Microsoft Open Sources Early DOS Code

• Microsoft has open-sourced the earliest DOS source code discovered to date.
• The code was painstakingly transcribed and scanned from paper printouts.
• This release includes the BASIC code that Microsoft originally wanted to develop.

The Buzz Score

The Internet’s Verdict: 70% Hyped, 30% Skeptical

Community Reaction

Many are praising Microsoft for this release. One user said:

I cannot describe to you how jealous I am of the fact that back then writing a few thousand lines of assembly was what it took to launch a successful software company.

Another user noted:

thanks MS! Arguably just as, if not more, important is the BASIC that they wrote. That was what they actually wanted to do. DOS just got them the contract with IBM.

The process of releasing this code was not easy. The code had to be OCR’d from paper printouts, which was a difficult task due to the quality of the printouts.

Related News

Recently, Microsoft also open-sourced DOS 1.00 on its 45th anniversary.

Focus Keyword: DOS Source Code