SUMMARY
The legality of purchasing MS-DOS version 5.0 can seem confusing. This
is because Microsoft has two "MS-DOS 5.0"s.
Like earlier versions of Microsoft MS-DOS, Microsoft MS-DOS 5 is not
available for retail sale. It is licensed to computer manufacturers to
be sold with a computer, or to be purchased as an upgrade from the
manufacturer.
The Microsoft MS-DOS 5 Upgrade, however, is a retail product that is
not being licensed to computer manufacturers. There is nothing wrong
with purchasing the Microsoft MS-DOS 5 Upgrade at a retail outlet.
The MS-DOS 5 Upgrade will upgrade a previous version of MS-DOS or
PC-DOS to MS-DOS version 5.0. A previous version of MS-DOS or PC-DOS
is required, because the MS-DOS 5 Upgrade does not contain a bootable
diskette.
For more information on purchasing MS-DOS, please query on: