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Hub AI
DR-DOS AI simulator
(@DR-DOS_simulator)
Hub AI
DR-DOS AI simulator
(@DR-DOS_simulator)
DR-DOS
DR-DOS is a disk operating system for IBM PC compatibles, originally developed by Gary A. Kildall's Digital Research, Inc. and derived from Concurrent PC DOS 6.0, which was an advanced successor of CP/M-86. Upon its introduction in 1988, it was the first DOS that attempted to be compatible with IBM PC DOS and MS-DOS.
Its first release was version 3.31, named so that it would match MS-DOS's then-current version. DR DOS 5.0 was released in 1990 as the first to be sold in retail; it was critically acclaimed and led to DR DOS becoming the main rival to Microsoft's MS-DOS, who quickly responded with its own MS-DOS 5.0 but releasing over a year later. It introduced a graphical user interface layer called ViewMAX. DR DOS 6.0 was released in 1991; then with Novell's acquisition of Digital Research, the following version was named Novell DOS 7.0 in 1994. After another sale, to Caldera, updated versions were released partly open-source under the Caldera moniker, and briefly as OpenDOS. The last version for desktops, Caldera DR-DOS 7.03, was released in 1999, after which the software was sold to Embedded Systems by Caldera and then by DeviceLogics.
Digital Research's original CP/M for the 8-bit Intel 8080- and Z80-based systems spawned numerous spin-off versions, most notably CP/M-86 for the Intel 8086/8088 family of processors. Although CP/M had dominated the market since the mid-1970s, and was shipped with the vast majority of non-proprietary-architecture personal computers, the IBM PC in 1981 brought the beginning of what was eventually to be a massive change.
IBM originally approached Digital Research in 1980, seeking an x86 version of CP/M. However, there were disagreements over the contract, and IBM withdrew. Instead, a deal was struck with Microsoft, who purchased another operating system, 86-DOS, from Seattle Computer Products (SCP). This became Microsoft MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS. 86-DOS's command structure and application programming interface imitated that of CP/M 2.2 (with BDOS 2.2). Digital Research threatened legal action, claiming PC DOS/MS-DOS to be too similar to CP/M. In early 1982, IBM settled by agreeing to sell Digital Research's x86 version of CP/M, CP/M-86, alongside PC DOS. However, PC DOS sold for US$40 while CP/M-86 had a $240 price tag. The proportion of PC buyers prepared to spend six times as much to buy CP/M-86 was very small, and the limited availability of compatible application software, at first in Digital Research's favor, was only temporary.
Digital Research fought a long losing battle to promote CP/M-86 and its multi-tasking multi-user successors MP/M-86 and Concurrent CP/M-86, and eventually decided that they could not beat the Microsoft-IBM lead in application software availability, so they modified Concurrent CP/M-86 to allow it to run the same applications as MS-DOS and PC DOS.
This was shown publicly in December 1983 and shipped in March 1984 as Concurrent DOS 3.1 (a.k.a. CDOS with BDOS 3.1) to hardware vendors. While Concurrent DOS continued to evolve in various flavors over the years to eventually become Multiuser DOS and REAL/32, it was not specifically tailored for the desktop market and too expensive for single-user applications. Therefore, over time two attempts were made to sideline the product:
In 1985, Digital Research developed DOS Plus 1.0 to 2.1, a stripped-down and modified single-user derivative of Concurrent DOS 4.1 and 5.0, which ran applications for both platforms, and allowed switching between several tasks as did the original CP/M-86. Its DOS compatibility was limited, and Digital Research made another attempt, this time a native DOS system. This new disk operating system was launched in 1988 as DR DOS.
Although DRI was based in Pacific Grove and later in Monterey, California, USA, the work on DOS Plus started in Newbury, Berkshire in the UK, where Digital Research Europe had its OEM Support Group located since 1983. Beginning in 1986, most of the operating system work on Concurrent DOS 386 and XM, Multiuser DOS, DR DOS and PalmDOS was done in Digital Research's European Development Centre (EDC) in Hungerford, Berkshire. Later on some work was also done by Digital Research GmbH in Munich, Germany.
DR-DOS
DR-DOS is a disk operating system for IBM PC compatibles, originally developed by Gary A. Kildall's Digital Research, Inc. and derived from Concurrent PC DOS 6.0, which was an advanced successor of CP/M-86. Upon its introduction in 1988, it was the first DOS that attempted to be compatible with IBM PC DOS and MS-DOS.
Its first release was version 3.31, named so that it would match MS-DOS's then-current version. DR DOS 5.0 was released in 1990 as the first to be sold in retail; it was critically acclaimed and led to DR DOS becoming the main rival to Microsoft's MS-DOS, who quickly responded with its own MS-DOS 5.0 but releasing over a year later. It introduced a graphical user interface layer called ViewMAX. DR DOS 6.0 was released in 1991; then with Novell's acquisition of Digital Research, the following version was named Novell DOS 7.0 in 1994. After another sale, to Caldera, updated versions were released partly open-source under the Caldera moniker, and briefly as OpenDOS. The last version for desktops, Caldera DR-DOS 7.03, was released in 1999, after which the software was sold to Embedded Systems by Caldera and then by DeviceLogics.
Digital Research's original CP/M for the 8-bit Intel 8080- and Z80-based systems spawned numerous spin-off versions, most notably CP/M-86 for the Intel 8086/8088 family of processors. Although CP/M had dominated the market since the mid-1970s, and was shipped with the vast majority of non-proprietary-architecture personal computers, the IBM PC in 1981 brought the beginning of what was eventually to be a massive change.
IBM originally approached Digital Research in 1980, seeking an x86 version of CP/M. However, there were disagreements over the contract, and IBM withdrew. Instead, a deal was struck with Microsoft, who purchased another operating system, 86-DOS, from Seattle Computer Products (SCP). This became Microsoft MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS. 86-DOS's command structure and application programming interface imitated that of CP/M 2.2 (with BDOS 2.2). Digital Research threatened legal action, claiming PC DOS/MS-DOS to be too similar to CP/M. In early 1982, IBM settled by agreeing to sell Digital Research's x86 version of CP/M, CP/M-86, alongside PC DOS. However, PC DOS sold for US$40 while CP/M-86 had a $240 price tag. The proportion of PC buyers prepared to spend six times as much to buy CP/M-86 was very small, and the limited availability of compatible application software, at first in Digital Research's favor, was only temporary.
Digital Research fought a long losing battle to promote CP/M-86 and its multi-tasking multi-user successors MP/M-86 and Concurrent CP/M-86, and eventually decided that they could not beat the Microsoft-IBM lead in application software availability, so they modified Concurrent CP/M-86 to allow it to run the same applications as MS-DOS and PC DOS.
This was shown publicly in December 1983 and shipped in March 1984 as Concurrent DOS 3.1 (a.k.a. CDOS with BDOS 3.1) to hardware vendors. While Concurrent DOS continued to evolve in various flavors over the years to eventually become Multiuser DOS and REAL/32, it was not specifically tailored for the desktop market and too expensive for single-user applications. Therefore, over time two attempts were made to sideline the product:
In 1985, Digital Research developed DOS Plus 1.0 to 2.1, a stripped-down and modified single-user derivative of Concurrent DOS 4.1 and 5.0, which ran applications for both platforms, and allowed switching between several tasks as did the original CP/M-86. Its DOS compatibility was limited, and Digital Research made another attempt, this time a native DOS system. This new disk operating system was launched in 1988 as DR DOS.
Although DRI was based in Pacific Grove and later in Monterey, California, USA, the work on DOS Plus started in Newbury, Berkshire in the UK, where Digital Research Europe had its OEM Support Group located since 1983. Beginning in 1986, most of the operating system work on Concurrent DOS 386 and XM, Multiuser DOS, DR DOS and PalmDOS was done in Digital Research's European Development Centre (EDC) in Hungerford, Berkshire. Later on some work was also done by Digital Research GmbH in Munich, Germany.
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