Digital Research
Digital Research[edit | edit source]
Digital Research is a software company that was founded in 1974 by Gary Kildall. It played a significant role in the early development of the personal computer industry. The company is best known for creating the CP/M operating system, which became one of the most popular operating systems for microcomputers in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
History[edit | edit source]
Digital Research was established by Gary Kildall, a computer scientist and entrepreneur. Kildall had a vision of creating an operating system that could run on different hardware platforms, allowing software developers to write programs that could be easily ported across different machines. This vision led to the development of CP/M, which stands for Control Program for Microcomputers.
CP/M was first released in 1974 and quickly gained popularity among early microcomputer users. It provided a standardized platform for running software, making it easier for developers to create applications for a wide range of hardware. This contributed to the rapid growth of the microcomputer industry and helped establish Digital Research as a leading software company.
In addition to CP/M, Digital Research also developed other software products, including the MP/M multi-user operating system and the GEM graphical user interface. MP/M allowed multiple users to simultaneously access a computer system, while GEM provided a user-friendly interface for interacting with the computer.
Legacy[edit | edit source]
Digital Research's contributions to the personal computer industry were significant and long-lasting. CP/M became the de facto standard operating system for microcomputers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, before being overtaken by MS-DOS developed by Microsoft. Many early microcomputer manufacturers, such as IBM and Commodore, licensed CP/M for their machines.
The success of CP/M also paved the way for the development of other operating systems, such as Unix and Linux, which adopted similar principles of portability and compatibility. These operating systems continue to be widely used today, powering a variety of devices ranging from servers to smartphones.
Digital Research's influence extended beyond operating systems. The company's GEM graphical user interface served as an inspiration for Apple's Macintosh operating system, which revolutionized the computer industry with its intuitive and user-friendly interface.
References[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
