Operating System

  There were two kinds fundamentally as an OS of the Multistation.
  When it says strictly, more than three kinds exist in others as well.

    The kind of the OS is as the following.
        Japanese DOS/BASIC interpreter
        IBM Operating System/2

        Bunsyo Program(Word Processer)
        3270 Kanji Emulation
        5250 Kanji Emulation

    These three kinds start a system by the software itself without using an OS.
    It can be said that it has the function of the OS by itself.
    (Though it may be in others as well, as for the details, it isn't understood.)


  Japanese DOS/BASIC interpreter
    It is DOS of Japanese edition that "KDOS" is said.

    As for "JDOS" of the rest, it isn't understood as for the details though it has  the
    possibility not to say it as Japanese-ization edition of simple PC-DOS,  too, because
    there is no difference English mode.

    The file of the Kanji Font was contained in DOS.
    It is to read a Font from the software and to indicate a Kanji on the graphic screen.

    Version
        It began from 2.0, and the final was 3.4.
        There was a difference by the version of DOS as for a model to support, the hardware
        and the software.

    Font
        There were 2 kinds in accordance with the model of 24 dot and 16 dot.
        The one for 5530 and 5535 was separately.

        JIS the First Level Font was contained to the end for the model which a Kanji ROM
        was not in.
        As for the JIS the Second Level, IBM designated Kanji, the software of the option was
        used.

        A font doesn't seem as for the one for 5535, to be contained.

    BASIC interpreter.
        A BASIC interpreter was built in.
        It considers probably being the thing of MS-BASIC.
        (The territory of the program to 64KB in total, A label can't be used, etc.)

    Hard Disk
        There was a limitation to around 1 partition maximum 32MB.
        You had to divide a partition when it was the disk of 40MB and more.

    A Special Version
        The version of the foreign language existed besides Japanese.
        The versions which existed are English, a Hankul alphabet, China and Taiwan.
        It thinks that English edition exists because it lacked the compatibility of the hardware
        with IBM PC.


The expansion list of Japanese DOS
Version
Function
Support of hardware
K2.0
  Timer function
  Japanese input and output
  Processing by 5550
  Diskette Drive
K2.1
  16 color processing
  Change of a character / line pitch
  Use of 720KB Dikette(s)
  Twice as many length and twice as many width
  expansion printing in graphic mode.
  Use of an idiom conversion dictionary
  8.1MB Hard Disk
  3/4 type Keyboard
K2.2
  The Japanese input in a Roman alphabet
  Operation of Japanese 3270PC
  Kanji Font Card
K2.3
  The 720x512-dot color graphics of 16 color in
  64 colors.
  Graphic cursor
  A printer with a built-in
  character generator (font 24).
  Mouse
  P1 type Keyborad
K2.4
  The 1024x768-dot color graphics of 16 color
  in 64 colors.
  10MB, 20MB Hard Disk
K2.5
  Separation of the device driver for printers.
  Use of color printing by the device driver.
  5563-H02 type Printer
K2.6
  Ram Disk
  Logical disk
  Use of 1200KB Dikette(s)
  Character color specification in a color
  character.
  5561-G08/H08 type Printer
K2.7
  Multiple-clauses or Clause conversion function
  Use of a new IBM Japanese character set
  Extension of Ram Disk
  The device driver function of a Graphics -
  Support Card and a Screen Memory -
  Expansion Card.

  5541/5551 / 5561 J/K type
  system.
  3.5 inch Diskette Drive
  Extended Dictionary Card
  (for clause conversion)
  Japanese alphabet Keyboard
  3118-010  type Scanner /
  3118-020 type Scanner
  6392-K01 type Scanner
K3.2
  Construction of the Local Area Network of
  the Token-Ring Network system which used
  MS-NETWORKS.
  Use is possible in a multiple-clauses or clause
  conversion routine on Memory Bank 1 or 2.
 Optical-Disc Drive
  Hand image scanner
  Token-Ring Network Adapter


K3.3
  A maximum of 16MB memory use by extension
  of Memory Bank and Ram Disk.
  5530,5535,
  5541/5551 / 5561 M/P type
  system.
K3.4
  Simplification of the number input at the time of
  the Japanese input in a Roman alphabet.



The product list of Japanese DOS
Program name
Program number
Price(JY)
Correspondence
model
Japanese DOS/BASIC interpreter
 / Font 16
(Charactor set of JIS the First Level)
  Japanese DOS (Version K2.20)
  BASIC                (Version K1.00)
5600-JBP
30,000

5540 D/E
5550 A/C/D/E
  Japanese DOS (Version K2.60)
  BASIC                (Version K2.10)
5600-JBD
40,000
5540 D/E
5550 A/C/D/E
  Japanese DOS (Version K2.70)
  BASIC                (Version K2.10)
5600-JBD
40,000
5540 E
5550 D/E
  Japanese DOS (Version K3.20)
  BASIC                (Version K3.20)
5600-JBC
40,000
5540 E
5550 D/E
  Japanese DOS (Version K3.3)
5605-JZN
40,000
5535
  Japanese DOS (Version K3.4)
5605-JZN
40,000
5535
Japanese DOS/BASIC interpreter
 / Font 24
(Charactor set of JIS the First Level)
  Japanese DOS (Version K2.20)
  BASIC                (Version K1.00)
5600-JYP
30,000
5540 B/J/K
5550 B/G/H/J/K
5560 G/H/J/K
  Japanese DOS (Version K2.60)
  BASIC                (Version K2.10)
5600-JYD
40,000
5540 B/J/K
5550 B/G/H/J/K
5560 G/H/J/K
  Japanese DOS (Version K2.70)
  BASIC                (Version K2.10)
5600-JYD
40,000
5540/5550/5560
J/K
  Japanese DOS (Version K3.30)
  BASIC                (Version K3.30)
5600-JYC
40,000
5540/5550/5560
J/K
5550/5560 M/P
  Japanese DOS (Version K3.30)
  BASIC                (Version K3.30)
5605-JYN
40,000
5530 G/H
5540 M/P
  Japanese DOS (Version K3.4)
5600-JYC
40,000
5540/5550/5560
J/K
5550/5560 M/P
  Japanese DOS (Version K3.4)
5606-JYN
40,000
5530 G/H
5540 M/P
English DOS/BASIC interpreter
fonts 16/24
  English DOS(Version 2.10)
  BASIC           (Version 1.00)
5600-250
47,000
5550 BU
  English DOS(Version 2.40)
  BASIC           (Version 2.10)
5600-250
47,000
5540 B/E
5550 D/E/G/H
  English DOS(Version 2.60)
  BASIC           (Version 2.10)
5600-271
60,000
5540 B/E
5550 D/E/G/H
5560 G/H
Kanji DOS/BASIC interpreter
(for the China Kanji fonts 24)
  Kanji DOS(Version P2.4)
5600-362
47,000
5540 B
5550 GU/G/H
Kanji DOS/BASIC interpreter
(for the China Kanji fonts 24)
  Kanji DOS(Version P2.6)
5600-383
47,000
5540 B
5550 GU/G/H
5560 G/H
Kanji DOS/BASIC interpreter
(for the Taiwan Kanji fonts 24)
  Kanji DOS(Version T2.6)
5600-TYP
47,000
5540 B
5550 GU/G/H
5560 G/H
Hankul alphabet DOS/BASIC
interpreter (for fonts 24)
  Kanji DOS(Version H2.6)
5600-KYP
47,000
5540 B
5550 GU/G/H


PageTop


  IBM Operating System/2
    It is the single user, multitasking OS that IBM did Microsoft and joint development.
    It was developed as the next generation OS which changed into PC-DOS.

    It was announced as an OS of the new generation for PS/2 which is the new series that
    MCA was carried in America.

    The MCA machine put on the market in Japan was only by 5570 at this moment.
    It was put on the market though the one for the Multistation was taken because of that.

    The version 1.x of 16 bit edition used the Protection Mode of i80286.
    32 bit-ization was done in the version 2.0.
    The present latest edition is a version 4.5.

    The versions which could be used in the Multistation are 1.0 and 1.1.

    IBM intended to proceed with the switchover from DOS to OS/2.
    But, it hardly spread as the conditions in those days after all because the memory of the
    indispensable hardware and a disk were very expensive with lack of management ability
    of i80286.

    Memory
        It could be used to 16MB.
        Although the minimum was once set to 2MB, it needed more in fact.

    Screen
        It was switching of all the screens in the version 1.0.
        The presentation manager which is GUI was employed in the version 1.1.
        It changes into the Workplace Shell after the version 2.0.

    Disk
        A file system is only FAT.
        It is after 1.2 to adopt HPFS.
        It is even around 1 partition maximum 32MB if it is common to DOS though it isn't
        understood precisely.

        In "Install guide", there is a case of 5570, if 32MB of partition is set up automatically.
       Therefore, probably at the time of 1.0 and 1.1, maximum size is 32MB (2003. 3.7).

    DOS interchange box
        It could run 1 software of DOS by using the territory of 1MB and under.
        It didn't let several run at the same time to restrict i80286.
        But, because it lacked perfect compatibility, it became one of the causes that a user
        hesitates a switchover to OS/2, too.

    SE and EE
        This is the classification which is characteristic of IBM.
        A Communication Manager (the connection of SNA) and a Database Manager (It hits
        RDBMS and present DB2.) were added to the EE.
        EE didn't exist in OS/2 of other companies product.

    About Ver1.0 (2003.3.7)
        In "IBM Oparating System/2 related software install guide" (1988.04,the first edition),
        set of eight diskettes and the size of the minimum partition are 7MB.
        If it sees considering present, it will be thought small that it is unexpected.
        However, considering that KDOS in this time are a set of two 2DD diskettes, I think
        that there was an impression that capacity was required fairly.

        The contents of a diskette
            Install Diskette A, B
            OS/2 Diskette  No.1 to No.6

The product list of OS/2
Program name
Program number
Price(JY)
Correspondence
model
IBM Operating System/2
Version 1.0
5600-PAC
75,000
5540 J/K
5550 J/K M/P
5560 J/K M/P
IBM Operating System/2
Version 1.0
5605-PCC
75,000
5540 M/P
IBM Operating System/2
Version 1.1 SE
5600-PDC
75,000
5540 J/K
5550 J/K M/P
5560 J/K M/P
IBM Operating System/2
Version 1.1 SE
5605-PFC
75,000
5540 M/P
IBM Operating System/2
Version 1.1 EE
5600-PBE
120,000
5550 M/P
5560 M/P

Content created and/or collected by:
Louis F. Ohland, Peter H. Wendt, David L. Beem, William R. Walsh, Tatsuo Sunagawa, Tomáš Slavotínek, Jim Shorney, Tim N. Clarke, Kevin Bowling, and many others.

Ardent Tool of Capitalism is maintained by Tomáš Slavotínek.
Last update: 24 Mar 2024 - Changelog | About | Legal & Contact