DESQview

DESQview

DESQview 2.8 running on MS-DOS

DESQview is a multitasking graphical user interface (GUI) and windowing system for the MS-DOS operating system. Developed by Quarterdeck Office Systems in the late 1980s, DESQview allowed users to run multiple applications simultaneously, making it one of the first multitasking environments available for personal computers.

History

DESQview was first released in 1985 as a successor to Quarterdeck's earlier multitasking software, Quarterdeck Expanded Memory Manager (QEMM). QEMM was primarily designed to provide expanded memory support for DOS applications, but Quarterdeck recognized the need for a more comprehensive multitasking solution. Thus, DESQview was born.

Features

DESQview introduced several innovative features that set it apart from other multitasking environments of its time. Some of its notable features include:

1. Multitasking: DESQview allowed users to run multiple applications concurrently, each in its own window. This enabled users to switch between applications seamlessly, improving productivity and efficiency.

2. Windowing System: DESQview provided a graphical windowing system, allowing users to manipulate and organize multiple windows on their screen. Each window could contain a different application or document, making it easy to work on multiple tasks simultaneously.

3. Virtual Memory: DESQview implemented a virtual memory system, which allowed applications to use more memory than physically available. This feature was particularly useful for memory-intensive applications, as it prevented system crashes due to insufficient memory.

4. Task Switching: DESQview offered a user-friendly task switching mechanism, allowing users to switch between running applications with a simple keystroke. This made it easy to switch focus between different tasks without the need to close and reopen applications.

Impact

DESQview was well-received by the MS-DOS community and gained popularity among power users and professionals who needed to multitask efficiently. It provided a much-needed solution for running multiple applications on a single machine, which was previously limited to running one application at a time.

The success of DESQview paved the way for future multitasking environments and influenced the development of operating systems such as Windows, which incorporated similar features. DESQview also inspired other companies to develop their own multitasking solutions for MS-DOS, further advancing the capabilities of personal computers.

Legacy

Although DESQview was eventually overshadowed by more advanced operating systems, its impact on the evolution of multitasking environments cannot be understated. It served as a stepping stone towards the development of modern operating systems that support multitasking and graphical user interfaces.

Today, DESQview is considered a classic piece of software that represents the early days of multitasking on personal computers. While it may no longer be in active use, its influence can still be seen in the way we interact with modern operating systems.

See Also

• MS-DOS
• Graphical User Interface
• Multitasking
• Operating System