CP/M: /C-P-M/ n. [Control Program/Monitor; later retconned
to Control Program for Microcomputers] An early microcomputer OS
written by hacker Gary Kildall for 8080- and Z80-based machines,
very popular in the late 1970s but virtually wiped out by MS-DOS
after the release of the IBM PC in 1981. Legend has it that
Kildall's company blew its chance to write the OS for the IBM PC
because Kildall decided to spend a day IBM's reps wanted to meet
with him enjoying the perfect flying weather in his private plane.
Many of CP/M's features and conventions strongly resemble those of
early DEC operating systems such as TOPS-10, OS/8, RSTS, and
RSX-11. See MS-DOS, operating system.
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