GEOS (8-bit operating system)

This article is about GEOS for home computers . To find out about the version of this OS for PC / x86, follow this link PC / GEOS .

GEOS ( General Environmental Operating System - a graphical environment operating system) was developed by Berkeley Softworks (later Geoworks ). Originally designed for Commodore 64 , it was released in 1986 by providing a graphical user interface for this common 8-bit computer.

GEOS for Commodore 64 . Imitating Commodore's tradition of naming operating system kernels , Berkeley called the GEOS kernel “ kernal ” ( cf. Kern e l).

GEOS has similarities with earlier versions of Mac OS , and comes with a word processor (geoWrite) and a graphics editor (geoPaint). For many years, Commodore has supplied GEOS with the updated C64 - C64C.

Other software developed for GEOS by Berkeley or other manufacturers includes programs such as the geoPublish publishing package and the geoCalc spreadsheet. Berkeley founder Brian Dougherty claimed the company managed its business for many years using proprietary 8-bit Commodore software.

Enhanced versions of GEOS later became available for Commodore 128 and the Apple II family of computers , and the lesser-known version for Commodore Plus / 4 .

GEOS was written by a group of programmers who previously specialized in programming video consoles, such as the Atari 2600 , which had very modest resources, and were therefore considered almost ideal for machines with 64-128 KB RAM and an 8-bit processor with a frequency of 1-2 MHz .

GEOS supported the Commodore 1351 mouse , as well as various memory expansion modules . GEOS for C128 also fully supported high-definition video mode - 640 × 200 pixels - VDC resolution, providing an image on a compatible color monitor .

The GEOS version for C64 had a built-in fast English bootloader . fast loader , called diskTurbo , which allowed to significantly increase the speed of access to such a slow drive as Commodore 1541 . (GEOS 128 could use the C128-specific enhanced burst mode , interacting with Commodore 1571 and Commodore 1581 drives ).

With a dedicated Berkeley geoCable interface cable or other interfaces for connecting RS-232 or Centronics printers to the Commodore serial bus, GEOS supported a wide range of printers, including HP PCL and Apple LaserWriter printers . High-quality printing has become the main factor that has made GEOS a desktop publishing system.

The GEOS version for Apple II was released as freeware (but not open source) in August 2003 . It was followed in February 2004 by the version for Commodore 64/128.