What is DOS?
An acronym for Disk Operating System, in a general sense, DOS refers to just about any operating system. More commonly, it describes the operating system Microsoft developed in 1981 for IBM’s line of personal computers. Though syntactically distinct, DOS shares similarities with a Unix shell. It has a command-line interface and analogs to many common Unix commands. However, DOS is a 16-bit, single-user operating system that does not support multi-tasking. It is far easier to administer than Unix, but less powerful. Compared to graphical interfaces such as Windows and Mac OS X, it’s also not particularly user-friendly. With the development of Windows, MS-DOS has faded in importance. However, you can still run some DOS commands at the command prompt in current versions of Windows, which can be useful in situations where a graphical interface is less efficient. See What are some examples of common DOS commands?
DOS stands for Disk Operating System. DOS controls the computer s hardware and provides an environment for programs to run. This system program must always be present when working with your computer. Why You Need DOS There are a variety of reasons why you need DOS. A few of them are listed below to satisfy your curiosity. 1. DOS controls the flow of information between you and the computer (translator). 2. DOS allows you to store information on your computer. 3. DOS allows you to retrieve information stored on your computer. 4. DOS interprets and translates the software you have on your computer. 5. DOS gives you access to all its function (i.e. saving, copying, and printing files). Set the Date and Time Most computers on campus have an internal clock that will automatically set the date and time for you when you turn the computer on.
DOS is a Disk Operating System, that means it’s an OS that uses a disk. Operating systems for IBM PCs since the early 1980s were called DOS. DOS consists of the command prompt, mostly command.com and two kernelfiles. That’s a basic DOS system. DOS was a mainstream OS until Windows 95 (which also uses DOS, btw) threw it off the market.
MS-DOS is a “Disk Operating System”. That means it is simply: “a System for Operating the Disks”, (but MS-SOD doesn’t sound as nice). In practice however, just as Windows does more than just print windows, DOS does more than just operate the disks: It enables the user to organise data files, load and execute (run) program files, and control the input and output devices attached to the computer. There are other brands of DOS besides the most well known “MS-DOS”, ie: PC-DOS, DR-DOS/OPENDOS. Generally speaking, they will all function in the same way, especially at the most simple level. What is Booting? To run DOS on a computer, it should be the first program to be executed when the computer is switched on. This led to a problem for the designers: “How can DOS be loaded and executed when there is no DOS program running to load and execute *it*??!!”. Well, just as the fictional Baron Munchausen managed to pull himself up by his own bootstraps, the computer manages this seemingly impossible
