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[[Digital Research]]'s Graphical Environment Manager, better known by its initials as just '''GEM''', is a graphical user interface shell developed in the 1980's and marketed well into the 1990's, both as a [[GUI]] shell sold as '''GEM Desktop''' for operating systems such as [[CP/M]], [[DOS]] and [[FlexOS]] but also as a shell less graphics library primarily sold on an [[OEM]] basis as that you could use to develop and ship graphical applications that worked on the aforementioned OS's even though they did not have a graphical shell installed.
[[Digital Research]]'s Graphical Environment Manager, better known by its initials as just '''GEM''', is a graphical user interface shell developed in the 1980's and marketed well into the 1990's, both as a [[GUI]] shell sold as '''GEM Desktop''' for operating systems such as [[CP/M]], [[DOS]] and [[FlexOS]] but also as a shell less graphics library primarily sold on an [[OEM]] basis as that you could use to develop and ship graphical applications that worked on the aforementioned OS's even though they did not have a graphical shell installed.


It is based on the [[GSX]] vector graphics interface library that was primarily built on components the company licensed from [[Graphic Software Systems]] and development of it was started as soon as GSX had shipped in 1982 although GEM itself was not shipped until February 1985. GEM was highly influenced by both the [[Xerox Star]] and the original [[Apple Mac]] and featured a user interface somewhere in between those two, this was not unexpected as GSS Inc. head honcho Lee Lorenzen had worked on the development of the graphics engine and [[PostScript|Interpress]] for the Star at [[Xerox]].
It is based on the [[GSX]] vector graphics interface library that was primarily built on components the company licensed from [[Graphic Software Systems]] and development of it was started as soon as GSX had shipped in 1982 although GEM itself was not officially shipped as a desktop product until February 1985 (. GEM was highly influenced by both the [[Xerox Star]] and the original [[Apple Mac]] and featured a user interface somewhere in between those two, this was not unexpected as GSS Inc. head honcho Lee Lorenzen had worked on the development of the graphics engine and [[PostScript|Interpress]] for the Star at [[Xerox]].


While not a big seller for the company it did manage to outsell [[Microsoft Windows]] by a considerable margin up until the release of Windows 3. The best known version of the system was on [[Atari ST]] computers where it was used as the GUI component of [[TOS]], but a number of European vendors of [[IBM PC]] and other [[Intel]] based hardware used the system, most notably [[Amstrad]] with their PC compatible budget computers and [[Apricot]] with their [[Sirius]] compatible systems. It never gained any traction in the North American marketplace and it later transpired that [[Microsoft]] offered NA OEM's discounts and perks if they did not ship their computers with the GEM software.
While not a big seller for the company it did manage to outsell [[Microsoft Windows]] by a considerable margin up until the release of Windows 3. The best known version of the system was on [[Atari ST]] computers where it was used as the GUI component of [[TOS]], but a number of European vendors of [[IBM PC]] and other [[Intel]] based hardware used the system, most notably [[Amstrad]] with their PC compatible budget computers and [[Apricot]] with their [[Sirius]] compatible systems. It never gained any traction in the North American marketplace and it later transpired that [[Microsoft]] offered NA OEM's discounts and perks if they undertook to not ship their computers with the GEM software. There was also a lawsuit brought in by [[Apple]] in 1985 that ran into 1986 that stopped USA based computer manufacturers from shipping it with their systems since Apple had threatened to go after any maker that shipped GEM with their system and Digital Research simply did not have the financial wherewithal to offer OEM's indemnity from Apple's lawsuit.


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It became influential in the PC world , not the least since  
Even as if not a big hit it became quite an influential in the PC world, not the least since [[Microsoft Windows]] was developed in response to it but there was the air of a missed opportunity about the product
much slower than the 68000, Z8000 and 160032 hardware used  
much slower than the 68000, Z8000 and 160032 hardware used  
It was used quite a bit a  
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such as [[Artline]] and [[Ventura Publisher]]
such as [[Artline]] and [[Ventura Publisher]]
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* Version 1 - Early 1985
* Version 1 - Early 1985
:Versions 1.1 and 1.2 were also released in 1985, the 1.1 was specifically for [[IBM PC]] hardware (EGA/CGA) while version 1.2 was specifically for [[Apricot]] machines.
:Versions 1.1 and 1.2 were also released in 1985, the 1.1 was specifically for [[IBM PC]] hardware (EGA/CGA) while version 1.2 was specifically for [[Apricot]] machines.
==Links==
* [http://www.deltasoft.com/Default.htm GEMWorld] - Lots of GEM related info and download.
* [http://cowlark.com/obsolete-dos-software/index.html David Givens GEM installaer] - And a copule of other goodies.
* [http://www.seasip.info/Gem/index.html John Elliot's GEM pages] - One of the more comprehesive sites.
* [http://www.oocities.org/siliconvalley/vista/6148/gem.html GEM/3 Desktop] - Archive of an old downloads site
*


==Author & publisher==
==Authors & publisher==
* Michael Franusich
* Lowell Webster
* [[Graphic Software Systems]]
* [[Graphic Software Systems]]
* [[Digital Research]]
* [[Digital Research]]
* [[Novell]]


[[Category:Operating Systems]][[Category:DOS Tools]][[Category:CP/M Tools]][[Category:FlexOS Tools]][[Category:Graphical libraries and kernels]]
[[Category:Operating Systems]][[Category:DOS Tools]][[Category:CP/M Tools]][[Category:FlexOS Tools]][[Category:Graphical libraries and kernels]]

Revision as of 17:13, 20 January 2016

Digital Research's Graphical Environment Manager, better known by its initials as just GEM, is a graphical user interface shell developed in the 1980's and marketed well into the 1990's, both as a GUI shell sold as GEM Desktop for operating systems such as CP/M, DOS and FlexOS but also as a shell less graphics library primarily sold on an OEM basis as that you could use to develop and ship graphical applications that worked on the aforementioned OS's even though they did not have a graphical shell installed.

It is based on the GSX vector graphics interface library that was primarily built on components the company licensed from Graphic Software Systems and development of it was started as soon as GSX had shipped in 1982 although GEM itself was not officially shipped as a desktop product until February 1985 (. GEM was highly influenced by both the Xerox Star and the original Apple Mac and featured a user interface somewhere in between those two, this was not unexpected as GSS Inc. head honcho Lee Lorenzen had worked on the development of the graphics engine and Interpress for the Star at Xerox.

While not a big seller for the company it did manage to outsell Microsoft Windows by a considerable margin up until the release of Windows 3. The best known version of the system was on Atari ST computers where it was used as the GUI component of TOS, but a number of European vendors of IBM PC and other Intel based hardware used the system, most notably Amstrad with their PC compatible budget computers and Apricot with their Sirius compatible systems. It never gained any traction in the North American marketplace and it later transpired that Microsoft offered NA OEM's discounts and perks if they undertook to not ship their computers with the GEM software. There was also a lawsuit brought in by Apple in 1985 that ran into 1986 that stopped USA based computer manufacturers from shipping it with their systems since Apple had threatened to go after any maker that shipped GEM with their system and Digital Research simply did not have the financial wherewithal to offer OEM's indemnity from Apple's lawsuit.

Versions

  • Version 4 - 1990 - Only shipped as a graphics library, there was no GEM Desktop version of the system. Updated graphics engine with the Bézier curves from GEM/5 and support for gradients and much improved dialog boxes.
  • Version 5 - 1988 - Only shipped as a graphics library, there was no GEM Desktop version of the system. A version of 3.13 with updated graphics engine with Bézier curves and a refreshed 3D like "look and feel".
  • Version 3 - 1988 - A single tasking version of GEM/XM with an updated graphics engine and minor look and feel modifications.
  • GEM/XM - 1986 - Multitasking version of GEM, could also multitask DOS programs. Only released in a very limited fashion to OEM's as GEM 3 but quickly abandoned.
  • Version 2 - 1986
  • Version 1 - Early 1985
Versions 1.1 and 1.2 were also released in 1985, the 1.1 was specifically for IBM PC hardware (EGA/CGA) while version 1.2 was specifically for Apricot machines.

Links

Authors & publisher

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