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MS-DOS

The main operating system for IBM PC compatibles in the 1980s, released by IBM in 1981 as PC DOS 1.0.

Microsoft developed MS-DOS for x86-based personal computers. IBM licensed it and released it in 1981 as PC DOS 1.0 for the IBM Personal Computer.

It targeted Intel 8086 processors and used floppy disks to store the system, programs and data. Microsoft and IBM developed their versions in parallel at first. The two products diverged after twelve years, in 1993.

Why it matters

MS-DOS was the main operating system for IBM PC compatibles during the 1980s. Operating systems with a graphical interface, such as Microsoft Windows, gradually replaced it.

Key facts

  • Released by IBM in 1981 as PC DOS 1.0.
  • Made for x86 personal computers.
  • Initially targeted Intel 8086 processors and floppy disks.
  • Main system for IBM PC compatibles in the 1980s.
  • Competing DR-DOS appeared in 1988.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "MS-DOS", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS-DOS, accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. Wikipedia, "Microsoft", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft, background reading, accessed October 14, 2026.