DOS is an acronym for the computer's "Disk Operating System" program.

It's the
software program that (1) sets up and maintains the information storage and
retrieval system on the floppy and hard disks, and (2) mediates all other hardware-
software interactions. Your application program, not DOS, does most everything
else.

Microsoft Corporation wrote the version of DOS that IBM chose for its first line
of personal computers. That version is referred to by the acronyms PCDOS (the
version needed by IBM computers) or MSDOS (the version needed by IBM-
compatible "clones"). Major software stores sell PCDOS as well as a generic
version of MSDOS. IBM-compatible computers made by certain manufacturers
need a customized version of MSDOS to work correctly; usually, such versions
are provided free when the computer is purchased.

There are "disk operating systems" other than PC and MS DOS; for example,
UNIX and OS/2. A non-Microsoft clone of MSDOS is also available; it's called
DRDOS. However, the term "DOS" by itself has come to refer only to the
sequence of programs provided by Microsoft for use on IBM and IBM-
compatible "personal computers".

In addition to the essential disk-and-hardware-operating- instruction software,

DOS comes with other miscellaneous software programs. Most of these other
programs are just useful "tools" that either help you make better use of certain
types of hardware or help you save time on difficult tasks.

The version of DOS that came with my computer had 68 such software "tools"
(otherwise known as "files" or "utilities"). During the past 3 years, I've found use
for only 15 of the 68. Only 3 of those 15 are really essential. Two of those 3 are
no longer important after DOS is placed onto my hard disk and my blank floppy
disks are initialized. For daily work, I absolutely need only 1 DOS file out of all
68 that came with my version of DOS.

DOS calls that one file COMMAND.COM. This manual will discuss how to use
some of the other files, but the bulk of what you read here will be about
COMMAND.COM.

VeryEasyDOSv2, copyright 1989, 1991, by J. Zorich-- Page 3 of 86