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Self-booting
A self-booting disk is a floppy disk for home computers or personal computers that loads directly into a standalone application when the system is turned on, bypassing the operating system. This was common, standard, on some computers in the late 1970s to early 1990s. Video games were the type of application most commonly distributed using this technique. The term "PC booter" is sometimes used in reference to self-booting software for IBM PC compatibles. On other systems, like the Apple II and Atari 8-bit computers, almost all software is self-booting. On the IBM PC, the distinction is between a self-booting program and one which is started by the user via an operating system such as MS-DOS or IBM PC DOS. The term "PC booter" was not contemporaneous with when self-booting games were being released. Purpose On some home computers like the Apple II, software is loaded by inserting a floppy disk and turning on or resetting the machine. It's analogous to cartridges on game console ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Self-booting IBM PC Compatible Games
Many IBM PC compatible games released between 1981 and about 1990 were Self-booting disk, self-booting and did not use MS-DOS, IBM PC DOS, or compatible disk operating systems. The phrase "IBM PC compatible self-booting disk" is sometimes shortened to "PC booter". Self-booting disks were common for other computers as well. These games were distributed on " or, later, ", floppy disks that Booting, booted directly, meaning once they were inserted in the drive and the computer was turned on, a minimal, custom operating system on the diskette took over. This was used as a form of Copy protection#Copy protection for computer software, copy protection until it became obsolete as games grew larger. Due to Data degradation, bit rot, original working versions of these floppy disks are rare. Some have been porting, ported to other operating systems. See also * Lists of video games * Index of DOS games {{Video game lists by platform Lists of PC games, Booter games Lists of video ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apple II
Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed by Steve Wozniak and was first sold on June 10, 1977. Its success led to it being followed by the Apple II Plus, Apple IIe, Apple IIc, and Apple IIc Plus, with the 1983 IIe being the most popular. The name is trademarked with square brackets as Apple ][, then, beginning with the IIe, as Apple //. The Apple II was a major advancement over its predecessor, the Apple I, in terms of ease of use, features, and expandability. It became one of several recognizable and successful computers throughout the 1980s, although this was mainly limited to the US. It was aggressively marketed through volume discounts and manufacturing arrangements to educational institutions, which made it the first computer in widespread use in American secondary ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
DR-WebSpyder
DR-WebSpyder is a DOS web browser, mail client and operating system runtime environment that was developed by Caldera UK in 1997. It was based on the DR-DOS operating system and networking components from Novell as well as the Arachne web browser by Michal Polák of xChaos software. The system was designed to run on low-end desktop systems, but being able to boot and execute from disk as well as from ROM or network, it was also tailored for x86-based thin clients and embedded systems with or without disk drives. Using the web browser as its principal user interface, it could be also used for kiosk systems and set-top boxes. It was ported to Linux in 1999 under the name Embrowser and was renamed Embedix Browser in 2000. NIOS and IOS DR-WebSpyder was originally conceived as project NIOS (Novell Internet Operating System) at Novell's European Development Centre (EDC), UK in 1994 by then DR-DOS engineer Roger Alan Gross, who was working on Novell's Embedded Systems Technology ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GeoWorks Ensemble
GEOS (later renamed GeoWorks Ensemble, NewDeal Office, and Breadbox Ensemble) is a computer operating environment, graphical user interface (GUI), and suite of application software. Originally released as PC/GEOS, it runs on MS-DOS-based, IBM PC compatible computers. Versions for some handheld platforms were also released and licensed to some companies. PC/GEOS was first created by Berkeley Softworks, which later became GeoWorks Corporation. Version 4.0 was developed in 2001 by Breadbox Computer Company, limited liability company (LLC), and was renamed Breadbox Ensemble. In 2015, Frank Fischer, the CEO of Breadbox, died and efforts on the operating system stopped until later in 2017 when it was bought by blueway.Softworks. PC/GEOS should not be confused with the 8-bit GEOS product from the same company, which runs on the Commodore 64 and Apple II. PC/GEOS GeoWorks Ensemble In 1990, GeoWorks (formerly Berkeley Softworks) released PC/GEOS for IBM PC compatible system ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
CP/M-86
CP/M-86 is a discontinued version of the CP/M operating system that Digital Research (DR) made for the Intel 8086 and Intel 8088. The system commands are the same as in CP/M-80. Executable files used the relocatable .CMD file format. Digital Research also produced a multi-user multitasking operating system compatible with CP/M-86, MP/M-86, which later evolved into Concurrent CP/M-86. When an emulator was added to provide PC DOS compatibility, the system was renamed Concurrent DOS, which later became Multiuser DOS, of which REAL/32 is the latest incarnation. The FlexOS, DOS Plus, and DR DOS families of operating systems started as derivations of Concurrent DOS as well. History Digital Research's CP/M-86 was originally announced to be released in November 1979, but was delayed repeatedly. When IBM contacted other companies to obtain components for the IBM PC, the as-yet unreleased CP/M-86 was its first choice for an operating system because CP/M had the most applica ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Device Driver
In the context of an operating system, a device driver is a computer program that operates or controls a particular type of device that is attached to a computer or automaton. A driver provides a software interface to hardware devices, enabling operating systems and other computer programs to access hardware functions without needing to know precise details about the hardware being used. A driver communicates with the device through the computer bus or communications subsystem to which the hardware connects. When a calling program invokes a routine in the driver, the driver issues commands to the device (drives it). Once the device sends data back to the driver, the driver may invoke routines in the original calling program. Drivers are hardware dependent and operating-system-specific. They usually provide the interrupt handling required for any necessary asynchronous time-dependent hardware interface. Purpose The main purpose of device drivers is to provide abstraction b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boot Diskette
A boot disk is a removable Computer data storage, digital data storage medium from which a computer can load and run (booting, boot) an operating system or utility program. The computer must have a built-in program which will load and execute a program from a boot disk meeting certain standards. While almost all modern computers can boot from a hard drive containing the operating system and other software, they would not normally be called boot disks (because they are not removable media). Fixed drives (such as hard drives) that are bootable may be called ''boot drives''. CD-ROMs are the most common forms of media used, but other media, such as magnetic or paper tape drives, ZIP drives, and more recently USB flash drives can be used. The computer's BIOS must support booting from the device in question. One can make one's own ''boot disk'' (typically done to prepare for when the system won't start properly). Uses Boot disks are used for: * Operating system installation * Data re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAM Disk
A RAM drive (also called a RAM disk) is a block of random-access memory ( primary storage or volatile memory) that a computer's software is treating as if the memory were a disk drive (secondary storage). RAM drives provide high-performance temporary storage for demanding tasks and protect non-volatile storage devices from wearing down, since RAM is not prone to wear from writing, unlike non-volatile flash memory. It is sometimes referred to as a virtual RAM drive or software RAM drive to distinguish it from a hardware RAM drive that uses separate hardware containing RAM, which is a type of battery-backed solid-state drive. Historically primary storage based mass storage devices were conceived to bridge the performance gap between internal memory and secondary storage devices. In the advent of solid-state devices this advantage lost most of its appeal. However, solid-state devices do suffer from wear from frequent writing. Primary memory writes do not so or in far lesser eff ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
DR-DOS 7
DR-DOS is a disk operating system for IBM PC compatibles, originally developed by Gary A. Kildall's Digital Research, Inc. and derived from Concurrent PC DOS 6.0, which was an advanced successor of CP/M-86. Upon its introduction in 1988, it was the first DOS that attempted to be compatible with IBM PC DOS and MS-DOS. Its first release was version 3.31, named so that it would match MS-DOS's then-current version. DR DOS 5.0 was released in 1990 as the first to be sold in retail; it was critically acclaimed and led to DR DOS becoming the main rival to Microsoft's MS-DOS, who quickly responded with its own MS-DOS 5.0 but releasing over a year later. It introduced a graphical user interface layer called ViewMAX. DR DOS 6.0 was released in 1991; then with Novell's acquisition of Digital Research, the following version was named Novell DOS 7.0 in 1994. After another sale, to Caldera, updated versions were released partly open-source under the Caldera moniker, and briefly as Open ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
DOS Protected Mode Interface
In computing, the DOS Protected Mode Interface (DPMI) is a specification introduced in 1989 which allows a DOS program to run in protected mode, giving access to many features of the new PC processors of the time not available in real mode. It was initially developed by Microsoft for Windows 3.0, although Microsoft later turned control of the specification over to an industry committee with open membership. Almost all modern DOS extenders are based on DPMI and allow DOS programs to address all memory available in the PC and to run in protected mode (mostly in ring (computer security), ring 3, least privileged). Overview DPMI stands for DOS Protected Mode Interface. It is an API that allows a program to run in protected mode on 80286 series and later processors, and do the calls to real mode without having to set up these CPU modes manually. DPMI also provides the functions for managing various resources, notably Computer Memory, memory. This allows the DPMI-enabled programs to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caldera UK
DR-DOS is a disk operating system for IBM PC compatibles, originally developed by Gary A. Kildall's Digital Research, Digital Research, Inc. and derived from Concurrent PC DOS 6.0, which was an advanced successor of CP/M-86. Upon its introduction in 1988, it was the first DOS that attempted to be Binary compatibility, compatible with IBM PC DOS and MS-DOS. Its first release was version 3.31, named so that it would match MS-DOS's then-current version. DR DOS 5.0 was released in 1990 as the first to be sold in retail; it was critically acclaimed and led to DR DOS becoming the main rival to Microsoft's MS-DOS, who quickly responded with its own MS-DOS 5.0 but releasing over a year later. It introduced a graphical user interface layer called ViewMAX. DR DOS 6.0 was released in 1991; then with Novell's acquisition of Digital Research, the following version was named Novell DOS 7.0 in 1994. After another sale, to Caldera (company), Caldera, updated versions were released partly op ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
America Online
AOL (formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City, and a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc. (2017–present), Yahoo! Inc. The service traces its history to an online service known as PlayNET. PlayNET licensed its software to Quantum Link (Q-Link), which went online in November 1985. A new IBM PC–compatible, IBM PC client was launched in 1988, and eventually renamed as America Online in 1989. AOL grew to become the largest online service, displacing established players like CompuServe and The Source (online service), The Source. By 1995, AOL had about three million active users. AOL was at one point the most recognized brand on the Web in the United States. AOL once provided a Dial-up Internet access, dial-up Internet service to millions of Americans and pioneered instant messaging and chat rooms with AIM (software), AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). In 1998, AOL purchased Nets ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
