Windows is a great operating system, but sometimes you want to go old school and get that DOS experience. That's exactly what you can get with FreeDOS and its new version 1.3 update.
MS-DOS officially ended with the launch of version 6.22 all the way back in 1994, but the FreeDOS project has kept the old-school OS alive and well over the years with full MS-DOS compatibility. And for the first time in six years, FreeDOS has received a major update, bringing it from version 1.2 to 1.3.
The update adds the new Kernel 2043 and an 8086 version with FAT32 support. It also features support for the new FreeCOM 0.85a.
If you run the floppy Edition of FreeDOS, version 1.3 requires fewer diskettes, which is always a good thing.
There are plenty of other smaller changes, which you can read about in the changelog. The development team is very excited about the new release, and the team expressed it in a blog post:
I'm very excited for FreeDOS 1.3 - THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help in making this new release! The new FreeDOS 1.3 reflects all the hard work of everyone who wrote code, translated messages, edited documentation, tested new versions, offered support, and all the other things that go into a new version.
If you're looking to run DOS for whatever reason, FreeDOS is a fantastic way to make it happen. Whether you want to play some old-school games or you just want to experience some retro computing, there are plenty of reasons to play with DOS.