[RetroTalk] #ThrowBackThursday - OpenGEM

OpenGEM

Being is a non-multitasking 16-bit graphical user interface (GUI) for DOS. OpenGEM is an extended distribution of FreeGEM that includes features of the original Digital Research GEM the original GUI for DR-DOS, CP/M, and Atari/Commodore PCs.

OpenGEM is intended to provide a simple to install and use GUI system and windowing framework for the FreeDOS operating system.

OpenGEM was developed by Shane Coughlan in collaboration with the FreeGEM Developer team, and is free software released under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). OpenGEM versions 3 through 6 are hosted on SourceForge and on the FreeDOS website. With versions 7 released via github and opendawn

While OpenGEM has not been actively developed since 2017. It is stable and feature-complete as a basic GUI which includes a full SDK for future third party development or extension available via github and as part of the freedos release.

Demo

Why use freedos and OpenGEM


Since FreeDOS can run on a Raspberry Pi one can take full use of a limited system and still have room left over for a very zippy PC experence on modern hardware. This is because the system is incredibly lightweight (because it’s DOS). and means if one sync thier DOS files using cloud storage like NextCloud/google drive between computers and devices, Then there FreeDOS system is with them and up to date everywhere one the go with every computing device one own, even on their android phone.

Plus the gaming is beyond top notch: classic games, great games, some of the greatest video games ever created. The likes of Master of Orion 2, Star Control 2, Civilization, Simcity, Ultima, Quake, and so many others.

It’s not just about classic gaming, though. FreeDOS also allows me to get some real work done in a no-distractions, no-nonsense sort of way. Much of my writing (not all, but a significant portion) has been done within FreeDOS, using some of the classic office suites of word processors (WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, WordStar and others), Spreedsheets(Lotus123, Multiplan/Excel), and . These older writing tools lack just about every bell and whistle we come to expect from a modern office application, to be sure. And that’s what one can love about them; its easy to sit down for a writing session and just immerse in the words on the screen.

Heck,one can access the internet via telnet-accessible DOS-based BBSs and shell accounts via freeshells.org for the sole purpose of enjoying old-school, text-based, multiplayer games and modern programming. One wouldn’t be able to do that quite so easily without FreeDOS and OpenGEM.

Through in Dillo and one has a modern, well nearly modern, graphical browser for free.

Plus ssh for dos exists: http://sshdos.sourceforge.net

So, A highly portable, distraction-free working, that fits on a floppy, and completely future-proof environment. When one does not feel like working, one can enjoy some of the best games mankind has ever created along side with direct access to all of the web from anything that can run/emulate x86. What else could one ever want?!

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The Amiga was never based on GEM, but Atari ST was.

Your right on that…

GEM was the default user interface built into the Atari TOS operating system of the Atari ST line of personal computers. It was also bundled by other computer manufacturers and distributors, such as Amstrad before ultimately setting for DR-DOS 6.0 and dieing out to the popularity of MS Windows 3.0 by 1993.

Amiga mainly had Workbench and AmigaDOS. Which, while just as graphically challenging to look at as GEM and others of the time it was a true multitasking os that was light years ahead of anything around in the late 80’s (save for a true unix system) for home pc users.