Glossary Entry: DOS

Definition

DOS, short for Disk Operating System, was one of the earliest operating systems available for home computers. Microsoft's version, known as MS-DOS, was the most popular variant, and was little more than a command line.

MS-DOS was later replaced by Microsoft Windows. While early versions of Windows were able to run DOS programs, this ability was later dropped. Today, you'll need to use a DOS emulator or a virtual machine running a DOS operating system in order to run those old programs.


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