Breadbox Ensemble

GEOS (16-bit operating system)

PC/GEOS, later known as GeoWorks, is a DOS-based graphical user interface and x86 operating system first created by Berkeley Softworks, later GeoWorks Corporation, for the IBM PC and similar systems. It should not be confused with another GEOS platform made by the same company, which ran on the MOS Technologies 6502 microprocessor. The most recent version, PC/GEOS 4.0, was developed in 2001 by Breadbox Computer Company, LLC, and named Breadbox Ensemble.

GeoWorks Ensemble - PC/GEOS 1.0–2.x

In 1990, GeoWorks released GEOS for IBM PC compatible systems, PC/GEOS. Also called GeoWorks Ensemble, it was incompatible with the Commodore and Apple versions but provided numerous enhancements, including scalable fonts and multitasking even on XT and AT-class PC clones. Being written directly in assembly language, it also provided much better performance than the relatively sluggish Microsoft Windows 3.0 on 386 and 486 PCs. GEOS was bundled with numerous PCs at the time, but like other GUI environments for the PC platform, such as GEM, it ultimately proved less successful in the marketplace than Windows. Some claim that Geoworks faded away because Microsoft threatened to withdraw supply of MS-DOS to hardware manufacturers who bundled Geoworks with their machines.

In December 1992 NEC and Sony bundled an OEM version of GeoWorks called the CD Manager with their respective CD-ROM players that sold as retail box add-on peripherals for consumers. The NEC Bundle retailed for around $500.00 with a 1x external CD Rom, SCSI Interface Controller, Labtec CD-150 amplified stereo speakers and 10 software titles.

The subsystem of GeoWorks was used by America Online for their DOS-based AOL connection and browsing software from the time of introduction on IBM compatible PCs until the late 1990s when America Online dropped development for graphical DOS in favor of Microsoft Windows. During that time, the popular single 3.5" disk that AOL was distributing on could be hacked to boot the GeoWorks graphical operating environment.

GeoWorks attempted to get third party developers but was unable to get much support due to expense of the developer kit — which ran $1,000 just for the manuals — and the difficult programming environment, which required a second PC networked via serial port in order to run the debugger.

Note: Even though GeoWorks is referred to as an Operating System it still requires DOS or other OS software in order to load.

GeoWorks Ensemble version history

1990: OS/90 (Beta Version)
1990: GeoWorks 1.0
1991: GeoWorks 1.2
1992: GeoWorks 1.2 Pro (with Borland QuattroPro for DOS with PC/GEOS "Look and Feel")
1992: GeoWorks DTP
1992: GeoWorks CD Manager
1993: GeoWorks Ensemble 2.0 (new Kernel PC/GEOS 2.0)
1993: Geopublish 2.0
1994: Geoworks Ensemble 2.01

Upon release of Ensemble 2.01, GeoWorks dropped support for the desktop version to focus on handhelds and smart devices.

NewDeal Office - PC/GEOS 3.x

A newer version of PC/GEOS was marketed in the late 1990s as NewDeal Office from NewDeal Inc. in hopes of creating a market among owners of i386, i486 and Pentium PCs that could not run Windows 95 or Windows 98 effectively.

NewDeal Office version history

1996: NewDeal Office 2.2
1996: NewDeal Office 2.5
1996: NewDeal Publish 2.5 (Shareware-Version)
1997: NewDeal Office 97
1998: NewDeal Office 98
1999: NewDeal Office Release 3
1999: NewDeal Office Release 3 Evaluation
1999: NewDeal Office 3.2
2000: NewDeal Office 3.2d (German Patch)
2000: NewDeal Office 2000 (new Kernel PC/GEOS 3.0)
2000: NewDeal Office 2000 for GlobalPC (for a Surf´n´Office PC from Ted Turner (MyTurn Inc) with help from CNN)

Breadbox Ensemble - PC/GEOS V4.x

The newest PC/GEOS V4.x with bundled Office-Software "Breadbox Ensemble" comes from Breadbox Computer Company LLC., Florida It is a full productivity and Internet suite, including Web Browser and Email. Other essential programs such as word processing, spreadsheet, flat file database and graphics applications are integrated into this package.

After "NewDeal Inc." went out of business, Breadbox Computer Company LLC., Florida purchased all of the rights, title and interest in the patented GEOS operating system from GeoWorks in 2003.

Breadbox Ensemble version history & demos

2001: BreadBox Ensemble (TM) Beta Version 4.0.1.1
2001: BreadBox Ensemble (TM) Beta Versions 4.0.1.x
2002: Breadbox Ensemble (TM) *Full* Version 4.0.2.0
03/2005: Breadbox Ensemble (TM) Version 4.1.0.0
11/2005: Breadbox Ensemble (TM) Version 4.2.0.0

Downloadable demo versions:

2002 December 4: Breadbox Ensemble (TM) Ensemble 4.0.2.1 Demo - 9,232 kB
2003 January 22: Breadbox Ensemble (TM) Ensemble 4.0.2.0 Lite - 5,750 kB

2003 March 19: Breadbox Ensemble (TM) Ensemble 4.0.2.1 Demo to install from Floppy - 9,236 kB

2003 May 8: Breadbox Ensemble (TM) Ensemble 4.0.2.1 Demo- 9,872 kB

PEN/GEOS

GEOS was used in a low-end laptop from Brother Industries and in several of Nokia Communicator models (GEOS V3.0 in Nokia Communicator 9000 and 9110). In 1995, GEOS appeared (running on top of DOS) on the HP OmniGo 100, a flip-around clamshell handheld computer powered by a Vadem VG230, which is a highly integrated PC-on-a-chip that includes an 80186-compatible core (NEC V30). It was soon followed by the OmniGo 120.