Microsoft Disk Operating System (DOS)

                                       

What is MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System)?

MS-DOS  stands for Microsoft Disk Operating System and is also known as Microsoft DOS. MS-DOS was the Microsoft-marketed version of the first operating system(OS) to be widely installed on personal computers(PCs).

In 1981, IBM licensed and marketed its PC-DOS rebranding of MS-DOS to run IBM PCs. MS-DOS was released for x86 computer, went through eight major versions and was ultimately retired form all active support in 2006.

Most users of either DOS system simply referred to it as Disk Operating System. 

Like PC-DOS, MS-DOS is non-graphical, Line-oriented, command-driven OS, It has a relatively simple but not overly friendly user interface. 

Its Prompt to enter an MS-DOS Command looks Like this:

C:> 

The default command prompt shows the disk drive currently in use. This type of computer interface, where commands are input in response to a text prompt, is called a command-line interface(CLI)

What is the used of MS-DOS ?

Although most  computer users prefer a modern OPERATING SYSTEM with a GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE(GUI), there are still reasons to use MS-DOS. Some of these include the following :

Education and Research:- Efforts let people learn about how a simple Operating System works. Source code is available from Microsoft for two MS-DOS versions emulators and  Operating Systems providing MS-DOS functionality also enable learning about the OS.

Embedded Systems:- Embedded System depend on MS-DOS, especially for new devices that still use x86 processor architecture. MS-DOS is also used on legacy embedded devices, some of which have been in the field for decades. In  some case, These embedded systems can be updated to run up-to-date versions of compatible OS.

Classic older computer games:-  are still in use that were developed and supported only on MS-DOS.

User Inertia:- the preference to skip all updates drives some people and organizations to continue using MS-DOS.