Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
tion assured that IBM captured a reasonable percentage of the per
sonalcomputer market.
Of course, any computer hardware requires an operating system.
Rather than write its own, however, IBM decided to utilize one avail
able from Bill Gates and collaborators (i.e., Microsoft). Thus, in
August 1981, Microsoft released MSDOS 1.0, the first operating sys
tem for the IBM personal computer. Subsequently, new developments
by IBM were accompanied by corresponding expansions of the
Microsoft operating system. For example, Microsoft released DOS 2.0
in 1983, when IBM developed a hard disk for its personal computers.
Microsoft also became very effective in expanding the capabili
ties of its operating systems in response to developments in the com
puting field. For example, in the 1980s, Apple produced a very ef
fective, easytouse graphical interface for its Macintosh computers.
By 1990, Microsoft had developed Windows 3.0—its own version
of a
graphical user interface
(
GUI
).
Within the marketplace, the combination of compatible models
of hardware (IBM compatibles) and a uniform operating system
(Microsoft DOS and then Windows) solved many previous prob
lems. Users could share data files from one computer to another; de
velopers could write applications that would reliably run on many
brands of computers, producing a remarkable range of programs for
the market; competition in the market kept costs under control; and
users could mix hardware and software to meet their specific needs.
Altogether, Microsoft with IBM was extremely creative in unify
ing much of the personalcomputing market, and Microsoft aggres
sively promoted and developed its operating system and software.
The fractured markets of the 1970s have given way to the more uni
form environments of the 2000s, in which compatibility and sharing
are vital components of a computing network. Microsoft's early role
with IBM certainly is an important element in its dominance today.
Why can't a Windows machine read a Macintosh or
can read a Windows disk?
Already we have observed that the purpose of an operating
system is to streamline the running of applications for users and to
