3 ms·

Or maybe because .COM format was invented before .EXE format (since .COM is simpler)? Just guessing.

• colejohnson66 9y ago
  Maybe someone could disassemble DOS to find out why? Sounds like a project for me this weekend
  • lucb1e 9y ago
    Iirc, MS-DOS is open source and in some museum now.
    • maxlybbert 9y ago
      DOS 1.1 is available online from the Computer History Museum ( http://www.computerhistory.org/press/ms-source-code.html http://www.computerhistory.org/press/ms-source-code.html ). But I think that may be too early to be useful.
      • int_19h 9y ago
        They also offer DOS 2.0. But DOS had EXE, COM and BAT files since version 1.0.
        • maxlybbert 9y ago
          Thank you.
• int_19h 9y ago
  See my reply in another branch. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14433246 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14433246