What is MS-DOS?
MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) was developed by Microsoft and IBM and released in 1981 as the operating system for the earliest IBM Personal Computers. It was based on 86-DOS, which was designed for Intel 8080/8085-based computers. MS-DOS is a single-tasking, single-user operating system that uses a command line interface to execute commands and run applications. It was the dominant operating system for personal computers throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s, before being overtaken by more modern graphical operating systems like Windows 95.
Some key features of MS-DOS included a file system with hierarchical directories, the ability to redirect input/output, pipes to connect multiple commands, batch files to automate tasks, and device drivers to control hardware. Common commands in MS-DOS included DIR to list files, COPY to copy files, DEL to delete files, and other basic file management and utilities. It required very limited system resources which made it useful on early PCs.
While MS-DOS is no longer used as a standalone operating system, the command line interface and batch scripting capabilities influenced later operating systems. MS-DOS paved the way for modern OSes by introducing basic features and establishing standards during the initial growth phase of personal computers.