Z-DOS
{{Infobox OS
|name=Z-DOS
|logo=
|screenshot=
|caption=
|developer=Microsoft
|source_model=
|kernel_type=
|supported_platforms=Intel 8088, Zenith Z-100
|family=MS-DOS
|released=
|latest_release_version=
|latest_release_date=
|marketing_target=
|programmed_in=PL/M (BIOS)
|prog_language=
|language=English
|updatemodel=
|package_manager=N/A
|working_state=Historic, Unsupported
|license=Proprietary
|website=
}}
Z-DOS is a discontinued OEM version of Microsoft's MS-DOS specifically adapted to run on the hardware of the Zenith Z-100 personal computer.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}
Overview
Z-DOS is Zenith Data Systems's name for a version of Microsoft's MS-DOS operating system designed for the Zenith Z-100 computer.{{Cite magazine |last=Freiberger |first=Paul |date=1982-09-13 |title=Zenith challenges IBM's share of micro market |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EDAEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA35&pg=PA35#v=onepage&q&f=true |access-date=2025-03-19 |magazine=InfoWorld |page=35}} The Z-100 uses a 8086-family microprocessor, (the Intel 8088), but otherwise has a completely different internal architecture from the IBM PC.
Microsoft's MS-DOS was not specifically designed to any specific hardware platform, but can be tailored to run on most any system as long as it uses a 8086-compatible microprocessor, a situation similar to CP/M, which typically uses a 8080-compatible (8080, 8085 and Z80 among others) microprocessor. In order to achieve this, MS-DOS, like CP/M, relies on a platform-specific (DOS-)BIOS, which is written for the target machine, so that the hardware-independent DOS kernel can run on it. Beside IBM's OEM version of MS-DOS released as PC DOS there are dozens of other OEM versions of MS-DOS designed for a specific non-IBM-compatible OEM hardware—among them Zenith's Z-DOS.
When almost 100% IBM-compatible clones became the norm, "MS-DOS" became the generic version which could run on most of them. Later such generic versions of MS-DOS cannot run on older non-IBM-compatible machines like the Z-100.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Microsoft operating systems}}
{{Disk operating systems}}
Category:Disk operating systems