MS-DOS Turned 30 Years Old

MS-DOS has turned 30 years old this week. Microsoft's first desktop operating system was launched on July 27, 1981, after Microsoft bought the full rights to QDOS (Quick and Dirty Operating System), the PC operating system the company acquired from Seattle Computer Products.

During its life, several competing products were released for the x86 platform, and MS-DOS itself would go through eight versions, until development ceased in 2000. Ultimately it was the key product in Microsoft's growth from a programming languages company to a diverse software development firm.