History of dos software#
History of dos code#

There are drop-down menus, scroll bars, icons, and dialog boxes that make programs easier to learn and use.

History of dos software#

Now, rather than typing MS‑DOS commands, you just move a mouse to point and click your way through screens, or “windows.” Bill Gates says, “It is unique software designed for the serious PC user…” On November 20, 1985, two years after the initial announcement, Microsoft ships Windows 1.0. Windows is announced in 1983, but it takes a while to develop.

History of dos code#

Interface Manager is the code name and is considered as the final name, but Windows prevails because it best describes the boxes or computing “windows” that are fundamental to the new system. Microsoft works on the first version of a new operating system. Geek trivia: MS‑DOS stands for Microsoft Disk Operating System. There has to be a better way to build an operating system. MS‑DOS is effective, but also proves difficult to understand for many people. Typing “C:” and various cryptic commands gradually becomes part of daily work.

When the IBM PC running MS‑DOS ships in 1981, it introduces a whole new language to the general public. They name their new operating system “MS‑DOS.” It’s the foundation on which computer programs can run. The next month, IBM approaches Microsoft about a project code-named “Chess.” In response, Microsoft focuses on a new operating system-the software that manages, or runs, the computer hardware and also serves to bridge the gap between the computer hardware and programs, such as a word processor. In June 1980, Gates and Allen hire Gates’ former Harvard classmate Steve Ballmer to help run the company. During the next years, Microsoft begins to change the ways we work. Like most start-ups, Microsoft begins small, but has a huge vision-a computer on every desktop and in every home. In 1975, Gates and Allen form a partnership called Microsoft. Few have heard of microcomputers, but two young computer enthusiasts, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, see that personal computing is a path to the future. If we need to copy a document, we likely use a mimeograph or carbon paper. Getting started: Microsoft co-founders Paul Allen (left) and Bill Gates Highlights from the first 46 years of Windows 1975–1981: Microsoft boots up