Microsoft and IBM enhance DOS; version 4.0 is easier to use and supports expanded memory. (product announcement)

MICROSOFT AND IBM ENHANCE DOS

Just when it seems that the PC world is shifting toward OS/2, along comes a greatly enhanced version of DOS.

Microsoft and IBM recently released identical versions of DOS 4.0,a major upgrade that can accommodate expanded-memory boards, bigger files, and larger hard-disk drives. The new DOS also provides an optional, menu-driven file-management shell that makes the operating system--long critized for its intimidating user interface--significantly easier to use. The IBM version is known officially as DOS 4.0. Microsoft's version, for IBM-compatible computers, is called MS-DOS 4.0. Both versions require at least 256K of memory.

DOS 4.0 lets you work with files larger than 32 megabytes, so you no longer need to partition large hard-disk drives. This feature is a real plus if you use …