Difference between revisions of "RS-DOS"
(Created page with "'''RS-DOS''' ('''R'''adio '''S'''hack '''D'''isk '''O'''perating '''S'''ystem) was the primary disk operating system for the Tandy/Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer se...") |
m |
||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
== Overview == | == Overview == | ||
| − | RS-DOS was the standard disk operating system for early TRS-80 Color Computers before being largely replaced by third-party alternatives such as [[OS-9]] and [[ | + | RS-DOS was the standard disk operating system for early TRS-80 Color Computers before being largely replaced by third-party alternatives such as [[OS-9]] and [[Dragon DOS]]. Unlike [[MS-DOS]], RS-DOS was not a standalone operating system but rather an extension of the built-in [[Color BASIC]], adding disk commands and file management features. |
== Features == | == Features == | ||
| Line 18: | Line 18: | ||
== Successors == | == Successors == | ||
| − | As computing demands increased, RS-DOS was gradually replaced by more powerful operating systems such as [[OS-9 Level 1]] and [[OS-9 Level 2]], which provided multitasking and a Unix-like environment. Other third-party DOS implementations, such as [[Disk Extended Color BASIC]] and [[ | + | As computing demands increased, RS-DOS was gradually replaced by more powerful operating systems such as [[OS-9 Level 1]] and [[OS-9 Level 2]], which provided multitasking and a Unix-like environment. Other third-party DOS implementations, such as [[Disk Extended Color BASIC]] and [[Dragon DOS]], also emerged to expand the capabilities of the TRS-80 Color Computer. |
== See Also == | == See Also == | ||
| Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
* [[Color BASIC]] | * [[Color BASIC]] | ||
* [[OS-9 System]] | * [[OS-9 System]] | ||
| − | * [[ | + | * [[Dragon DOS]] |
[[Category:System Software]] | [[Category:System Software]] | ||
Latest revision as of 22:12, 3 March 2025
RS-DOS (Radio Shack Disk Operating System) was the primary disk operating system for the Tandy/Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer series, commonly referred to as the CoCo. It was developed by Tandy Corporation and was based on Microsoft's BASIC interpreter with additional disk I/O functionality.
Overview
RS-DOS was the standard disk operating system for early TRS-80 Color Computers before being largely replaced by third-party alternatives such as OS-9 and Dragon DOS. Unlike MS-DOS, RS-DOS was not a standalone operating system but rather an extension of the built-in Color BASIC, adding disk commands and file management features.
Features
- Provided basic file management capabilities, including LOAD, SAVE, RUN, and DIR commands.
- Used a proprietary Disk File System that differed from common FAT-based file systems.
- Supported up to 35 tracks per disk and single-sided, single-density floppy disks.
- Required the Color Computer Disk Extended BASIC ROM for operation.
- Lacked multitasking or advanced memory management features.
Limitations
RS-DOS had several limitations:
- It did not support subdirectories or hierarchical file structures.
- Disk access was relatively slow compared to later systems.
- It lacked built-in support for hard drives or non-floppy disk storage.
Successors
As computing demands increased, RS-DOS was gradually replaced by more powerful operating systems such as OS-9 Level 1 and OS-9 Level 2, which provided multitasking and a Unix-like environment. Other third-party DOS implementations, such as Disk Extended Color BASIC and Dragon DOS, also emerged to expand the capabilities of the TRS-80 Color Computer.
