Need pointers on where to go.  I'm researching DOS.  I need to find a
brief history, how it is used today and why it is still important.  I
just need leads on websites and possibly books on where to find the
information.

Hi there!

I've found a number of histories of DOS, some very brief, some a bit
more involved.  Perhaps most useful would be those written by and
about DOS author Tim Paterson:

A Short History of MS-DOS
http://www.patersontech.com/Dos/Byte/History.html

Origins of MS-DOS: Articles about MS-DOS and Tim Paterson (Includes
bibliography)
http://www.patersontech.com/Dos/

I hope you find these helpful as well:

The History of DOS
http://www.acad.humberc.on.ca/~frig8279/osessay/dos/history.html

First Pin:  History of DOS
http://www.firstpin.com/historydos.shtml

The History of DOS
http://www.geocities.com/k_semler2002/dos_history.htm

MS-DOS History
http://www.houlden.f9.co.uk/msdos/dosversions.htm

MS-DOS Reference
http://www.houlden.f9.co.uk/msdos/doshome.htm

History of MS-DOS, By Leven Antov 
http://www.maxframe.com/HISZMSD.HTM

DOS User Home (includes links to DOS articles and utilities)
http://saturn.spaceports.com/~dosuser/doshist.htm

What happened to DR_DOS? 
http://www.mackido.com/History/History_DrDos.html

Information and help with Microsoft DOS (with history and commands)
http://www.computerhope.com/msdos.htm

THE DOS HISTORY CHART
http://www.helpmypc.com/troubleshooter/pcdoshis.htm

In the Beginning was the Command Line by Neal Stephenson
http://www.cryptonomicon.com/beginning.html

MS Windows 2000 - MS-DOS Command Line
http://www.hrsm.sc.edu/applebyd/AIME%20343%20Summer/PP-CLIntroT1.ppt

Tips and techniques for running MS-DOS programs on today's computers
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/baldwinwh/DOSPgms/DOSPgms2.html

DOS Lesson 1 Operating Systems
http://www.ahuka.com/dos/lesson1.html

Using DOS - Historical Perspective - Justification for Use Today
http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~mcho/classnotes/USINGDOS.PDF


Books:

DOS for Dummies
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764503618/qid=1059506816

Running MS-DOS 20th Anniversary Edition
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0735618127/qid=1059507166

The Only DOS Book You'll Ever Need
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0911625712/qid=1059507282


...and for a humorous look:

How It Came To Pass
http://www.cs.brown.edu/people/rgb/funstuff/fun10.html

Good luck with your project!

--Missy

Search terms: [ history of DOS ], [ DOS today ]

awesome thank you.  For me it was needle in a haystack.

IAAC

I've added a comment (just to help me find this again).

Brilliant!

Check out the following Web Sites:



 The complete index to DOS commands can be found at 
The EasyDOS Internet Guide to DOS

www.easydos.com


  http://www.nyu.edu/acf/pubs/DOS_ToC.html


  Help with DOS commands

  http://www2.njcc.com/~jgill/doshelp.htm

****************************************

 MS-DOS help and commands

 http://www.computerhope.com/msdos.htm

***************************************

 EasyDOS Command Index

 http://www.easydos.com/dosindex.html

**************************************

 Index of /~jbates/comp111/lecture

 http://admin.nj.devry.edu/~jbates/comp111/lecture/

*****************************************

 http://www.nyu.edu/acf/pubs/DOS_ToC.html

***************************************
MS DOS TUTORIAL

http://www.butterwick0.freeserve.co.uk/tutor/menu.html

************************************************
DOS TUTORIAL : THE BASICS

http://www.engr.umd.edu/~nsw/ench250/dostutor.htm


Knowledge Base - DOS configuration commands for CONFIG.SYS files

http://kb.indiana.edu/data/afhr.html

************************************************
DOS Commands, Batch and Freeware. Windows Tips Tricks and Data Recovery.

http://users.cybercity.dk/~bse26236/home.html