Guru Guy's Vintage Computer Software Shop
DOS, PC (IBM) DOS, DR DOS, NOVELL DOS & MS-DOS
Not only are old IBM DOS (branded PC-DOS) and MS-DOS Collections for sale, but extremely rare NOVELL DOS and DR DOS (Digital Research DOS) software is available as well-preserved retail-boxed editions!
Computer software history really started with the evolution of DOS (Disk Operating System) which made for the first time a platform available for home-buyers and enthusiasts to able to operate a PC and purchase and install commercial software!
Guru Guy hopes most of this will end up in a well deserving Museum so curators please be in touch!
Below are the following items for sale:
PC DOS 3.1
MS-DOS 3.3
IBM DOS 4.0
MS-DOS 4.01
DR DOS (Digital Research) 5.0
IBM DOS 5.0
MS-DOS 6.0 Upgrade
PC DOS 7.0
NOVELL DOS 7.0
<-- Shop HomepageCheaper versions are available as OEM editions (non-retail boxed editions). If you are interested in these, please contact Guru Guy to find out more...
Trivia: Development of MSDOS/PCDOS began in October 1980, when IBM began searching the market for an operating system for the yet-to-be-introduced IBM PC. IBM had originally intended to use Digital Research's DOS, but later struck a deal with Microsoft who wrote MSDOS 1.0 was later quality tested by IBM. IBM found over 300 bugs in the OS, so re-wrote the program and released the software as PC DOS 1.0. This is why PC DOS is copyrighted by both IBM and Microsoft.
PC DOS 3.1
Released: March 1985This was the first version of DOS to provide network support, and provides some new functions to handle networking.
Condition Item is in used second hand condition, but considering its age this is very good. RARE - 24 years old now!!! Contents Media (5.25" disks) in IBM Ring-Binder consisting of User Manual. Very large set - around 1.8kgs! Price £69.99 + Postage; Contact to buy now. ^ Back to Top ^
[Not currently available]
Released: April 1987
"For Personal Computers 100% Compatible with IBM Personal Computers".
Released with the IBM PS/2 this version included support for the High Density (1.44MB) 3.5" disks (v3.2 only supported 720K disks). It also supported hard disk partitions, splitting a hard disk into 2 or more logical drives, code page switching, improved foreign language support, some new function calls and support for the AT's CMOS clock
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IBM DOS 4.0
Released: July 1988This version reflected increases in hardware capabilities, it supported hard drives greater than 32 MB (up to 2 GB), an integrated disk cache, EMS memory support and a graphical file management shell. IBM was the first to release this before Microsoft's 4.0 debut in October 1988. Read more on Trivia...
Condition This is a full set in good condition! a few minor marks here and there, but remember this is now 21 years old!
Contents 2x 3.5" Media (version 4.01), Manual Booklet in ringbinder, Hard Retail Box Case. Price £99.99 + Postage; Contact to buy now. ^ Back to Top ^
Released: November 1988
This was the last OS to include a copy of "linker", "gw-basic", and the last version of the pre-windows era!Trivia: This version was not properly tested and was bug ridden, causing system crashes and loss of data. The original release was IBM's, but Microsoft's version 4.0 (in October) was no better and version 4.01 was released (in November) to correct this, then version 4.01a (in April 1989) as a further improvement. However many people could not trust this and reverted to version 3.3 while they waited for the complete re-write (version 5 - 3 years later). Beta's of Microsoft's version 4.0 were apparently shipped as early as 1986.
Customer complaints began soon after the OS was released. Many of the bugs caused severe data loss and corruption, making the OS unacceptable for use in nearly any environment. Most people purchasing new computers in this era would demand that DOS 3.3 be installed. That previous version was considered rock-solid, and people would often pay a higher price for the "privilege" of a lower version.
Infamous bugs include: The RAM Disk was severely flawed, and would often lose data, a poor buffer setting would cause severe disk corruption when dealing with files larger than 32 megabytes. Even such basic features as getting a directory listing were buggy, with the OS randomly causing the dir command to beep whenever it gave a listing.
Condition This is a complete original, unopened sealed box in very good condition.
Contents 5.25" Media, Manuals, License. Price £99.99 + Postage; Contact to buy now. ^ Back to Top ^
DR (Digital Research) DOS 5.0Released: May 1990
DR DOS Version 4 was skipped to avoid being associated with the relatively unpopular MS-DOS 4.0. 5.0 version introduced ViewMAX, a GEM based GUI file management shell, and bundled disk-caching software, and also offers vastly improved memory management.
DR-DOS 5 was the first DOS to integrate such functionality into the base OS (loading device drivers into upper memory blocks was possible using QEMM and MS-DOS). As such, on a 386 system, it could offer vastly more free conventional memory than any other DOS.^ Back to Top ^
Condition Retail box shows its age, some wear on edges but contents as new.
Contents 3.5" Media, Manuals etc. Price £79.99 + Postage; Contact to buy now.
IBM DOS 5.0
Released: June 1991
This version was a major upgrade and marked the end of collaboration between Microsoft and IBM on DOS.
It allowed parts of DOS to load itself in the high memory area and certain device drivers and TSRs to run in the unused parts of the upper memory area between 640K and 1024K. This version also added support for IBM's new 2.88 MB floppy disks. An improved BASIC interpreter and text editor were included, as was a disk cache, an undelete utility and a hard-disk partition-table backup program. After the problems with MS-DOS 4, it also provided a utility to make programs think they were running on a different version of MS-DOS.
Condition This is brand new still! It is also very very rare as it is the 5.0 version, not the 5.02 etc. correcting bug fixes. Contents Media (3.5" disks), manuals etc. Price £129.99 + Postage; Contact to buy now. ^ Back to Top ^
Released: March 1993
This was a catchup with DR DOS' 6.0, which included a Hard-Disk compression program called DoubleSpace, but a small computing company called 'Stac' claimed that DoubleSpace was partly a copy of their Compression Program, Stacker. After paying damages Microsoft withdrew DoubleSpace from MS-DOS 6.2, releasing a new program - DriveSpace - with MS-DOS version 6.22. In operation and programming interface DriveSpace remains virtually identical to DoubleSpace. It also included an anti-virus and a disk defragmenter program, move command, improved backup and multiple boot configurations.
Memory management was also improved by the addition of MEMMAKER. A number of older utilities, such as JOIN and RECOVER were removed. The DOS Shell was released separately as Microsoft felt that there were too many disks included in the package as it was.
Condition Brand new, sealed retail boxed software! May show the odd dent and crease but unopened. Contents 3.5" Media, Manuals etc. Price £59.99 + Postage; Contact to buy now.
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PC DOS 7.0
Released: February 1995
IBM PC DOS 7 has been designed for all types of users who need an efficient single tasking personal computer operating system. It incorporates many new utilities such as anti-virus software, comprehensive backup programs, PCMCIA support and DOS Pen extensions.
Also incorporated are new features to enhance the available memory and disk space.
PC DOS Version 7 requires less conventional memory than DOS 6.X versions, support for docking stations and the REXX programming language.
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Condition This is a used retail box edition, which has some dents and minor wear, but the manual is missing, hence reduced price.
Contents 3.5" Media, Manuals, license agreement etc. Price £129.99 £49.99 + Postage; Contact to buy now.
NOVELL DOS 7.0
Novell bought Digital Research with a view to using DR's product line as a lever in their comprehensive strategy to break the Microsoft monopoly.
This was the last OS to include a copy of "linker", "gw-basic", and the last version of the pre-windows era!
The planned DR-DOS 7.0, intended to trump Microsoft's troubled MS-DOS 6.0, was repeatedly delayed. When it eventually arrived, renamed Novell DOS 7, it was a disappointment. It was larger and introduced many new bugs, and the main functional addition was Novell's second attempt at a peer-to-peer networking system, Personal Netware. This worked and was better than its predecessor, Netware Lite, but it was incompatible with Microsoft's networking system, now growing popular with support in Windows for Workgroups, OS/2 and Windows NT.
Novell DOS 7 required several bug-fix releases and was not completely stable when the next development occurred. Realising eventually that their formidable networking skills did not translate into other areas, Novell sold the product line off to Caldera Systems in 1996, by which time it was of little commercial value.
Condition This is a complete original but opened (as pictured). Considering its rarity this is in very good condition!
Contents 3.5" Media, Manuals, License, registration card etc. Price £99.99 + Postage; Contact to buy now. ^ Back to Top ^
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