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iDOS 2: The return of the emulator

by Steven Sande Jan 20th 2011 at 11:00AM

Back in October of 2010, we told you about iDOS, a 99¢ software emulation of good old DOS. The universal app was able to even run an ancient version of Microsoft Windows (3.0), and came with a handful of "freeware / abandonware" applications like Ms. PacMan PC and DigDug. Unfortunately, the app was yanked from the App Store very quickly.

It's back on the App Store again, this time for free and with a vastly simplified setup. iDOS now comes with Wolfenstein 3D, the original Duke Nukem I and II, Major Striker, SuperNova and Kingdom of Kroz II. You can apparently move other DOS applications (if you can grab the code from those old floppies) into the /Apps/iDos/documents folder to run them in iDOS.

The app features a PC compatible soft keyboard, a virtual mouse, gamepad and joystick, and it's possible to force a 4:3 screen aspect ratio (640 x 480).

We don't know if Apple will yank iDOS from the App Store again; the fact that it was allowed back onto the store is amazing in itself, so the developers must have changed something just enough to keep the powers-that-be at Apple happy. In the meantime, if you've got a hankering for some hot DOS action, download this app fast.

[Via Engadget]



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Back in October of 2010, we told you about iDOS, a 99¢ software emulation of good old DOS. The universal app was able to even run an...
 

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Kaelanduck

Yup, all gone now, but it was good while it lasted. For those who have jailbroken their idevices you can find it in Installous, which was how I found it was back in the first place.

January 21 2011 at 4:35 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jake J.

The app isn't in the store now. :(

January 20 2011 at 11:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kaelanduck

Simant does not work at all. It makes me very sad

January 20 2011 at 4:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bones3D

Amazing.... the software responds to bluetooth keyboard input exactly like a normal PC. Combined with one of those iPad cases that have the keyboard built in, it's just like a laptop from the 90s, but with a far better display.

Too bad you can't add a bluetooth mouse into the setup without jailbreaking though. Other than that, the thing is practically a complete old school PC.

January 20 2011 at 2:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Norman

In which form
Do we need the gamecode? I'd love to play magic of endoria on my iphone, i could buy it on a dvd. But that is an installer, not the inszalled game. Or was dis as cipy and start as os X? I don't remember

January 20 2011 at 1:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
CQ

Funny...it is available in the german App Store... Guess no one discovered, that owning a copy of Wolfenstein 3D is actually illegal here... My guess: count the days till it is pulled from the german store

January 20 2011 at 12:14 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to CQ's comment
TheCastro

Anything Nazi related, even killing them. To be honest I miss living in Germany.

January 20 2011 at 12:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jeff

The author left this out, but it is still possible to load code into iDOS:

http://toucharcade.com/2011/01/19/idos-open-emulation-rabbit-hole-still-exists-sort-of/

January 20 2011 at 11:51 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
RCook

So do you do any research on the articles posted or just simply re-post what other blogs write?

"...the fact that it was allowed back into the store is amazing in itself, so the developers must have changed something just enough to keep the powers-that-be at Apple happy"

Did you miss this:

"What's New in Version 2.0.1

+++ ITUNES FILE SHARING IS OFF +++
+++ THINK THRICE BEFORE UPDATE +++"

and from the dev's website:

"The biggest change from iDOS 1.0: iTunes file sharing is now turned off.
That means you will not be able to install windows nor games from your old disc collection."

So the ability to load anything other than what the app ships with is impossible, that's the big change.

So TUAW looking for a copy editor?

January 20 2011 at 11:29 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
3 replies to RCook's comment
Martyn

Fighting urge to run program and type 'exit' in command line.

January 20 2011 at 11:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Martyn's comment
Kevlar

"exit" seems to cause the command prompt to, well, actually exit. The rest of the app stays running, though.

January 20 2011 at 1:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Andy W.

I'm resisting the temptation to type FORMAT C: just to see what happens.

I can report that installing apps with iPhone Explorer works. It also works in full-screen with a bluetooth keyboard, if you want the full retro experience.

I've only had this for a little while, so I don't know whether Dosbox has a TCP/IP stack. Could you load and run a browser? What would be really handy would be mapping D: to, say, a folder on Dropbox, but I'd imagine the developer would have to build that in.

January 20 2011 at 2:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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