Which operating system was primarily used prior to Windows?

The primary operating system used prior to the widespread adoption of Windows was DOS, which stands for Disk Operating System. DOS was a command-line interface operating system that provided the foundation for early personal computers in the 1980s and early 1990s. It allowed users to perform tasks such as file management and software execution through text commands.

DOS played a crucial role in the development of PC software and hardware during its peak time, and Microsoft’s own version, MS-DOS, became especially dominant as it was bundled with early versions of Windows, allowing users to run applications based on a graphical user interface while leveraging the underlying DOS operating system.

While other operating systems like UNIX and Mac OS were available during that period, they were not as commonly used in personal computers as DOS was. LINUX is more recent in its development and primarily emerged after DOS became less prevalent. Hence, DOS is recognized as the primary operating system that led to the transition towards Windows systems.