View source for Multiuser DOS Federation

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{{Use list-defined references|date=December 2021}}
The '''Multiuser DOS Federation''' ('''MDOS''') was an industry alliance to promote the growth and acceptance of multi-user [[DOS]]-based solutions on [[Intel 80286|286]], [[Intel 80386|386]] and [[Intel 80486|486]] computers.<ref name="Networld_1990"/><ref name="Barker_1990_LAN"/> It was formed in July 1990.<ref name="Networld_1990"/> Initially among them were [[Digital Research]], [[Theos Software]], [[SunRiver]], [[DigiBoard]], [[Alloy Computer Products|Alloy]], Viewport International and others.<ref name="Barker_1990_LAN"/> The idea was to reduce costs by allowing workgroups to run DOS applications from a shared [[Personal Computer|PC]] while working on terminals or workstations.<ref name="Networld_1990"/><ref name="Barker_1990_LAN"/>

On 18 February 1991, several members of the Multiuser DOS Federation issued a press release regarding their intentions to support [[DOS Protected Mode Interface|DPMI]] (mostly [[DPMI 1.0]]) in their products including Alloy Computer Products Inc. ([[PC-PLUS]]), [[Bluebird Systems]], Inc. ([[Bluebird SuperDOS|SuperDOS]]), [[Concurrent Controls, Inc.]] ([[CCI Concurrent DOS 386]], [[CCI Multiuser DOS]]), Digital Research, Inc. ([[DR Multiuser DOS]]), [[S&H Computer Systems]], Inc. ([[TSX-32]]), [[StarPath Systems]], Inc. ([[Vmos/3]]), [[The Software Link]] ([[PC-MOS/386]]), THEOS Software Corporation ([[THEOS]]), [[Intelligent Graphics Corporation]] ([[VM/386]]).<ref name="DesignElektronik_1991_PC-Architektur"/> Several of them<!-- including Digital Research, Viewport International --> had previously worked on the alternative [[XVCPI]] specification.

==See also==
* [[AT Multiuser System]]
* [[Virtual DOS machine]]

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Networld_1990">{{cite news |title=NetWorld 90 - NetWorld: Multi-Vendor Answers |date=1990-11-01 |newspaper=Communications News |publisher=Nelson Publishing / Gale, Cengage Learning |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NetWorld%3a+multi-vendor+answers-a09603947 |access-date=2014-09-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820095715/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/NetWorld%253a+multi-vendor+answers-a09603947 |archive-date=2018-08-20}}</ref>
<ref name="Barker_1990_LAN">{{cite magazine |title=Share or LAN? |editor-first=Dennis |editor-last=Barker |department=Microbytes: Nanobytes |magazine=[[BYTE]] |volume=15 |date=November 1990 |number=12 |publisher=[[McGraw-Hill, Inc.]] |issn=0360-5280 <!-- |id={{ISSN|0360-5290}} --> |pages=19–20, 24, 28, 32 [32] |url=https://archive.org/details/BYTE_Vol_15-12_1990-11_Compaq_Dazzling_New_Laptop/page/n34/mode/1up |access-date=2021-12-09 |archive-url= |archive-date= |quote-page=32 |quote=The Multiuser DOS Federation is promoting multiuser PCs as an alternative to LANs. One MDOS member says it's "a myth" that LANs are the only way for groups of computer users to work together. The organization hopes to establish standards for multiuser computing. Among the charter members are representatives of [[Digital Research]], [[Theos Software]], [[SunRiver]], [[DigiBoard]], [[Alloy Computer Products|Alloy]], and Viewport International.}}</ref>
<ref name="DesignElektronik_1991_PC-Architektur">{{cite book
|title=Vorträge und Begleittexte zum 2. Entwicklerforum der Design & Elektronik zum Thema: PC-Architektur, 17. September 1991, München |trans-title=Presentations and supplemental material for the second developer forum on PC architecture on 17 September 1991, Munich |chapter=Die DPMI-Spezifikation – Eine Einführung – Appendix B: DPMI Hosts |trans-chapter=An introduction to the DPMI specification – appendix B: DPMI hosts<!-- Actually, these three authors of the corresponding chapter are also the editors of this book, which contains contributions from many other authors as well. -->|author-first1=Gerold |author-last1=Wurthmann |author-first2=Bernhard |author-last2=Wopperer |author-first3=Johann |author-last3=Wiesböck |publisher=[[Markt & Technik Verlag Aktiengesellschaft]] |publication-place=Munich, Germany |date=1991 |edition=1 |type=book |isbn=<!-- no ISBN --> |issn=<!-- no issn --> |language=de |pages=223, 239}} (NB. The forum was organized by the German magazine Design & Elektronik and [[Intel]].)</ref>
}}

{{Disk operating systems}}

[[Category:DOS on IBM PC compatibles]]

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