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From: pozar@hoptoad.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.m68k,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Minor historical point: the origin of ms-dos
Message-ID: <1694@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: Thu, 29-Jan-87 14:07:18 EST
Article-I.D.: hoptoad.1694
Posted: Thu Jan 29 14:07:18 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Jan-87 06:45:30 EST
References: <8520@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> <1270@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> <14439@amdcad.UUCP> <1486@rayssdb.RAY.COM>
Reply-To: pozar@hoptoad.UUCP (Tim Pozar)
Organization: Syncstream (San Francisco)
Lines: 35
Xref: watmath comp.sys.amiga:1772 comp.sys.mac:1019 comp.sys.m68k:189 comp.sys.ibm.pc:1246

In article <1486@rayssdb.RAY.COM> rxb@rayssdb.RAY.COM (Richard A. Brooks) writes:
>
>   As I remember the story....
>
>    IBM originally contacted Digital Research with the intent to use
>      CPM in thier PC's. However, Digital Research required a VERY STEEP
>      licensing fee, So IBM went elsewhere!  
>
>      Enter MicroSoft, who realized that if IBM's PC took-off (could any-
>      thing with the IBM name floop??) they would be assured of a continued
>      demand for MS-DOS for many years to come!! This , coupled with thier
>      already popular MS-BASIC, proved to be Microsoft's best move ever.

      MS-DOS was orginally "86-DOS" by Seattle Computer Products, Inc.  
MicroSoft licensed it from them.  
      86-DOS was simular to CP/M but had some major advantages.  There was
(and still is) a programme called COMMAND.  There was much better file 
managment.  SCP had/has a "I/O divice handler"  which could add devices on the
fly.  A far step ahead of CP/M.
      86-DOS had (with v 0.3) only 42 functions.  Most were compatible with 
CP/M.   Directories were not available, and looking at the manual, neither 
were User Areas (ala CP/M 2.2).
      I think I heard that SCP sued Microsoft to recover the rights?
Does any one remember what happend?

-- 
        Tim Pozar
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