The simple multi-tasking version of MS-DOS, now called MS-DOS 5.0, is more or less ready to ship – but it won’t be the Real Thing. Microsoft Corp now says that the version most people thought of as 5.0, which supports the protected mode of the 80286 chip, should now be ready to ship in September. Microsoft is calling the product New DOS – others have dubbed it Advanced DOS or ADOS, and originally promised it for delivery in 1986. The New DOS, which will be upwards-compatible with MS-DOS 3.X but will incorporate a host of new features for single-user desk-top workstations, is to be followed by a 32-bit 80386 version – in a further two years. Microsoft sees New DOS as a major product with a 10-year lifespan.
