Microsoft makes source code of MS-DOS for public free access

The source code of the operating systems MS- DOS 1:25 and 2.0 and the word processor Word for Windows 1.1a can be viewed or downloaded from the website of the Computer History Museum. Microsoft handed over the source code for the benefit of future generation. With the handover of the source code if future generations can study the roots of the personal computing, Microsoft justifies his action.

The Museum in Mountain View, California, was previously also passed Apple's first DOS as well as the source of Adobe Photoshop 1.0. Microsoft's MS -DOS was commissioned by IBM. The future Windows manufacturer licensed the base of the operating system from Seattle Computer Products and developed it according to the wishes of the PC manufacturer IBM.

There it was delivered under the name PC -DOS on PCs. Other producers have launched the operating system under the name MS -DOS on their own computer. The entire assembler source code of PC-DOS 1.1 or MS- DOS includes only 1:25 300 Kbytes and 12 Kbytes needed in memory. PC-DOS 1.1 was released in May 1982, the appropriate version of MS- DOS 1:25 first appeared and in August of that same year it appeared on the double-sided diskette with 360 Kbytes.

MS- DOS 2.0 was released in March 1983, after Microsoft had largely developed the operating system. The device drivers were loaded individually, and save files in the newly created subdirectories. In addition, MS -DOS 2.0 supported 10 MB of hard drives stuffed in the PC - XT computer from IBM.

Word for Windows 1.1a was almost simultaneously published in November 1989 with Windows 2:11. It was next to Microsoft Excel and PageMaker, Adobe is one of the first applications for the fledgling operating system with graphical user interface. Meanwhile, the server of the Computer History Museum can be reached again and the source code can be downloaded. He is under a special license that allows you to compile and modify for a non commercial use.