Note
Key Historical Points:
Development and Release: GEM was developed by Digital Research and first released in 1985. It was initially designed for use with the CP/M-68K operating system but was later adapted for DOS.
Features: GEM provided a desktop environment with features like windows, icons, and menus, similar to those found in early versions of Microsoft Windows. It included applications like GEM Write (a word processor) and GEM Paint (a graphics editor).
Competition: GEM was a competitor to early versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple's Macintosh operating system. However, it struggled to gain significant market share1.
Legal Issues: Digital Research faced legal challenges from Apple, which claimed that GEM's interface infringed on the Macintosh's look and feel. This led to a settlement and modifications to GEM to avoid further legal issues
Legacy: Despite its limited commercial success, GEM influenced later graphical interfaces and is remembered as an important step in the evolution of GUIs
Digital Research, founded by Gary Kildall, was also known for developing the CP/M operating system, which was widely used in early microcomputers