Linked Questions
12 questions linked to/from What key factor led to the sudden commercial success of MS Windows with v3.0?
33
votes
8
answers
12k
views
How exactly did Windows become the OS of the home PC?
As far as I understand it, the whole personal computing revolution that Microsoft Windows did was not entirely by its own design. Is it true that the Windows OS at its core was originally designed to ...
- 6,939
23
votes
9
answers
8k
views
Why did "protected-mode MS-DOS" never happen?
Software written for MS-DOS used DOS extenders as early as on PC/AT (DOS/16M), and starting from i386-based systems, DOS extenders became really widespread.
I'd think it was pretty obvious at the time ...
- 2,674
17
votes
8
answers
8k
views
Why was the DOS kernel discarded?
I've read that the last DOS kernel based Windows was ME. Later versions use the NT kernel.
Why did Microsoft rewrite the whole kernel? Why was the DOS kernel discarded?
- 5,422
25
votes
9
answers
4k
views
What were the early PC applications requiring a hard disk?
I had to wait about 5 years before hard drives (HDs) became affordable enough to begin moving off of floppies. During this time, I remember my desire for an HD being based on convenience. All the ...
- 61.5k
16
votes
2
answers
10k
views
Why did Microsoft start Windows NT at all?
A related question is: why was the existing Windows not ported to the Intel i860?
In 1985 Windows 1.0 was released. AFAIK it had everything: Win32 API, DOS support, multi-tasking. The last OS of this ...
- 5,422
31
votes
3
answers
7k
views
386SX, NES and how much did data lines really cost anyway?
In 1988, Intel introduced the 80386SX, most often referred to as the 386SX, a cut-down version of the 80386 with a 16-bit data bus mainly intended for lower-cost PCs aimed at the home, educational, ...
- 63.8k
22
votes
6
answers
5k
views
What caused the downfall of Pascal? [closed]
From 1985 to 1990 Borland's Turbo Pascal was at least as popular as C for DOS systems. Turbo Pascal was especially popular because of it's ground breaking BGI graphics interface while C was stalled in ...
- 4,519
26
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Why is the RM Nimbus PC-186 not IBM PC compatible?
The RM Nimbus range of computers were popular in British schools during the late 80s and into the 90s. When I was at high school Nimbus PC-186 machines were all over the place. Many web pages that ...
- 5,550
23
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Why was NEC able to wrestle PC graphics standards away from IBM?
The dominant standards for PC graphics in the 1980s were the ones introduced by IBM. This included MDA and CGA with the original IBM PC, followed by EGA shortly after the PC/AT, and then VGA with the ...
- 61.5k
9
votes
5
answers
4k
views
How does the ‘real mode flat model’ work?
I am interested in old Intel processors. I'll try to be as concise as possible.
I have been studying both Jeff Duntemann's Assembly Language Step-by-Step - Chapter 4 and Modes of Memory Addressing on ...
- 139
13
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Were Windows 3.x applications dependent upon 80286 instructions?
While Windows 3.x operating system stuck to the 80286 platform, did applications compiled for Windows 3.x have to use 80286 instructions explicitly or be aware of the 80286 memory layout?
Or was it ...
- 3,794
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Was it Microsoft that started the war between Application and OS vendors?
I think there is a long history of application vendors going to great lengths to complain or litigate against Operating System vendors to compete fairly. Specifically, I am talking about "fairness" ...
- 61.5k