Microsoft and IBM release MS-DOS 4.00 source code

In a celebration of innovation and preserving computing history, Microsoft has released the source code for MS-DOS 4.00 in partnership with IBM. The release – available under the permissive MIT license – includes the operating system's source code, binary files, and original documentation.

The decision to open source MS-DOS 4.00 stems from recent correspondence between a researcher named Connor "Starfrost" Hyde and former Microsoft CTO Ray Ozzie. While exploring Ozzie's...

26 April 2024 | Open Source

DirectX creator Engstrom dies aged 55, leaving behind a game-changing legacy

DirectX creator Eric Engstrom has sadly passed away at the age of 55, following a career which helped to shape the gaming industry as we know it.

Engstrom created the DirectX gaming APIs in 1994 – alongside Alex St. John and Craig Eisler – to simplify Windows game development and make it the stellar platform it remains today.

The APIs were originally developed for Windows 95. Game developers at the time were reporting they preferred MS-DOS for its low overhead and...

14 December 2020 | API