Developed by: Microsoft
Launched: 1988
Innovation: First successful GUI for DOS.

DOS Shell was the graphical file manager included in Microsoft's DOS operating systems. It shared features common to other file managers, such as copying, moving, and renaming files, as well as the ability to "launch" applications with a double-click.
It also allowed the ability to customize colors and styles.

DOS Shell is a graphical file manager that was included with MS-DOS and PC-DOS from versions 4.0 through 6.0 (although it remained part of the system as a Supplemental Disk, which could be ordered or downloaded via Microsoft's FTP server). DOS Shell remained in PC DOS until PC DOS 2000.

DOS Shell was one of the first successful attempts to create a basic graphical user interface (GUI) file manager in DOS.

It was intended as an alternative to COMMAND.COM.

In MS-DOS 4.x and 5.x, the program was implemented as a COM file (DOSSHELL.COM). And in MS-DOS 6, the executable had an .EXE filename extension (DOSSHELL.EXE).