with the development of user interface technology. | ||
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|After four weeks of testing E-step samples of the 80286, Digital Research acknowledged that Intel corrected all documented 286 errata, but said there were still undocumented chip performance problems with the prerelease version of Concurrent DOS 286 running on the E-step. Intel said the approach Digital Research wished to take in emulating 8086 software in protected mode differed from the original specifications. Intel will make minor changes in the microcode that will allow Digital Research to run emulation mode much faster, incorporated into the E-2 step.{{cite journal |author-first=Edward |author-last=Foster |title=Intel shows new 80286 chip – Future of DRI's Concurrent DOS 286 still unclear after processor fixed |publisher=InfoWorld Media Group |journal=InfoWorld |volume=7 |issue=34 |date=1985-08-26 |issn=0199-6649 |page=21 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_y4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21}} | ||
| rowspan=10|1985 | rowspan=2|September | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research sidelines Concurrent DOS 4.1 into DOS Plus 1.x. The Philips :YES, a DOS Plus equipped Intel 80186-based computer to be produced and marketed in Austria, is announced.[https://books.google.com/books?id=n5qBImUV6NQC&pg=PA34 World Digest], Computerworld, Sep 23, 1985, p. 34. |
| C&T announces its EGA CHIPSet, a set of four VLSI chips enabling cheaper graphics cards than IBM's $982 EGA, which improved on its speed and performance and made the EGA widely accepted as a standard. By November's COMDEX over a half-dozen companies introduce EGA-compatible cards priced at about $600.[https://books.google.com/books?id=jC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20 New Set of Chips Should Make Graphics Cards More Accessible], InfoWorld, October 7, 1985[https://books.google.com/books?id=a91QXlvTPHAC&pg=PA242 The Second Annual PC Magazine Awards for Technical Excellence: EGA Chipset], PC Magazine, August 1986 | ||
| rowspan=2|October | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft releases MS-DOS 2.25, which added support for Korean Hangul characters. Many of the system utilities were made compatible with MS-DOS 3.0. This version was distributed in the Far East but was never shipped by OEMs in the United States and Europe. | |
| Intel announces the 32-bit Intel 80386. The 386 has a 32-bit address bus that can directly address 232 (4,294,967,296) memory locations, i.e. 4096 MB or 4 gigabytes (GB) of RAM using the flat memory model, or up to 246 bytes (64 terabytes) of virtual memory.[https://books.google.com/books?id=jy8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Intel Announces 32-bit 80386 Chip], InfoWorld, October 21, 1985{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20170305115259/http://microsym.com/editor/assets/386intel.pdf Intel 80386 Programmer's Reference Manual]}} 1986. To sustain the 386's 33 MHz maximum clock rate, a cache memory system containing fast SRAMs connected over the microprocessor's local bus is used.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20170116053900/http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/intel/80386/231732-005_Intel386_DX_Miroprocessor_Hardware_Reference_Manual_1991.pdf Intel386 DX Microprocessor Hardware Reference Manual]}} 1991. | ||
| rowspan=5|November | |InfoWorld reported that business users were displaying a nearly insatiable demand for more disk storage capacity. A company was selling a disk system for the PC/AT that could hold 240 megabytes in one file, and many 40- and 80-megabyte disks were in use. However, there was a problem. DOS limited partitions to only 32 MB—the BPB's Total Sectors on the Volume field limit was 65,536 (216), and 16-bit addresses passed to interrupts 25h and 26h.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Aj8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 Compaq's New DOS Version Cripples Leading Disk Utilities], InfoWorld, December 14, 1987 Many were surprised that IBM did not demolish the 32 MB barrier with PC DOS 3.0 or 3.1. The most common way to resolve this problem was to treat large drives as if they were actually two or more drives. The drives are then termed logical or volume drives, and work well as long as no one file is larger than 32 MB.[https://books.google.com/books?id=MS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA29 Hard Disk Drives: How Many Megabytes Are Enough?], InfoWorld, November 4, 1985 | |
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research, in an effort to promote its stalled Concurrent PC DOS operating system, modified the system to exploit the RAMpage expanded memory specification. Concurrent {{nowrap|PC DOS XM}} was scheduled to be released in first quarter 1986, followed by a second quarter update compatible with PC DOS 3.1's record and file locking scheme and file sharing schemes. Both the Lotus-Intel-Microsoft and AST expanded memory specifications enable users to address up to 8 MB of RAM.[https://books.google.com/books?id=MS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20 DRI Alters Its Stalled Concurrent DOS System], InfoWorld, November 4, 1985[https://books.google.com/books?id=bi8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8 DRI Seeks {{sic|hide=y|expected=PC DOS|PC | ||
| DOS}} 3.1 Compatibility], InfoWorld, December 9, 1985[https://books.google.com/books?id=1DAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48 DRI's Multitasking DOS System Too Limited to Make the Grade], InfoWorld, February 23, 1987 | ||
| C&T ships its first AT-compatible chipset, five chips that replace 63 motherboard components, making it a hardware equivalent of the Phoenix BIOS. Phoenix is working on an AT-compatible design that uses the C&T chipset, and a design that integrates graphics onto the motherboard. The CHIPSet design allows the motherboard size and power consumption to be reduced, so that an AT-compatible motherboard can be used in an XT chassis. This chipset will be included in the Tandy 3000 and the AT-compatible from PC's Limited.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Cz8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34 Chips & Technologies:Driving in the Fast Lane], InfoWorld, February 22, 1988[https://books.google.com/books?id=fC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12 Graphics on Motherboards Expected], InfoWorld, December 23, 1985[https://books.google.com/books?id=a91QXlvTPHAC&pg=PA206 The CHIPSet Difference], PC Magazine, August 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=pDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8 80386 Chip Set Paves Way for Faster, Less Costly Computers, Vendor Says], InfoWorld, October 13, 1986 | ||
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|At a COMDEX roast, Gates is presented with a vaporware award, as the "two-years late" multitasking operating environment Windows 1.0 is introduced.[https://books.google.com/books?id=lzsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14 Long and Winding Road to Windows 3.0], InfoWorld, May 21, 1990[https://books.google.com/books?id=OC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8 Microsoft Focuses Efforts On Direct Corporate Sales], InfoWorld, November 18, 1985 PC Magazine says its best features aren't multitasking and windowing, but rather its ability to turn ordinary applications into memory-resident utilities, and, for developers, its Graphics Device Interface.[https://books.google.com/books?id=UFvuOLZA2D0C&pg=PA120 Microsoft Windows], PC Magazine, February 25, 1986 | ||
| Near Lake Tahoe, an ad hoc committee of vendors meets at the High Sierra Hotel and Casino to develop a standard logical format for organizing data on CD-ROM.[https://books.google.com/books?id=pMnJ2MkrjNgC&pg=PA185 Archives in Miniature], PC Magazine, January 31, 1989 | ||
| December | |The European Computer Manufacturers Association adopts and releases standard ECMA-107, Volume and File Structure of Flexible Disk Cartridges for Information Interchange, standardizing FAT12.[http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-107.htm Standard ECMA-107] | |
| rowspan=6|1986 | rowspan=4|January | style="background: #ffcccc;"|{{anchor|1986}}Microsoft releases MS-DOS 3.2 to IBM. |
| Grolier and Activenture ship a CD-ROM-based encyclopedia, Philips CD-ROM drive and PC-compatible interface board for $1,495. Atari, seeking a lower cost CD-ROM unit, delayed its product.[https://books.google.com/books?id=nC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11 Activenture, Grolier Ship CD-ROMs], InfoWorld, January 20, 1986 | ||
| |InfoWorld reported that during the past year a growing number of generic, no-name PC compatibles gained support as legitimate alternatives to major manufacturers' systems. Components of clones have become such standard commodities that most feel that the generic machines achieve a high degree of compatibility. Although some dealers include a copy of MS-DOS with their generic micros, many small dealers do not. Usually users can buy copies of IBM's PC DOS from authorized IBM dealers.[https://books.google.com/books?id=my8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24 Interest Grows in Generic Computers], InfoWorld, January 27, 1986 | ||
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM announces its reduced instruction set computer (RISC), the IBM RT PC, with a 40 MB hard drive and a physical appearance virtually identical to the PC/AT. PC DOS programs will run on RT PCs with an optional board containing an 80286 processor and a coprocessor program allowing users to switch between AIX and PC DOS operations.[https://books.google.com/books?id=my8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 IBM Unveils RT PC For High-End Uses], InfoWorld, January 27, 1986IBM. RT Personal Computer Announcement Letter. 1986-01-21 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/6/897/ENUS186-006/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). | ||
| rowspan=2|February | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research and IBM agreed to use Concurrent DOS 286 in versions of the PC/AT for point of sale in retail stores and other vertical applications. Concurrent DOS 286 will serve as the basis for IBM's 4680 operating system. Numerous IBM value-added resellers with medical, legal and other vertical application packages have shown interest in the product.[https://books.google.com/books?id=oi8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12 IBM to Use a DRI Operating System], InfoWorld, February 10, 1986 | |
| DESQview 1.2 ships. It supports AST's enhanced expanded memory specification (EEMS) on the new RAMpage (stylized RAMpage!) board. The only other major program using AST's superset is Ashton-Tate's Framework II. Computerworld said it used less memory than Windows or TopView and may be the "most pragmatic choice".[https://books.google.com/books?id=oi8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56 Quarterdeck Ships {{sic|hide=y|expected=DESQview|Deskview}} Update], InfoWorld February 10, 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=oi8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA51 AST's Rampage Offers Superset of Intel Memory Specification], InfoWorld, February 10, 1986[//archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1986-01/1986_01_BYTE_11-01_Robotics#page/n19/mode/2up AST RAMpage! ad], Byte, January 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=botwBgcSATQC&pg=PA87 Windowing software shatters users' hopes], Computerworld, October 6, 1986 | ||
| rowspan=7|1986 | rowspan=5|March | NEC announces its MultiSync monitor in magazine ads. Compatible with the CGA, EGA and PGC, it supports resolutions up to 800×560 and offers analog input.[https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1986-03/1986_03_BYTE_11-03_Homebound_Computing#page/n13/mode/2up NEC MultiSync ad], Byte, March 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=_Bg1jlRSiQMC&pg=PA135 NEC JC1401P3A MultiSync], PC Magazine, March 31, 1987[https://books.google.com/books?id=mTwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA61 Color Monitor Backs Wide Range of Displays], InfoWorld, October 27, 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=2jkWJsu_9CoC&pg=PA108 VESA: Looking forward to a new standard], PC Magazine, May 16, 1989 |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|In Seattle, Kildall gives the keynote address at Microsoft's First International Conference on CD-ROM, where the High Sierra Group released its set of proposals.[https://books.google.com/books?id=K5l-lgNorlMC&pg=PA8 High industry interest, few products mark compact disk show], Computerworld, March 10, 1986 | ||
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM released the first components of its Token Ring local area network, and PC DOS 3.2, which supports token ring operations. Although it adds support for 3{{1/2}}-inch double-density 720 KB floppy disk drives (IBM did not say why), it will be released on a 5{{1/4}}-inch floppy. The Token Ring Network allows IBM PC users to share printers, files, and other devices. Supporting software includes the IBM Token Ring/PC Network Interconnect Program and the advanced program-to-program communications for the IBM PC (APP/PC). Some dealers carrying IBM's earlier networking product, the IBM PC Network, are waiting to gauge demand for the Token Ring Network before carrying the product.[https://books.google.com/books?id=MskyBf-SNfUC&pg=PA2 PC-DOS upgrade supports 3{{1/2}}-in. floppy disk drives], Computerworld, March 24, 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=lS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 IBM Releases First Components Of its Token Ring and {{sic|hide=y|expected=PC DOS|PC | ||
| DOS}} 3.2], InfoWorld, March 24, 1986IBM. PC DOS 3.2 Announcement Letter. 1986-03-18 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/9/897/ENUS286-119/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]), 1986-04-02 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/9/897/ENUS286-129/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]).[https://books.google.com/books?id=5hdeC0k_JHwC&pg=PA110 DOS Gets Better—And More Expensive, Too], PC Magazine, July 1986 | ||
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft is expected to release MS-DOS 3.2 to compatible manufacturers, with the same features as PC DOS 3.2. A new device driver RAMDRIVE.SYS creates a virtual disk in either conventional memory, extended memory or Lotus-Intel-Microsoft expanded memory. However, the MS-DOS kernel does not take part in expanded memory manipulations and does not use expanded memory for its own purposes. RAMDRIVE.SYS reportedly uses the undocumented LOADALL CPU instructions, which permit a real-mode program to access any location in extended memory.[https://books.google.com/books?id=WFhT5khImwMC&pg=348 Tutor: Extended memory from real mode], PC Magazine June 16, 1992 Presumably this allows RAMDRIVE.SYS to improve upon IBM's relatively slow and unreliable VDISK process. This is the first MS-DOS version Microsoft offered in a shrink wrap packaged product for smaller OEMs or system builders.[http://oldcomputermuseum.com/os/msdos_3.2.html Image of shrinkwrapped MS-DOS 3.2 package] | ||
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Apricot Computers pre-announces MS-DOS 4.0, the first multitasking version. Apricot will sell MS-DOS 4.0 to European customers as the controlling program for network servers that support a new family of Apricot microcomputers. Apricot will also offer MS-Net 2, a new version of Microsoft's LAN. Developers and industry insiders expect Microsoft to bypass that version in the United States in favor of a more powerful version, MS-DOS 5.0, which will access up to 16 MB of RAM.[https://books.google.com/books?id=lS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 MS-DOS 4.0 in U.K.; U.S. Waiting for 5.0], InfoWorld, March 24, 1986Larry Osterman. [https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/larryosterman/2004/03/22/did-you-know-that-os2-wasnt-microsofts-first-non-unix-multi-tasking-operating-system/ Did you know that OS/2 wasn't Microsoft's first non Unix multitasking operating system?] MSDN Blogs{{cite web |author-first=Vernon C. |author-last=Brooks |title=Information about the little known multitasking MS-DOS 4.0 |work=PC DOS Retro |url=https://pcdosretro.github.io/multitaskingmsdos4.htm |access-date=2014-02-13 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221141406/https://sites.google.com/site/pcdosretro/multitaskingdos4 |archive-date=2020-02-21}} | ||
| rowspan=2|April | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM announced the Expanded Memory Adapter (XMA) for the 3270 PC, which enables users to have multiple DOS sessions and a host session, or multiple host sessions and one DOS session. The XMA is not compatible with the Lotus-Intel-Microsoft specification, but uses a bank-switching technique that closely resembles AST's EEMS.[https://books.google.com/books?id=OS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 3270 Demand Not Expected to Rise], InfoWorld, April 14, 1986IBM. 3270-PC and Expanded Memory Adapter Announcement Letter. 1986-04-02 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/3/897/ENUS186-053/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). IBM also announced TopView 1.10IBM. TopView 1.10 Announcement Letter. 1986-04-02 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/7/897/ENUS286-137/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). and the 80C88-based IBM PC Convertible, IBM's first computer to use 3{{1/2}}-inch floppy disks, which will be available in May. The PC Convertible uses application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips which combine the functions of numerous chips into fewer, more specialized chips, foreshadowing IBM's strategy to use proprietary architecture in future machines. IBM also announced a faster 8-MHz version of the PC/AT and a new 101- (U.S.) / 102-key (Europe) Enhanced Keyboard. IBM's Entry Systems Division president warned that competitors will have to "move very quickly in order to remain compatible."[https://books.google.com/books?id=PC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 IBM Attacks: New Products, Pricing], InfoWorld, April 7, 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=cS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA6 IBM 80386 to Include Proprietary Designs], InfoWorld, September 1, 1986 | |
| Six months after the EEMS specification was introduced and AST and Quarterdeck joined forces to support its use in DESQview, Quadram announced that their new Quad EMS+ board would support it.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Qy8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11 Quad EMS+ Supports EMS, AST Changes], InfoWorld, April 21, 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=a91QXlvTPHAC&pg=PA42 Tough Choice. Easy Answer. (Quadram ad)], PC Magazine, August 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=Wi8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54 The EEMS Standard: A Bridge to The Future], InfoWorld, June 30, 1986 | ||
| rowspan=13|1986 | May | While software makers debate a standard for memory-resident programs, two developers are racing to develop utilities that promise to help normally incompatible TSRs work together. The programs are Referee from Persoft Inc. and Borland's MOM (Memory Organization Manager).[https://books.google.com/books?id=RS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11 Utilities Expected to Link RAM-Resident Programs], InfoWorld, May 26, 1986 Ultimately, users would rebel because they couldn't keep track of all the special conditions for each TSR. Many TSRs failed as products because dealing with the complexity was more trouble than the value delivered.Alsop, Stewart. [https://books.google.com/books?id=qjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT125 A Blast From the PC-Compatible Past], InfoWorld, November 6, 1989 |
| June | At the National Computer Conference, the High Sierra Group announced its logical file format standards defining a volume table of contents and directory structure for CD-ROM.[https://books.google.com/books?id=mop2UUCt4kIC&pg=PA12 Standards let CD-ROM disks run across multiple systems], Computerworld, June 23, 1986 | |
| rowspan=2|August | PC's Limited is selling an EGA-compatible board (that uses Chips and Technologies chips) for $269.[https://books.google.com/books?id=a91QXlvTPHAC&pg=PA46 TSeng, PC's Limited EGAs Offer Features, Low Price], PC Magazine, August 1986 PC Magazine reports on two build-your-own-AT alternatives: from a kit, or individually purchased components. They found that few of the many companies offering AT motherboards were willing to sell just one.[https://books.google.com/books?id=a91QXlvTPHAC&pg=PA185 Two Build-Your-Own Alternatives for AT Power], PC Magazine, August 1986 | |
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM's retail PC market share slipped by 10 percent in the last year, and now accounts for less than half the PC-compatibles sold. For many, there seems to be no compelling reason to buy IBM anymore. In June, chief executive John F. Akers told analysts IBM would consider withdrawing from part of the PC market if it became too commodity-like.[https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/10/business/the-pressure-builds-at-big-blue.html The Pressure Builds At Big Blue], New York Times, August 10, 1986 | ||
| rowspan=4|September | style="background: #ffebeb;"|Compaq introduces the first Intel 80386-based computer, the Compaq Deskpro 386. It was the most powerful personal computer on the market. IBM had not yet ordered a single 386 chip from Intel. Compaq President Rod Canion warned that if IBM doesn't respond with its own 80386-based machine within six months, the Deskpro 386 will become the industry's 32-bit personal computer standard. Two models were announced, Model 40 (40 MB hard drive) and Model 130 (130 MB). Both came with built-in support for up to 8 MB of expanded memory, by using the Compaq Expanded Memory Manager (CEMM)—the first so-called PC "memory manager" for 80386 CPUs—to emulate expanded memory.[https://books.google.com/books?id=aS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Compaq Introduces 386 PC, Challenges IBM to Match It], InfoWorld, Sep 15, 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=vrrvpxLbx7UC&pg=PA63 8-page Compaq advertisement], Computerworld, September 22, 1986, pp. 63–70. The Deskpro 386 system memory board was expandable to 10 MB, but no operating system was yet available to exploit more than the 1 MB address space of the original IBM PC (except by creating RAM disks and disk caches; Compaq utilities VDISK.SYS and CACHE.EXE did this).[https://books.google.com/books?id=oDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54 The Compaq Deskpro 386's Speed Alone Is Enough to Attract Micro Buyers], InfoWorld, October 6, 1986 Compaq called their solution to the 32 MB partition limit enhanced disk, which was implemented with a custom Compaq version of FDISK that allowed creation of multiple MS-DOS partitions on a single hard drive, and the ENHDISK.SYS device driver installed into CONFIG.SYS to access those extra partitions.[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/69485 Compaq Deskpro Unable to Read Extended DOS Partitions], Microsoft support[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/80890 Drives Inaccessible After Upgrading from Compaq DOS], Microsoft support Model 130's enhanced disk could hold four 32 MB partitions. | |
| Chips and Technologies announces the 82C206 – a single chip that integrates all the main motherboard functions, replacing seven Intel chips – the clock generator, bus controller, system timer, two 8259 controllers, and two 8237 controllers – and the Motorola CMOS/clock chip. Combining this new chip with the existing five-chip set enables PC clone makers to greatly reduce the size, complexity and cost of their machines, while increasing their speed.[https://books.google.com/books?id=cS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 New Chip Said to Contain Seven PC AT Chip Functions], InfoWorld, September 1, 1986Mueller, Scott (2013). [https://books.google.com/books?id=gXaRdKyD4PsC&pg=PA182 Upgrading and Repairing PCs], {{ISBN|9780789750006}}. | ||
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft announced OEM extensions to MS-DOS that will allow any computer running DOS 3.1 or 3.2 to read data from any CD-ROM formatted in High Sierra Format.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Extensions To MS-DOS Run CD-ROM], InfoWorld, September 22, 1986 | ||
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft demonstrates MS-DOS 4.0 and MS-Net 2.0 at a Paris trade show. They will be released simultaneously in the fourth quarter this year.[https://books.google.com/books?id=pzwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA6 Microsoft to Make MS-DOS 4.0, MS-Net 2.0 Available in Fourth Quarter], InfoWorld, Sep 29, 1986 Apricot and SMT Goupil both plan to support the new software.[https://books.google.com/books?id=oRwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8 Microsoft shows Europe a solution], Network World, October 6, 1986 Microsoft president Jon Shirley said at least one contract is pending with a U.S. manufacturer. He said that MS-DOS 4.0 "doesn't move forward with the 286"—it does not replace Xenix or offer a completely multiuser DOS. It is intended for networks in which every workstation can process requests as a high-performance, non-dedicated file server with high level communications that need to do preemptive multitasking.[https://books.google.com/books?id=2z5elvZrpisC&pg=PA6 Multitasking MS-DOS 4.0 offered to European OEMs], Computerworld, September 29, 1986 | ||
| rowspan=2|October | DESQview 1.3 is announced. It supports the virtual 8086 mode of the 80386, but only on Compaq's Deskpro 386, by using CEMM. Quarterdeck calls it the first "control program" or "virtual machine manager" for 386-based machines—it runs up to nine applications simultaneously in up to 640 KB of memory each, supporting applications using EMS memory, even though that isn't an inherent feature of virtual 8086 mode. Control programs are the first step toward operating environments that exploit the 386 fully.[https://books.google.com/books?id=oDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Desqview to Support Virtual Mode of 80386], InfoWorld October 6, 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=mXEbp4U3AT8C&pg=PA15 Desqview supports 80386], Computerworld, October 13, 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=mzwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA33 The Big Advantage of Intel's 80386 Microprocessor Today Is Virtual 8086 Mode], InfoWorld, October 20, 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=rDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA71 Technology Update: The 386], InfoWorld, November 10, 1986[https://books.google.com/books?id=pDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44 Beyond the 640K Barrier: The Search for an EMS Simulator That Does the Job], InfoWorld, October 13, 1986 | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft ships MS-DOS 4.0 to Wang, ICL, and virtually nobody else. Essentially it was Windows minus the graphical user interface (see New Executable). Microsoft, having long tried to kill it as redundant, honored its contractual commitments. | ||
| rowspan=2|November | Phar Lap Software introduces the first DOS extender, 386 | |
| style="background: #ffefbf;"|The Software Link demonstrated PC-MOS/386 at COMDEX. Release of the multiuser operating system that supports the 80386 virtual and protected modes is scheduled for February 1987.[https://books.google.com/books?id=izwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA15 Multiuser Operating System to Use 386 Microprocessor's Virtual Modes], InfoWorld, November 17, 1986 | ||
| December | |The European Computer Manufacturers Association adopts and releases standard ECMA-119, Volume and File Structure of CDROM for Information Interchange, a re-edited version of the High Sierra Group proposal, and submits it to ISO for further processing as an international standard.[http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-119.htm Standard ECMA-119] | |
| rowspan=8|1987 | rowspan=2|January | style="background: #eaeaff;"|{{anchor|1987}}Digital Research's new Flexible Automation Business Unit introduced its first product, the real-time operating system FlexOS 286, a re-engineered version of Concurrent DOS 286 designed specifically for computer-integrated manufacturing.{{cite journal |title=Digital Research launches FlexOS 286 Real-Time Manufacturing Operating System |editor=CBR |journal=Computer Business Review |date=1987-01-15 |url=http://www.cbronline.com/news/digital_research_launches_flexos_286_real_time_manufacturing_operating_system |access-date=2018-09-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118190950/http://www.cbronline.com/news/digital_research_launches_flexos_286_real_time_manufacturing_operating_system |archive-date=2013-01-18}} |
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM ships a patch disk for PC DOS 3.2 that amends five command files and includes two keyboard programs for the IBM Enhanced Keyboard.[https://books.google.com/books?id=w3AJLvysWFQC&pg=PA59 PC Update], PC Magazine, January 27, 1987 | ||
| rowspan=2|February | Quarterdeck recently released Quarterdeck Expanded Memory Manager 386 (QEMM).[https://books.google.com/books?id=BDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10 Quarterdeck Product Expands 386 PC Memory Up to 16MB], InfoWorld, February 9, 1987 | |
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research launches Concurrent DOS 386, which runs up to four applications concurrently supporting up to 10 users on a system.[https://books.google.com/books?id=0DAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 DRI to Release Multiuser 80386 Operating System], InfoWorld, February 16, 1987[https://books.google.com/books?id=mDsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24 DRI Updates 2 Concurrent DOS Systems], InfoWorld, September 21, 1987 | ||
| March | style="background: #ffcccc;"|The March 20 The Wall Street Journal says that 31-year-old Gates has become the youngest self-made billionaire in history. | |
| rowspan=3|April | style="background: #dcffdc;"|{{anchor|8704}}The IBM Personal System/2 line is released. Models range from the 8086-based IBM PS/2 Model 30, with 256-color Multi-Color Graphics Array (MCGA) to the 80386-based Model 80, with 256 KB RAM 640×480, 16-color Video Graphics Array (VGA).[https://books.google.com/books?id=lj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 IBM Models Offer Diverse Capabilities: All Lines Feature Built-in Graphics], InfoWorld, April 6, 1987 The default VGA text mode renders nine-by-16 pixel character cells (720×400 resolution), a higher resolution than MDA. MCGA and VGA produce an analog signal; their predecessors, except the high-end PGC, produced a digital TTL signal. MCGA and VGA are integrated into the motherboard, rather than added on an expansion card, but IBM says a PS/2 VGA adapter for upgrading Model 30 and older PCs will be available in July.[https://books.google.com/books?id=CDoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT70 Get the Picture?], InfoWorld, April 17, 1989IBM. The IBM Personal System/2 Display Adapter. 1987-04-02 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/4/897/ENUS187-054/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). The PS/2 line runs on PC DOS 3.3 (the new protected mode multitasking Operating System/2 is announced for availability in first quarter 1988).IBM. Operating System/2 Standard Edition Announcement Letter. 1987-04-02 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/9/897/ENUS287-099/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). Version 3.3 added support for high density 3{{1/2}}-inch 1.44 MB floppy disk drives, which IBM introduced in its 80286-based and higher PS/2 models, and introduced a partition type (0x05) for extended partitions, which could hold up to 23 logical drives.IBM. PC DOS 3.3 Announcement Letter. 1987-04-02 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/8/897/ENUS287-098/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). The Micro Channel architecture (MCA) bus is introduced—Models 50 and 60 use a 16-bit version, while Model 80 uses a version that supports 32-bit data and addressing.[https://books.google.com/books?id=lj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA82 Expansion Bus Highlights PS/2 Family], InfoWorld, April 6, 1987 The upgrade from DOS 3.2 to 3.3 was completely written by IBM, with no development effort on the part of Microsoft, who were working on "Advanced DOS 1.0". Soon after release, some users with non-IBM hardware reported hard drive problems. The MS-DOS version of 3.3 was still being tested by Microsoft.[https://books.google.com/books?id=yjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA6 IBM Blames DOS 3.3 Problems On Non-IBM Hard Disk Drives - Microsoft Uninvolved in DOS Upgrade], InfoWorld, June 1, 1987 The DIN connector used by earlier PC keyboards is replaced by a mini-DIN connector, and mice get the same connector; these "PS/2 connectors" would become the new standard for PC-compatibles. | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|A Microsoft press release announces Windows 2.0, which has "visual fidelity" to the Microsoft Operating System/2 Windows Presentation Manager, for shipment in the third quarter.[https://books.google.com/books?id=lj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA2 Windows 2.0 to Resemble OS/2 Windows Manager], InfoWorld, April 6, 1987 | ||
| Fox Software announced Foxbase 2.0 386, the first database to exploit the 386's memory fully, by using the Phar Lap DOS extender program, which intercepts calls to DOS and automatically switches the system back to real mode for those functions. By tapping the chip's protected mode, the entire program can run in memory, eliminating disk access times and improving execution speed in some cases by a factor of 10. The program does not support multitasking, which must wait for advances in the operating system, so it is an interim solution.[https://books.google.com/books?id=lj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9 Fox Readies Version of Foxbase to Use 386], InfoWorld, April 6, 1987 | ||
| rowspan=9|1987 | May | DESQview 2.0 ships. When used with QEMM, it supports virtual 8086 mode. It supports the EGA's 43-line text mode, and the VGA's 50- and 60-line modes. Also, TopView's program information file (.PIF) format and it comes with a TopView 1.1-compatible API.[https://books.google.com/books?id=sDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16 Desqview Update Supports EGA, VGA Graphics Modes], InfoWorld, May 18, 1987[https://books.google.com/books?id=zjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48 Desqview 2.0 Beefs Up MS-DOS Multitasking, Uses 80386's "Virtual 8086"], InfoWorld, May 25, 1987 |
| rowspan=2|June | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM delivers the 8514/A display adapter, an optional upgrade for PS/2 models 50, 60, and 80 which is essentially a superset of VGA that works together with the on-board VGA processor. Like the PGC, it has a graphics coprocessor, which processes vector graphics, whereas CGA, EGA, and framebuffer VGA use raster graphics and rely on the main CPU for most video processing. Its 1,024×768 resolution produces interlaced video, which tends to flicker.[https://books.google.com/books?id=yjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA121 IBM Slow to Deliver 8514/A Adapter], InfoWorld, June 1, 1987Sandler, Corey (2007). Fix Your Own PC, {{ISBN|9780470107874}}. | |
| Phar Lap and Quarterdeck announce a joint development agreement to support 386 | ||
| rowspan=3|July | {{anchor|July 1987}}Fox Software ships Foxbase 2.0 386.[https://books.google.com/books?id=wjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Foxbase 2.0 73% Faster, Publisher Says], InfoWorld, July 6, 1987 Phar Lap admits its DOS extender conflicts with TSR programs as well as Novell NetWare. Fox found Intelligent Graphics Corp.'s X-AM currently more reliable, and built an X-AM run-time version into Foxbase 2.0 386. The key to X-AM's performance is apparently its ability to switch from protected 386 mode to virtual 8086 mode.[https://books.google.com/books?id=BTwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA19 Developers Search for Reliable 386 DOS Extenders], InfoWorld, July 20, 1987 | |
| Rational Systems releases their DOS/16M 16-bit DOS extender, a library for C and MASM programmers who don't want to wait for OS/2 to produce large programs, that lets linked programs use up to 16 MB of RAM with DOS 3.x on 286- and 386-based systems. Users don't have to convert to another operating system or contend with such time-consuming tricks as code overlays, bank switching and paging.[https://books.google.com/books?id=xzAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA20 Tool Lets Programs Access 16MB of RAM With DOS 3.X], InfoWorld, July 13, 1987 | ||
| Qualitas 386 to the Max is introduced. InfoWorld says it outperforms, has more features, and takes less memory than all other memory managers. It would be widely used with Windows/286 at Microsoft, as customers everywhere praised its speed and versatility over Windows/386.[https://books.google.com/books?id=6DsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47 Small Companies Provide Ways to Take Advantage of 386 Computers], InfoWorld, July 27, 1987[https://books.google.com/books?id=KzsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA36-IA11 Qualitas Scores With 386 Memory Manager], InfoWorld, March 5, 1990 | ||
| rowspan=3|August | style="background: #ffebeb;"|{{anchor|emulate expanded memory}}Compaq files a U.S. patent application for "software emulation of bank-switched memory using a virtual DOS monitor and paged memory management." Their invention uses 80386 paging hardware and virtual 8086 mode to emulate expanded memory using extended memory. The patent would be issued in 1990.{{US patent|4926322}} - Software emulation of bank-switched memory using a virtual DOS monitor and paged memory management | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft ships MS-DOS 3.3. It has the same feature set as the version IBM has been shipping since April.[https://books.google.com/books?id=1zsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3 Microsoft to Release Own DOS 3.3], InfoWorld, August 3, 1987 | ||
| Lotus-Intel-Microsoft EMS 4.0 is announced. Key features include the ability to execute program code from expanded memory, including memory-resident programs; boosting the expanded memory ceiling from 8 to 32 megabytes; and the ability for multiple programs to use expanded memory at once. Quarterdeck introduced an update of QEMM supporting EMS 4.0. The new EMS is designed to eliminate "RAM cram," the overstuffing of conventional memory with TSR programs.[https://books.google.com/books?id=2jsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 EMS Update Gives DOS Improved Multitasking], InfoWorld, August 17, 1987 | ||
| rowspan=10|1987 | September | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft announces Windows/386, version 2.0. Compaq, co-developer of the product, will bundle it with its 386-based systems, starting in October.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ljsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 PC Vendors Plan to Bundle Windows 386], InfoWorld, September 28, 1987 |
| rowspan=3|October | style="background: #ffcccc;"|ICL releases their OEM MS-DOS 4.1, a customized version that enabled users to run one application in foreground and an unlimited number of applications in background mode. It runs on an ISDN workstation.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070220193954/http://www.16bitos.com/410ms.htm MS-DOS Version 4.10 Fujitsu ICL OEM]}} https://web.archive.org.[https://books.google.com/books?id=aBMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21 ICL takes wraps off 3 ISDN workstations], Network World, April 24, 1989Larry Osterman. [https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/exchange/2004/03/05/larry-ostermans-biography/ Larry Osterman's Biography] Microsoft TechNet Blogs | |
| STB Systems releases the first BIOS-level compatible VGA board, soon followed by Sigma Designs. Register-level compatible boards soon followed. Unlike MCA, VGA was quickly accepted in the video board industry as the new standard.[https://books.google.com/books?id=r7jD_sikrJQC&pg=PA34 First VGA Board for XTs, ATs: Pretty Colors and Rough Edges], PC Magazine, October 13, 1987[https://books.google.com/books?id=_z4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA77 Product Comparison: Video Boards], InfoWorld, October 26, 1987[https://books.google.com/books?id=njAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT50 Product Comparison], InfoWorld, May 29, 1989 While IBM's PS/2 VGA adapter only has an analog port, third-party VGA-compatible cards have both an analog 15-pin port and a digital nine-pin port for compatibility with prior hardware.[https://books.google.com/books?id=_z4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA69 VGA's Analog Capabilities], InfoWorld, October 26, 1987 | ||
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft announces and ships the first PC version of its Excel spreadsheet. Excel for Microsoft Windows requires Windows and includes Windows 2.01 in run-time. Excel runs on 286- and 386-based systems with an accelerator board. Excel offers Dynamic Data Exchange, a Windows feature. Excel reads and writes 1-2-3 files and accepts 1-2-3 macros.[https://books.google.com/books?id=FzwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 Microsoft Lifts Curtain on PC Excel], InfoWorld, October 12, 1987 | ||
| rowspan=3|November | style="background: #ffebeb;"|{{anchor|8711}}Compaq ships Compaq MS-DOS 3.31 with support for hard disk partitions over 32 MB, up to 512 MB. Partitions over 32 MB use a new partition type (0x06). Compaq dropped support for creating enhanced disks from their version of FDISK, while maintaining support for ENHDISK partitions created by prior versions.MS-DOS Version 3.3 Reference Guide, Compaq Computer Corporation (February 1988). | |
| Intelligent Graphics Corporation (IGC) announces its VM/386 control program, which provides access to multitasking and virtual memory. The program, inspired by IBM's VM/370 operating system, creates full-screen "virtual machines". Control-Alt-Delete reboots the current virtual machine within VM/386 without resetting the host system. The {{key press|SysRq}} key brings up the VM manager. IGC's DOS extender, X-AM, will be supported in a future version of VM/386.[https://books.google.com/books?id=mUSIMiurpfYC&pg=PT159 Bringing a tempest to a teapot], Computerworld, November 2, 1987[https://books.google.com/books?id=3J2ynRxCU78C&pg=PA52 80386 Control Program Provides Access To Both Multitasking and Virtual Memory], PC Magazine, January 12, 1988[https://books.google.com/books?id=e0OQnm5x3lYC&pg=PA33 VM/386 Multitasks Existing DOS Applications Far Beyond 640K], PC Magazine, January 26, 1988 | ||
| Quarterdeck announces a new version of DESQview which runs applications that use 386 | ||
| rowspan=3|December | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM ships OS/2 Standard Edition, Version 1.0 early.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Az8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 IBM Ships OS/2 Four Months Early], InfoWorld, December 7, 1987 | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Zenith became the first vendor to ship Microsoft OS/2.[https://books.google.com/books?id=AT8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Zenith First to Ship Microsoft OS/2], InfoWorld, December 21, 1987 Most vendors decided not to bundle OS/2 with their PCs, and are only offering it as an option.[https://books.google.com/books?id=BD8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 Vendors Decide Against Bundling OS/2 With PCs], InfoWorld, November 30, 1987 | ||
| ECMA adopts the 2nd edition of standard ECMA-119, Volume and File Structure of CDROM for Information Interchange, introducing some improvements and editorial amendments. This edition is technically identical with ISO 9660. | ||
| rowspan=4|1988 | January | style="background: #ffcccc;"|{{anchor|1988}}Windows 2.03 and Windows/386 finally hit retail outlets. Windows can overlap – version 1.0 windows only tiled.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ET8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 Microsoft Finally Ships Its Windows Updates], InfoWorld, January 4, 1988 Program information files (PIFs) are used for launching applications, as with TopView and DESQview.[https://archive.org/stream/BYTE-1988-05#page/n175/mode/2up Microsoft Windows 2.03 and Windows/386], Byte, May 1988 |
| March | style="background: #ffcccc;"|At its Third International Conference on CD-ROM, Microsoft introduced version 2.0 of the MSCDEX CD ROM Extensions, adding support for the ISO 9660 standard.[https://books.google.com/books?id=CD8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20 Microsoft Steals Show At Its CD ROM Meeting], InfoWorld, March 7, 1988 | |
| May | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research releases DR DOS 3.31, supporting hard disk partitions up to 512 MB. DR DOS is ROMable, unlike MS-DOS.{{cite web |title=Software Developer Caldera sues Microsoft for Antitrust practices alleges monopolistic acts shut its DR DOS operating system out of market |publisher=Caldera News |date=1996-07-24 |location=Salt Lake City, UT, USA |url=http://www.maxframe.com/DR/Info/fullstory/ca_sues_ms.html |access-date=2017-06-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624232924/http://www.maxframe.com/DR/Info/fullstory/ca_sues_ms.html |archive-date=2017-06-24}}[https://books.google.com/books?id=TJuFGeKsMJ0C&pg=PA73 Inside Track], PC Magazine, November 29, 1988 | |
| June | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft releases Windows/286, version 2.1, which replaces Windows 2.03. It provides an extra 50 KB above the 640 KB DOS limit, when running on a system with more than 1 MB of extended memory available. A future version, as well as the next EMS, will add 64 KB rather than 50 KB to main memory. Windows/286 still runs on 8086/8088-based systems, but without this new memory. Windows/386, version 2.1 was also released.[https://books.google.com/books?id=4z4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Windows Gets More Memory With Upgrade], InfoWorld July 4, 1988 | |
| rowspan=3|1988 | rowspan=2|July | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM ships IBM DOS 4.0. It adds an optional text-based file manager shell (DOSSHELL) with pull-down menus called by typing the {{key press|F10}} key, optional mouse support and a text-based user interface—an alternative to the command-line interface—which is a subset of the upcoming OS/2 version 1.1's Presentation Manager. The DOS Shell could run in either text mode or graphics mode (on supported hardware), depending on how it was configured in the file DOSSHELL.BAT. Text mode is required to avoid incompatibilities (video conflicts) while running many popular TSR programs in graphics mode.[https://books.google.com/books?id=iDoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA43 Some Tips, Tricks and Workarounds For Upgrading Sites to IBM DOS 4.0], InfoWorld, August 29, 1988 IBM DOS 4.0 supports Lotus-Intel-Microsoft EMS 4.0 on IBM's Expanded Memory Adapter, and is the first MS-DOS/PC DOS version that is "EMS-aware" and can use the EMS memory when it is available. DOS 4 supports hard disk partitions over 32 MB, up to 1024 MB.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZzoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Incompatibilities Hinder Useful DOS 4.0 Features], InfoWorld, August 15, 1988 It also offers a hard drive installation program as an alternative to the procedure used in prior versions (FDISK, FORMAT, SYS, COPY), enhanced video-graphics support and improved error handling.IBM. PC DOS 4.0 Announcement Letter. 1988-07-19 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/0/897/ENUS288-380/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). The release was simultaneously announced by Microsoft, but no other OEMs had yet released it for their machines.[https://books.google.com/books?id=_j4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Users Encouraged by IBM DOS 4.0's Text-Based Interface, EMS Support], InfoWorld, July 25, 1988 Because Microsoft already sells in Europe a multitasking version of DOS, which is called DOS 4.0, it is not clear if Microsoft will use a different version number for the new operating system.[https://books.google.com/books?id=5D4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA77 IBM DOS], InfoWorld, Jul 18, 1988, p. 77 IBM also ships OS/2 Extended Edition 1.0, which adds the IBM-developed components Communications Manager and Database Manager.[https://books.google.com/books?id=pMnJ2MkrjNgC&pg=PA141 OS/2 Extended Edition], PC Magazine, January 31, 1989 |
style="background: #ffcccc;"|Concurrently with the July 19 DOS 4.0 announcement, Microsoft released an extended memory specification, XMS, Version 2.0, implemented by the device driver HIMEM.SYS in Windows/286. When run on 286- and 386-based systems, XMS brings DOS memory management to three new regions of memory:
The other EMS 4.0 partners are evaluating the XMS spec, but stopped short of endorsing it.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZzoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34 Tech Talk: Placing the IBM/Microsoft XMS Spec Into Perspective], InfoWorld, August 15, 1988[https://books.google.com/books?id=_j4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 Microsoft's XMS 2.0 Adds 64K Of Memory to 286, 386 Systems], InfoWorld, July 25, 1988 | ||
| August | The Phar Lap Virtual Memory Manager, scheduled for release in October, is unveiled at the Desqview Developers' Conference. The combination of Desqview, QEMM, and applications written to use Phar Lap's new product will run applications concurrently without memory restraints, something that OS/2 also promises. 386 | |
| rowspan=7|1988 | rowspan=3|September | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM ships unannounced IBM DOS 4.01. Plagued with reports of bugs and incompatibilities, DOS 4.0 has been widely reported as being virtually unusable in its present state. IBM said that this was not a new version but a "maintenance diskette" to fix minor problems. However, early users said that the more serious incompatibilities resulting from a change in file structure have not been fixed by the upgrade. IBM also released two enhanced PS/2 Model 30s that use the classic AT bus rather than the MCA bus, based on the 286 instead of 8086 processor, with VGA instead of MCGA graphics and 1.44 MB disk drives replacing 720 KB drives.[https://books.google.com/books?id=mDoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 IBM Ships Unannounced DOS 4.01; IBM Releases Model 30s Based on 286], InfoWorld, September 19, 1988 |
| style="background: #ffebeb;"|The 'Gang of Nine' PC clone makers, led by Compaq, announced the Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus. New EISA computers are expected by late 1989.[https://books.google.com/books?id=mDoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 Compaq Leads 'Gang of Nine' In Offering Alternative to MCA], InfoWorld, September 19, 1988 | ||
| Lotus, Intel and AST Research officially endorse XMS 2.0; Qualitas and Phar Lap say their products will support the spec as well.[https://books.google.com/books?id=oDoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21 Lotus, Intel, AST Officially Endorse Microsoft's Extended Memory Spec], InfoWorld, October 3, 1988 Although extended memory is faster than expanded memory, delays in acceptance of XMS, which brought the same sort of order to extended memory as the widely accepted EMS brought to expanded memory, meant that some developers still recommended that RAM beyond 1 MB on 286 and 386 machines be configured as expanded memory. By the end of 1989, XMS was still not in widespread use yet.[https://books.google.com/books?id=-Xr7Ic-ivyMC&pg=PT54 Tutor: Expanded vs. extended memory], PC Magazine, December 26, 1989, p. 309–10. (scroll up for p. 310) | ||
| rowspan=2|October | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft urged its OEMs to wait for a bug-fixing update of DOS 4.0 code before shipping their own versions. Microsoft released a DOS 4.0 Binary Adaption Kit - containing the operating system and utilities to help OEMs adapt it to their hardware - shortly after the mid-July announcement of DOS 4.0. Microsoft told manufacturers who distribute DOS under their own labels not to use that BAK and instead wait for the maintenance update, which contains several bug fixes, primarily for a problem with page frames involving EMS.[https://books.google.com/books?id=oDoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA93 Microsoft to Release DOS 4.0 Update], InfoWorld, October 3, 1988[https://books.google.com/books?id=szsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT2 Microsoft to Unveil 'Fixed' DOS 4.0], InfoWorld, October 10, 1988 | |
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM and Microsoft ship OS/2 1.1, which has the Presentation Manager graphical interface. IBM admitted that OS/2 hasn't "taken off" as planned; fewer applications than expected are available, and most OS/2-compatible applications are DOS applications running in OS/2's "compatibility box".[https://books.google.com/books?id=pDsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 OS/2 1.1 Meets Shipping Deadline; Some OS/2 Applications Delayed], InfoWorld, October 31, 1988 | ||
| rowspan=2|November | NEC Home Electronics, maker of the MultiSync monitor line, forms the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) to promote a standard it calls Super VGA, which it says provides 56 percent more pixels on-screen than standard VGA.[https://books.google.com/books?id=wTsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT2 NEC Forms Video Standards Group], InfoWorld, November 14, 1988[https://books.google.com/books?id=YfkUKcyI7KIC&pg=PT139 Standardizing Super VGA: The Role of VESA], PC Magazine, July 1991, p. 126 | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft releases MS-DOS 4.01, including the user shell and EMS support.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ADoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT16 Microsoft Releases Updated DOS 4; Some OEMs Ship Versions This Month], InfoWorld, November 28, 1988 Also, support for hard disk partitions up to 2 GB, and the SmartDrive disk caching program. | ||
| rowspan=7|1989 | rowspan=2|January | {{anchor|1989}}Phar Lap's product line has expanded to include 386 |
| Developers Struggle With DOS Choices: As companies such as Lotus and Microsoft bring out improved but code-intensive versions of their programs, they're relying on bank-switching techniques or DOS extenders to make their programs run more efficiently under the 640K of RAM allowed by DOS. The choice is not a simple one. Each has its own set of assets and liabilities. But with OS/2 currently stalled in the market, there seems to be a future for alternatives. Microsoft has chosen bank switching for Excel and Windows, while Lotus has seriously looked at DOS extenders for its unreleased 1-2-3, Release 3.0.[https://books.google.com/books?id=MzoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA15 Developers Struggle With DOS Choices], InfoWorld, January 30, 1989 | ||
| rowspan=3|April | style="background: #ffebeb;"|Compaq announced the availability of Compaq's MS-DOS version 4.01. Compaq continues to market their MS-DOS 3.31 as well. Compaq enhancements to MS-DOS 4.01 include Fastart, which speeds installation, and support for Lotus-Intel-Microsoft EMS 4.0.[https://books.google.com/books?id=_zkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Compaq], InfoWorld, Apr 3, 1989, p. 1 | |
| Intel announces the 486 (i486), which uses instruction pipelining, a technique used by RISC processors, to more than double the performance of the 386.[https://books.google.com/books?id=CDoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT41 i486 Shows How Hardware and Software Makers Are Out of Step], InfoWorld, April 17, 1989[https://books.google.com/books?id=RzoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT37 i486, 68040 Use Pipelining To Speed Up Performance], InfoWorld, May 8, 1989 | ||
| VESA adopts an extended-VGA mode—Super VGA—displaying 800×600 resolution with 16 colors.[https://books.google.com/books?id=CDoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT26 VESA Adopts Extended-VGA Specs], InfoWorld, April 17, 1989 Within months this expanded to support 1,024×768 pixels with 256 colors, which was called 1K VGA or 1024 display to distinguish this Super VGA from the 800×600 mode.Quentin Docter, Emmett Dulaney, Toby Skandier. [https://books.google.com/books?id=_Wu-CjtBWFwC&pg=PA55 SuperVGA], CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide, Deluxe Edition (Oct 30, 2006) {{ISBN|978-0470048313}}[https://books.google.com/books?id=CbsaONN5y1IC&pg=RA1-PA145 16-bit VGA Cards Stretch The Standard], PC Magazine, July 1989[https://books.google.com/books?id=5kj9fdPQCzYC&pg=PT108 1024 Color], PC Magazine, April 10, 1990 VESA members formed an 8514/A subcommittee to make recommendations on an extended high-resolution, high-performance 8514/A standard. Several manufacturers have introduced 1,024×768 boards offering both interlaced and non-interlaced video, based on the Texas Instruments TMS34010 graphics controller chip. The TMS34010 is 20 percent faster (writing pixels per second) than the 8514/A, and TI's new TMS34020 is about 500 percent faster. Monitors supporting non-interlaced signals cost more.[https://books.google.com/books?id=WjoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT26 Standards Group Builds on 8514/A], InfoWorld, May 1, 1989[https://books.google.com/books?id=njAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT51 The Next Video Plateau: IBM's 8514/A and Its Competitors], InfoWorld, May 29, 1989 | ||
| May | Lotus Development recently became the seventh software company to join the coalition promoting the Virtual Control Program Interface (VCPI) specification published by Phar Lap and Quarterdeck. Other members are AI Architects, Quadram, Qualitas and Rational Systems. VCPI resolved conflicts with memory managers by defining a communication protocol for the DOS extender to borrow RAM from the memory manager and use memory manager services to switch processor modes.[https://books.google.com/books?id=JSVkkdmXWF4C&pg=PT58 Squelching conflicts], Computerworld, May 8, 1989[https://books.google.com/books?id=gCfzPMoPJWgC&pg=RA1-PA302 How DOS Programs Can Use Over 1MB of RAM], PC Magazine, June 29, 1993 | |
| June | Lotus ships Release 3.0 of its market leading spreadsheet 1-2-3, more than two years after the product was announced. The company spent $15 million bug testing 3.0,[https://books.google.com/books?id=lTAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT18 Release 3.0 Expected in Stores This Week], InfoWorld, June 26, 1989 which was translated into C[https://books.google.com/books?id=izAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT19 Lotus Leads in the Spreadsheet Race But Can't Slow Down Yet], InfoWorld, July 3, 1989 and uses extended memory by way of Rational Systems' VCPI-compatible[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/81493 Using VCPI Programs with Windows] DOS/16M 16-bit 80286 extender.[https://books.google.com/books?id=hjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA74 Release 3.0 of Lotus 1-2-3 Will Silence the Skeptics], InfoWorld, July 17, 1989 | |
| rowspan=7|1989 | July | InfoWorld reported that a year after its introduction, DOS 4.01's acceptance by users is slower than expected and lags behind the endorsements that greeted its predecessors. Users said they don't need its large disk partitions, can't afford to update their existing machines, and are wary of problems with how DOS 4.0 handles expanded memory. Also, no software developers have yet released applications that require the new version of DOS, which could force users to make the jump. Hardware vendors are taking longer than usual to adopt the new DOS for their hardware. Since other DOS updates have traditionally entered the workplace primarily accompanying the purchase of new PCs, this too hampered its adoption.[https://books.google.com/books?id=tjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT14 Users Still Slow to Accept DOS 4.0], InfoWorld, July 31, 1989 |
| rowspan=2|September | InfoWorld reports that shadow RAM, a technique used by Chips and Technologies' NEAT chipset and AT/386 chipsets to speed performance by loading ROM-BIOS functions into the upper memory area, has become a significant problem for users who want to run programs that use DOS extenders on 1-megabyte systems. The problem arises when products like Lotus 1-2-3, Release 3.0 try to use the memory that is tied up supporting shadow RAM. Invisible Software Inc. announced a $40 program called Invisible RAM which extends DOS memory from 640K to as high as 736 K, allowing Release 3.0 users to load the program and have as much as 90 KB remaining for worksheet space. Or users could spend several hundred dollars for more memory, with prices continuing their slow decline.[https://books.google.com/books?id=rDAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21-IA2 Shadow RAM Collides With DOS Extenders], InfoWorld, Sep 11, 1989 | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft unveils 16-bit OS/2 1.2, featuring the Installable File System API and High Performance File System (HPFS).[https://books.google.com/books?id=uTAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 OS/2], InfoWorld, Sep 18, 1989 | ||
| October | VESA releases their Super VGA BIOS Extension standard VS891001, a specification to standardize a common software interface to Super VGA video adapters in order to provide simplified software application access to advanced VGA products.[https://books.google.com/books?id=pslDqcef8UEC&pg=PA40 Micro Notes], Computerworld, Jan 15, 1990, p. 40 | |
| rowspan=2|November | style="background: #ffebeb;"|Compaq introduces their first EISA-based computers, the Deskpro 486 and the SystemPro, attempting to sway corporate accounts from minicomputers. NEC and Grid Systems Corporation also announced models incorporating the EISA bus.[https://books.google.com/books?id=_8Id5on7xmkC&pg=PA1 Compaq chips away at mini vendors], Computerworld, November 13, 1989 Hewlett-Packard was the first Gang of Nine member to introduce an EISA system. EISA system introductions signaled the start of product differentiation among the Gang of Nine vendors.[https://books.google.com/books?id=qjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT124 EISA Debuts Break Up the Gang of Nine], InfoWorld, November 6, 1989 | |
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|Responding to increasing industry confusion about the relative roles of Windows and OS/2, during the COMDEX IBM and Microsoft jointly issue a news release titled "IBM and Microsoft Expand Partnership; Set Future DOS and OS/2 Directions."Wallace, James (1997), Overdrive, John Wiley & Sons. {{ISBN|0-471-18041-6}}. Most development resources will be applied to OS/2, with the intent to deliver a version that exploits the advanced abilities of the 386 and i486 in 1990, with advanced features such as demand paging, the ability to run multiple DOS applications concurrently, and allow applications to exploit the 32-bit flat memory model; and enable OS/2 for 2 MB entry systems. DOS and Windows are recommended for systems with 1-2 MB of memory or fixed disk drives smaller than 30 MB.IBM. STATEMENT OF DIRECTION FOR DOS, OS/2 AND LAN OFFERINGS. 1989-11-14 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/5/897/ENUS289-625/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]).[http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/0000/PX00179.pdf IBM and Microsoft Software Newsletter; Statement of Direction], published as part of the Comes v. Microsoft case as plaintiff's exhibit #179, retrieved 2014-09-03. | ||
| December | style="background: #ffefbf;"|Datalight runs an ad in Byte for their new ROMable operating system ROM-DOS, designed for embedded systems. They say it provides DOS 3.2 functionality, less networking, and uses 29 KB of ROM.[//archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1989-12/1989_12_BYTE_14-12_5_New_Laptops_and_Sound_Image_Processing_and_Case_Tools#page/n467/mode/2up 8086 ROM Development (advertisement)], Byte, December 1989. | |
| rowspan=11|1990 | January | {{anchor|1990}}In Dallas, representatives of the Japan Electronic Industries Development Association (JEIDA) meet with Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) members to work out a PC Card standard for laptops.[https://books.google.com/books?id=4DAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21 U.S., Japanese Vendors Ready PC Card Standard], InfoWorld, February 5, 1990 They would reach an agreement in May, when the cards—treated like floppy disks but not forced to emulate their formats—had capacities ranging from 512 KB to 4 megabytes.[https://books.google.com/books?id=nzsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT4 Agreement Reached on PC Cards], InfoWorld, May 28, 1990 |
| April | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research introduces DR DOS 5.0, a DOS clone which is a strong competitor to MS-DOS 3.3 and 4.01. It includes the MemoryMax "memory manager", the first memory management system to allow loading TSRs, device drivers and the operating system into upper memory blocks, and the operating system to be loaded into the high memory area. Also, ViewMAX, a graphical front end functionally equivalent to MS-DOS 4.01's graphics shell.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZFAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT90 DR DOS 5.0 Adds Value to Compete With the Leading Brand], InfoWorld, May 27, 1991[https://books.google.com/books?id=MDsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT12 DR-DOS Update Will Be Sold Directly to End-Users], InfoWorld, May 14, 1990 It supports hard disk partitions up to 512 MB.[https://archive.org/stream/BYTE_Vol_15-06_1990-06_Windows_3.0/BYTE%20Vol%2015-06%201990-06%20Windows%203.0#page/n21/mode/2up DR-DOS advertisement], Byte, June 1990 | |
| rowspan=2|May | DOS Protected Mode Interface (DPMI) version 0.9 is formally released by a consortium of eleven PC companies.[https://books.google.com/books?id=MDsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT5 Software Vendors Agree on DOS Extender Specification], InfoWorld, May 14, 1990 Unlike VCPI, DPMI was designed for a multitasking operating system.Korzeniowski, Paul. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20180820105622/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-8528224.html DOS: still thriving after all these years; 640K extenders, graphic user interfaces, slow move to OS/2]}} Software Magazine, May, 1990. | |
style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft releases Windows 3.0, which would become the first widely successful version of Windows. The improved interface resembles OS/2 Presentation Manager and fully supports EGA and VGA graphics adapters. Windows 3.0 runs on DOS 3.1 or higher,[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/32905 Windows Version History] in one of three modes:
Excluding maintenance releases, this is the last version of Windows that could run on 8088 and 8086-based XT-class PCs (in real mode). | ||
| July | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research ships DR DOS 5.0 to retailers.[https://books.google.com/books?id=KjwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13 DR DOS 5.0 Ships], InfoWorld, July 16, 1990, p. 13 This was the first non-OEM version of DOS sold directly to end-users. About 40 percent of the nearly 7 million Intel-based PCs shipped this year will be shipped without an operating system, spelling big bucks for retail DOS sales.[https://books.google.com/books?id=GTwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT118 Retail DOS 5.0 Spells Big Bucks], InfoWorld, October 22, 1990 | |
| rowspan=2|September | DESQview 386 version 2.3 and QEMM 5.1 ship.[https://books.google.com/books?id=RDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT2 QEMM, Desqview 386 Upgrades Ship], InfoWorld, September 10, 1990 | |
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM and Microsoft announce a realignment of their OS/2 development relationship.[https://books.google.com/books?id=LDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8 IBM Seizes Control Over OS/2's Future], InfoWorld, Sep 17, 1990[https://books.google.com/books?id=lzwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 IBM, Microsoft Reassess OS/2 Partnership], InfoWorld, Sep 24, 1990 | ||
| rowspan=2|October | Intel announces the Intel Flash Memory Card, available in 1 MB ($298) and 4 MB ($1199) models. It supports the PCMCIA and JEIDA standards. The flash memory-based card media is a DOS-compatible storage device using Microsoft's Flash File System (FFS), which is based on MS-DOS 3.3.[https://books.google.com/books?id=QjwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT24 Intel's Flash Memory IC Cards Offer High Density, Low Weight], InfoWorld, October 8, 1990 Currently the only commercial applications of the memory cards are in the Poqet PC and some specialized embedded controllers.[https://books.google.com/books?id=hFSxmUsdi4QC&pg=PA47 Big little PC group hatches memory plan], Computerworld, November 19, 1990[https://books.google.com/books?id=mVAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA23 Flash memory cards en route], InfoWorld, July 29, 1991 | |
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM announces its first true 486-based PS/2 machines, which have a 1,024×768 Extended Graphics Array (XGA) built onto their Micro Channel motherboards.IBM. IBM Personal System/2 Model 90 XP 486. 1990-10-30 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/6/897/ENUS190-176/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]).[https://books.google.com/books?id=RDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 IBM Readies Fall Announcements], InfoWorld, September 10, 1990[https://books.google.com/books?id=LDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 IBM's XGA Raises the Graphics Quality Ante], InfoWorld, September 17, 1990[https://books.google.com/books?id=tDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27 8514/A Faces Serious Challenge From XGA], InfoWorld, November 12, 1990[https://books.google.com/books?id=LIpQYrLA2GIC&pg=PT300 IBM PS/2 Models 90 and 95], PC Magazine, February 26, 1991 | ||
| November | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM joins VESA and hands out copies of its XGA specification. The new standard comes as a blow to 8514/A manufacturers who spent three years reverse-engineering IBM's technology. Analysts say it would be difficult to modify XGA to work on ISA machines because XGA includes bus mastering.[https://books.google.com/books?id=wFAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 IBM Opens XGA Spec to Industry], InfoWorld, November 19, 1990 | |
| December | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft introduces Windows 3.0a, a maintenance release that fixes several bugs sometimes causing unrecoverable application errors in Windows 3.0. There are no new features and this version has the same system requirements as Windows 3.0.{{cite journal|last1=Daly|first1=James|title=Windows 3.0A tackles UAE bug|journal=Computerworld|date=April 29, 1991|volume=25|issue=17|page=41|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IvFeiX1fIzgC&pg=PA41|accessdate=October 8, 2016}} | |
| rowspan=5|1991 | February | style="background: #dcffdc;"|{{anchor|1991}}IBM promised VESA members that it would soon introduce an ISA version of the XGA and an OEM version of the XGA chipset, but declined to give a time frame. The move put its orphaned 8514/A standard in a precarious state. Just weeks later, IBM reneged on selling the chips and said it would license XGA technology instead. VESA developers were concerned about the lack of technical information from IBM, and some said the market had moved beyond IBM's ability to set a de facto standard. InfoWorld tests would find that XGA was 6% faster than Super VGA in Excel and just 1% faster in PowerPoint.[https://books.google.com/books?id=X1AEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3 IBM Moves to Supply XGA Products to OEMs], InfoWorld, February 25, 1991[https://books.google.com/books?id=rlAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT5 IBM Tries to Jump State XGA Development, to Supply Chip Set], InfoWorld, March 4, 1991[https://books.google.com/books?id=0FAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 Big Blue Reneges on Plan to Sell XGA Chips], InfoWorld, April 1, 1991[https://books.google.com/books?id=TVAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA105 XGA slips past VGA under Windows], InfoWorld, June 24, 1991 |
| rowspan=3|March | AddStor Inc. announces the first version of SuperStor on-the-fly disk compression software.[https://books.google.com/books?id=slAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT14 Software], InfoWorld, Mar 11, 1991, p. 19[https://books.google.com/books?id=rlAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT79 SuperStor advertisement], InfoWorld, March 4, 1991, p. 82 | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft said that it had received a letter in June from the Federal Trade Commission advising it of an investigation of its competitive practices, limited to the November 1989 joint announcement with IBM regarding OS/2. Some industry executives think the investigation will lead the FTC to a range of what they consider to be anti-competitive practices by Microsoft. Digital Research said that after it introduced its DR DOS version 5.0 in April 1990, Microsoft immediately announced a version of MS-DOS, with "amazing similarity," which has yet to appear.[https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/13/business/microsoft-in-inquiry-by-ftc.html Microsoft In Inquiry By F.T.C.], New York Times, March 13, 1991 | ||
| Phar Lap introduces 386 | ||
| May | Phar Lap introduces the 286 | |
| rowspan=8|1991 | rowspan=2|June | style="background: #dcffdc;"|On June 11, IBM DOS 5.0 is released. It featured the moving of the DOS kernel and command.com into the high memory area.IBM. IBM DOS Version 5.00 and Upgrade. 1991-06-11 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/2/877/ENUSZP91-0432/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|The same day, in New York, Microsoft released MS-DOS 5.0, followed by a party on the Hudson aboard a cruise ship dubbed DOS Boat, where Dave Brubeck performed "Take Five". The full-screen MS-DOS Editor is added to succeed Edlin. It adds undelete and unformat utilities, and task swapping. GW-BASIC is replaced with QBasic.[https://books.google.com/books?id=iVAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA61 MS-DOS5: Reigning OS improves its value], InfoWorld, July 8, 1991 It was immediately available for retail, but only as an upgrade for users of version 2.11 or later.[https://books.google.com/books?id=RlAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Microsoft to Roll Out 5.0; Declares New Dawn for DOS: Task Swapping, Memory Manager Remedy RAM Jams], InfoWorld, June 10, 1991Microsoft. [ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/MISC1/PEROPSYS/MSDOS/KB/Q68/2/42.TXT Microsoft MS-DOS 5 Upgrade vs. Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0]{{Dead link|date=December 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} By year-end there would be about 8 million copies in use, making it Microsoft's fastest-ever selling software. | ||
| rowspan=3|July | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Novell announces that it intends to acquire Digital Research.[https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/17/business/pc-software-maker-novell-to-buy-digital-research.html PC Software Maker Novell To Buy Digital Research], New York Times, July 17, 1991 Completion of the merger is expected in October. Both companies intend to augment DR DOS to handle basic Novell NetWare functions.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Iw0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA4 Novell to acquire desktop OS vendor Digital Research], Network World, July 22, 1991 | |
| Phar Lap announces the DPMI-compliant 386 | ||
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft says they will no longer call a new operating system they are working on OS/2 3.0—the new operating system will be named Windows NT (New Technology), which will not be able to run programs written for OS/2. Windows NT will be geared for more powerful computers and workstations, while a low-end version of Windows will run on top of MS-DOS.[https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/27/business/microsoft-widens-its-split-with-ibm-over-software.html Microsoft Widens Its Split With I.B.M. Over Software], New York Times, July 27, 1991 | ||
| September | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Digital Research releases DR DOS 6.0 with AddStor's SuperStor disk compression.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Xz0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA85 DR DOS 6: worthy alternative to MS-DOS 5], InfoWorld, November 4, 1991 | |
| October | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft introduces Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions. This version, sold via OEMs only, includes Media Player, Music Box (audio CD player), Sound Recorder, a new clock, screen savers, upgraded Help file support, joystick, MIDI, and sound support (recording and playing). While still having the same system requirements as Windows 3.0 and including Real mode support, most of the new features require Standard mode or 386 Enhanced mode to run.[http://toastytech.com/guis/win3mme.html Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions], Nathan's Toasty Technology page This version of Windows was required in the MPC Level 1 specifications of the era. | |
| November | Several companies announce or demonstrate proprietary local-bus graphics technologies at COMDEX. VESA is hoping to create a local-bus standard.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Xz0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28 Local-bus graphics becomes viable; standards, products emerge], InfoWorld, November 4, 1991 | |
| rowspan=8|1992 | February | {{anchor|1992}}The VESA XGA Video Subsystem Interface Proposal is shelved after IBM objects to the use of its trademarked term "XGA" in the proposal.[https://books.google.com/books?id=9z0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA31 IBM's owning XGA trademark means VESA standard delay], InfoWorld, March 2, 1992 |
| rowspan=2|April | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft introduces Windows 3.1, which requires an 80286 processor with at least 1MB memory running MS-DOS 3.1 or higher. New features include TrueType font support, stability improvements, 32-bit disk access (when run in 386 Enhanced mode), and multimedia support for all customers (not just OEMs, as was the case for Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions). The new multimedia abilities in Windows hastened the decline of MS-DOS for use with multimedia applications and was a requirement to meet Microsoft's Multimedia PC (MPC) standard. | |
| style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM licenses XGA technology to Intel. So far XGA has appeared in only a handful of IBM's own systems.[https://books.google.com/books?id=5D0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA25 IBM licenses XGA technology to Intel], InfoWorld, April 27, 1992 | ||
| June | VESA outlines its proposed VESA Local Bus specification, and Intel unveils its proposed Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) spec.[https://books.google.com/books?id=blEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA51 Intel, VESA propose local bus specifications], InfoWorld, June 29, 1992 | |
| August | VESA Local Bus (VL-Bus) Standard 1.0 is ratified. By moving video cards from the 8-MHz, 16-bit ISA expansion bus to the CPU's 32-bit local bus running at full clock speed, vendors may improve high-resolution graphics performance on 486-based PCs.Amit Dhir (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=dswWzEZuMRQC&pg=PA511 The Digital Consumer Technology Handbook], {{ISBN|9780080530413}}, p.511[https://books.google.com/books?id=IuaYd-eFaFoC&pg=PA137 Video Takes A New Route], PC Magazine, October 27, 1992 | |
| rowspan=2|October | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Forbes ranks Microsoft chairman Bill Gates as America's richest person, topping its Forbes 400 list. | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Windows for Workgroups 3.1 is introduced, which includes native network support, no longer relying on networking in MS-DOS. For 80386 users, file and print sharing is introduced and the native driver VSHARE.386 replaces the need for the MS-DOS SHARE.EXE. | ||
| November | At COMDEX, VESA said it would upgrade its local bus standard to support multimedia. Intel said PCI, due in March, could be used instead of high-speed buses such as EISA, MCA and TURBOchannel.[https://books.google.com/books?id=LlEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Local bus begins to replace high-speed I/O bus design], InfoWorld, November 23, 1992 | |
| rowspan=14|1993 | rowspan=2|January | style="background: #ffcccc;"|{{anchor|1993}}Microsoft overtakes IBM in market capitalization. Each is valued at over $26 billion. |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Stac Electronics, the maker of Stacker disk compression software, sues Microsoft for infringement of two of its file compression patents by the upcoming MS-DOS 6.0.[https://books.google.com/books?id=zzsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Stac files suit against Microsoft], InfoWorld, February 1, 1993 | ||
| February | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft countersues Stac.[https://books.google.com/books?id=x_1p1FQCWXkC&pg=PA30 Microsoft settles for piece of the Stac], Computerworld, June 27, 1994 Microsoft unveils its Visual C++ integrated development environment for Windows, which integrates CodeView functionality.[https://books.google.com/books?id=vjsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 Visual C++ adds Windows support], InfoWorld, February 22, 1993 Phar Lap announces that 286 | |
| rowspan=3|March | At the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) Intel announced its PCI specification—and its Pentium processor. The increasingly popular VL-Bus is tightly coupled to the abilities of the 486, a design disadvantage when working with the Pentium's 64-bit memory interface, but a VESA member said that the VL-Bus spec wasn't finished. The first PCI chip sets and Pentium systems are expected in May.[https://books.google.com/books?id=XTwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA25 Intel wants PCI specification as local bus standard for Pentium], InfoWorld, March 8, 1993[https://books.google.com/books?id=m6kWGOXjpc0C&pg=PA2 Pentium roars to starting gate], Computerworld, March 22, 1993 | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft introduces MS-DOS 6.0. This version was the first to include MEMMAKER conventional memory management, DoubleSpace disk compression, new disk utilities (SCANDISK and disk defragment), anti-virus, backup and PC-to-PC file transfer utilities, power management, enhanced disk caching, a more user-friendly HELP utility, improved accessibility for those with disabilities, and a system diagnostics program.Microsoft. MS-DOS 6 User Guide. 1993 ([https://files.support.epson.com/pdf/dos60_/dos60_u1.pdf]). Some of the utilities were licensed from third-parties.[https://books.google.com/books?id=PTwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8 MS-DOS 6 hype doesn't match analyst forecasts], InfoWorld, March 29, 1993 | ||
| style="background: #eaeaff;"|Novell tried to dampen Microsoft's DOS 6 launch with the announcement that the new Novell DOS 7, based on the integration of DR DOS 6.0 and Novell's NetWare Lite, will include advances such as peer-to-peer networking that Microsoft left out of its latest release.[https://books.google.com/books?id=PTwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Peer-to-peer networking gives Novell DOS 7 an edge over rival], InfoWorld, March 29, 1993 | ||
| June | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM announces PC DOS 6.1, to be available in late July, except disk compression, which is expected by the end of September. E replaces the MS-DOS Editor. According to IBM, the PC DOS kernel is based on the MS-DOS 6 kernel.IBM. IBM PC DOS Version 6.1. 1993-06-29 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/7/897/ENUS293-347/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). However, in July IBM officials said the compression utility (a version of AddStor's SuperStor) is incompatible with OS/2 2.1, so users must decompress drives to move data back and forth. IBM and AddStor were working on a fix.[https://books.google.com/books?id=SDsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 IBM working on fix to compression conflict], InfoWorld July 12, 1993 After three months on the market, Computerworld said that the PC-DOS 6.1 user base was "minuscule" compared with MS-DOS', and the product faced "a hard uphill run" to escape niche status.[https://books.google.com/books?id=FBSmSL270wkC&pg=PA35 It's a DOS eat DOS world], Computerworld, October 11, 1993 | |
| rowspan=2|August | style="background: #ffcccc;"|A month after the Federal Trade Commission deadlocks for the second time with a 2–2 vote on whether to take action against Microsoft, the Justice Department officially notified Microsoft that it was proceeding with the case, ending the FTC's three-year investigation. | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft releases Windows 3.11, a minor update to Windows 3.1 that includes updated drivers, better Novell Netware support, and a few bugfixes to Windows core files.{{cite web|url=http://support.apple.com/kb/TA42944|title=ClarisWorks: Changes And Fixes In The Windows 3.11 Upgrade|date=March 16, 1998|accessdate=June 23, 2014|author=Microsoft|publisher=Apple}} (This version is distinct from Windows for Workgroups 3.11). | ||
| rowspan=3|November | VL-Bus Standard 2.0 is released. The new standard requires faster timing speeds, and runs faster than PCI. However, no applications, except perhaps multimedia, need the superior bandwidth, according to the chairman of a PCI interest group.[https://books.google.com/books?id=_joEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA108 VESA speeds up local bus spec], InfoWorld, November 29, 1993 | |
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft replaces MS-DOS 6.0 with MS-DOS 6.2, leapfrogging IBM's PC DOS 6.1.[https://books.google.com/books?id=8ToEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT122 Notes From the Field], Robert X. Cringely, InfoWorld, Nov 8, 1993, p. 122 This version improved the stability of the included DoubleSpace disk compression.[https://books.google.com/books?id=6joEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3 MS-DOS 6.2 lets users uncompress DoubleSpace volumes;protects data], InfoWorld, November 1, 1993[https://books.google.com/books?id=E9TvMcu1mIwC&pg=PA37 MS-DOS 6.2 Addresses DoubleSpace Concerns, Adds Features], PC Magazine, January 11, 1994 | ||
| style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft releases Windows for Workgroups 3.11. This version drops support for 286 processors (no longer contains Standard mode), but adds 32-bit file access, 32-bit networking, and the 32-bit VCACHE.386. | ||
| rowspan=2|December | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Novell releases Novell DOS 7.[https://books.google.com/books?id=hDgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA107 Novell ups the ante for DOS functionality], InfoWorld, May 2, 1994 | |
| style="background: #ffefbf;"|PTS-DOS is introduced as PTS-DOS 6.4 | ||
| rowspan=6|1994 | February | style="background: #ffcccc;"|{{anchor|1994}}A jury finds Microsoft guilty of patent infringement, and Stac Electronics guilty of trade secret theft. On the day the jury returned its verdict, Microsoft released MS-DOS 6.21, removing DoubleSpace disk compression.[https://books.google.com/books?id=jjgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA87 The DOS heavyweights go another round], InfoWorld, August 29, 1994 |
| April | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM signs a deal with Stac to use their LZS compression technology in future products,[https://books.google.com/books?id=8RxfG8f4hXgC&pg=PA48 IBM, Stac sign data compression deal], Computerworld, April 18, 1994 then releases PC DOS 6.3, including SuperStor/DS, a DoubleSpace-compatible version of AddStor's disk compression utility.IBM. IBM PC DOS Version 6.3. 1994-04-27 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/3/897/ENUS294-263/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]).[https://books.google.com/books?id=x_1p1FQCWXkC&pg=PA31 PC DOS 6.3 ad], Computerworld, June 27, 1994 | |
| rowspan=2|June | style="background: #ffcccc;"|After a judge ordered Microsoft to recall all unsold infringing products worldwide, Microsoft settled its dispute with Stac, and released MS-DOS 6.22, bringing back disk compression with internally developed DriveSpace, which is about 5% slower than DoubleSpace.[https://books.google.com/books?id=QZtKFFB8weQC&pg=PA10 Judge rules against Microsoft], Computerworld, June 13, 1994[https://books.google.com/books?id=fzgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 MS-DOS recall order may disrupt supply line of PCs], InfoWorld, June 20, 1994 | |
| style="background: #ddffff;"|With the intent to create a "public domain" version of MS-DOS, Jim Hall announces the open-source project PD-DOS. Later, to ensure that the OS would remain free, the GNU General Public License is used to license code and the name is changed to FreeDOS.{{cite journal|first= Rohan|last= Pearce|journal= Computerworld|title= Developer interview: DOS is (long) dead, long live FreeDOS|date= February 5, 2013|url= https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452826/developer_interview_dos_long_dead_long_live_freedos/|access-date= 2018-08-20 |archive-date= 2019-10-07 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191007150522/https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452826/developer_interview_dos_long_dead_long_live_freedos/|url-status= dead}}{{cite newsgroup |title= PD-DOS project *announcement* |author= Jim Hall |date= June 29, 1994 |newsgroup= comp.os.msdos.apps |url= https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.os.msdos.apps/oQmT4ETcSzU |accessdate= June 14, 2008}} | ||
| July | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft settles with the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division, signing a consent decree agreeing to end certain practices for 6{{1/2}} years:
| |
| November | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Microsoft introduces Microsoft Windows Simplified Chinese 3.2, a.k.a. "Windows 3.2". This version was an update to the Simplified Chinese version of Windows 3.1, adding a few more IMEs (Input Method Editors) and a Chinese font editor. Otherwise, it is the same as Windows 3.11 and no other market received a "Windows 3.2".{{cite web|url=http://www.thecollectionbook.info/builds/windows/build/54|title=Microsoft Windows 3.2, 3.10.153|date=May 19, 2013|accessdate=June 23, 2014|publisher=The Collection Book}}{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;129451|title=Microsoft Windows Simplified Chinese 3.2 Upgrade Is Available|date=1994|accessdate=June 23, 2014|author=Microsoft|publisher=Microsoft}} | |
| rowspan=5|1995 | February | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM releases PC DOS 7.0, replacing SuperStor/DS with Stac Electronics' Stacker, Version 4.02. This is the first DOS to feature a command-line calculator, a program to load device drivers from the command line, Rexx language support, and a viewer that can open help files other than its own (OS/2 INF style).[https://books.google.com/books?id=oToEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA68 PC DOS 7 beats its disappearing competitors], InfoWorld, April 10, 1995IBM. IBM PC DOS Version 7. 1995-02-28 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/4/897/ENUS295-074/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). |
| March | {{anchor|1995}}WinHEC featured the high-speed serial bus needed for multimedia. Support for both P1394 aka FireWire and Universal Serial Bus (USB) is expected by 1996 updates to Windows 95. USB will be supported by Intel's Native Signal Processing.[https://books.google.com/books?id=kzoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8 Microsoft touts need for multimedia bus], InfoWorld, March 27, 1995[https://books.google.com/books?id=lToEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 Intel readies USB launch], InfoWorld, March 20, 1995 | |
| June | |ECMA adopts the 2nd edition of standard ECMA-107, Volume and File Structure of Disk Cartridges for Information Interchange, standardizing FAT16 support for zip drives and optical discs. | |
| July | style="background: #ffefbf;"|PTS-DOS 7.0 is released. | |
| August | Intel announces the new ATX motherboard specification, which essentially rotates IBM's Baby AT motherboard by 90 degrees within the computer case. The 8{{1/2}}-by-13-inch Baby AT planar board has been the de facto standard for most of the DOS era, but would soon be replaced by the Pentium processor-based ATX, a more space-efficient design which added support for multimedia (motherboard-based audio and video). ATX supports USB.[https://books.google.com/books?id=3DoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA31 Intel unveils multimedia spec], InfoWorld, August 7, 1995 |
1995–2000: Windows 9x era
| class=wikitable
|rowspan=1|1995 | August | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Windows 95 is released, launching the Windows 9x era. It comes with an MS-DOS–like bootloader reporting DOS version 7.0. All code is moved into IO.SYS, while MSDOS.SYS is now a text file containing bootup parameters. LBA hard disk support is added. |
| rowspan=2|1996 | July | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Novell sells Novell DOS 7 to Caldera, Inc. |
| August | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.0 (OSR2.0) is released. It comes with MS-DOS 7.1, which adds support for the FAT32 file system, but not for USB.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ejoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA29 Win95 upgrade lacks USB support], InfoWorld, January 13, 1997 | |
| rowspan=4|1997 | February | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Caldera, Inc., releases OpenDOS 7.01 by Caldera UK, Ltd. |
| May | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Caldera, Inc., releases M.R.S. open-source kit of OpenDOS 7.01 by Caldera UK, Ltd on 1997-05-05. This is also the first DOS to be released on a CD-ROM.Caldera. Caldera releases OpenDOS kernel source to the Internet - Distribution of OpenDOS kernel unprecedented in Computer Industry. Press announcement as of 1997-04-30 ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20131109022510/http://www.decuslib.com/DECUS/vmslt97b/freepcdos/dosrel.txt]}}). | |
| August | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Windows 95 OSR2.1 is released with a supplement providing limited USB support. | |
| December | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Caldera, Inc., releases DR-OpenDOS 7.02 by Caldera UK, Ltd. | |
| rowspan=7|1998 | January | style="background: #ddffff;"|FreeDOS alpha 0.05 is released.{{cite web |title= Removing old distributions from ibiblio |author= Jim Hall |date= October 2, 2007 |website= Freedos-devel |url= http://www.mail-archive.com/freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg05988.html |accessdate= January 14, 2016}} |
| rowspan=2|March | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Caldera re-releases DR-OpenDOS 7.02 as the closed source DR-DOS 7.02, which is Y2K compliant. | |
| style="background: #ddffff;"|FreeDOS beta 0.1 is released. | ||
| May | style="background: #dcffdc;"|IBM releases PC DOS 2000, which has minor Y2K fixes for older computers which do not properly handle the century rollover. It also supports the Euro currency symbol.IBM. IBM PC DOS 2000 Can Ease Your Transition to the Year 2000. 1998-05-26 ([http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/9/897/ENUS298-169/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en]). | |
| June | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Windows 98 is released for retail at one minute past midnight on the 25th.[http://news.microsoft.com/1998/06/25/windows-98-and-retail-promotions-bring-customers-out-early/ Windows 98 and Retail Promotions Bring Customers Out Early] It also comes with MS-DOS 7.1, but now FAT32 support is available to any purchaser, not just OEM. Allows users to create an Emergency Boot Disk that boots into MS-DOS 7.1, which includes real-mode CD-ROM drivers and MS-DOS utilities used to access a malfunctioning Windows 98 installation. Due to the number of files that must fit on a 1.44MB 3.5" disk, a RAMDrive is created and a compressed CAB file is extracted into the RAMDrive upon bootup.{{cite web|url=http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy29.htm|title=The Windows 98 Startup Disk|date=February 8, 2001|accessdate=September 15, 2013|author=Yabumoto, Kan|publisher=Pixelab}} | |
| August | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Caldera, Inc. creates two new subsidiaries, Caldera Systems, Inc., and Caldera Thin Clients, Inc. | |
| October | style="background: #ddffff;"|FreeDOS beta 0.2 is released. | |
| rowspan=7|1999 | January | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Caldera Thin Clients, Inc., releases Caldera DR-DOS 7.03 by Caldera UK, Ltd. |
| February | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Caldera, Inc., closes Caldera UK, Ltd. | |
| April | style="background: #ddffff;"|FreeDOS beta 0.3 is released. | |
| May | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Windows 98 Second Edition is released to manufacturing.[http://news.microsoft.com/1999/05/05/microsoft-windows-98-second-edition-released-to-manufacturing/ Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition Released to Manufacturing] It also comes with MS-DOS 7.1, which appears to be unchanged. | |
| July | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Caldera Thin Clients, Inc., becomes Lineo, Inc., who re-releases DR-DOS as Caldera DR-DOS 7.03. | |
| September | style="background: #ffefbf;"|PTS-DOS 2000 is released. | |
| November | style="background: #eaeaff;"|Versions of OEM DR-DOS branded 7.04/7.05 are released. | |
| rowspan=4|2000 | April | style="background: #ddffff;"|FreeDOS beta 0.4 is released. |
| August | style="background: #ddffff;"|FreeDOS beta 0.5 is released. | |
| August | style="background: #dcffdc;"|PC DOS 7.1 build 1.10.{{cite web |author-first=Vernon C. |author-last=Brooks |title=History of DOS |work=PC DOS Retro |url=https://pcdosretro.github.io/doshist.txt |access-date=2014-02-13 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221141546/https://sites.google.com/site/pcdosretro/doshist |archive-date=2020-02-21}} | |
| September | style="background: #ffcccc;"|Windows ME is released, identifying itself as MS-DOS 8.0. This is the last version of MS-DOS, as future versions of Windows would be based on the Windows NT architecture.[http://news.microsoft.com/2000/09/14/windows-me-microsoft-releases-new-operating-system-built-from-the-ground-up-for-home-pc-users/ Windows Me: Microsoft Releases New Operating System Built From the Ground Up for Home PC Users] Microsoft. |
2001–2022: Post-millennium
See also
Notes
{{notelist-ua}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.patersontech.com/dos/origins-of-dos.aspx Origins of DOS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506004555/http://www.patersontech.com/dos/origins-of-dos.aspx |date=2016-05-06 }}, Tim Paterson website
- [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DEEDD1630F93BA15756C0A96F958260 I.B.M. Executive Describes Price Pressure by Microsoft, New York Times, May 28, 1999]
- [//books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=IBM%2CMicrosoft&year_start=1975&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=6&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2CIBM%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2CMicrosoft%3B%2Cc0 IBM vs. Microsoft] Google Ngram Viewer
- [http://www.freedos.org/technotes/press/2000-drdos-hist.txt DR-DOS versions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410052452/http://www.freedos.org/technotes/press/2000-drdos-hist.txt |date=2016-04-10 }}
{{Timelines of computing}}
{{Disk operating systems}}