Windows 1.0.

Windows 1.0. was officially released on November 20, 1985. It is a 16-bit operating system.  Although Windows 1.0 was not very popular, it marked the beginning of a great era.  The command in MS-DOS was replaced by the GUI, where the user needs to move the cursor and click his path across multiple screens.  Windows 1.0 came out with a number of task simplification features such as drop-down menus, dialog boxes, scroll bars and icons.  This version of the operating system included several programs such as Calculator, Notepad, and MS-DOS file management.


Windows 2.0.

Windows 2.0. was released in December, 1987. The big innovation for Windows 2 was that windows could overlap each other, and it also introduced the ability to minimize or maximize windows instead of “iconizing” or “zooming”. 

The control panel, where various system settings and configuration options were collected together in one place, was introduced in Windows 2 and survives to this day. Microsoft Word and Excel also made their first appearances running on Windows 2.


Windows 3.0.

Windows 3.0 was launched on May 22 1990 and soon this version became popular. This version came out with a lot of enhanced features including improved icons. This Windows was faster and supported advanced graphics with 16 colors. 

Soon Windows 3.0 was succeeded by Windows 3.1 which was launched in 1992. Microsoft sold 10 million copies of these versions together. With the success of these versions, Windows started to make a mark in Operating Systems field.

Different Managers like Program Manager, File Manager and Print Manager were included in Windows 3.0. The launch of Windows Software Development Kit, which allowed the developers to focus more on writing programs and less on writing device drivers, also helped a bit in gaining popularity.


Windows NT

Windows NT, which supports advanced engineering and scientific programs, was launched on July 27 1993. The release of Windows NT also brought the curtains down on the Microsoft’s project of developing a new advanced operating system that began in late 1980’s.

“Windows NT represents nothing less than a fundamental change in the way that companies can address their business computing requirements,” Bill Gates says at the time of its release. 

Windows NT 3.1 is a 32-bit operating system unlike its previous versions.


Windows 95

Windows 95 was released in August 1995 and with it brought the first ever Start button and Start menu (launched with a gigantic advertising campaign that used the Rolling Stones’ Start Me Up, and a couple of months later Friends stars Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry Could it be any more up-to-date?)

It also introduced the concept of “plug and play” – connect a peripheral and the operating system finds the appropriate drivers for it and makes it work. That was the idea; it didn’t always work in practice. Windows 95 also introduced a 32-bit environment, the task bar and focused on multitasking. MS-DOS still played an important role for Windows 95, which required it to run some programs and elements.

Internet Explorer also made its debut on Windows 95, but was not installed by default requiring the Windows 95 Plus! pack. Later revisions of Windows 95 included IE by default, as Netscape Navigator and NCSA Mosaic were popular at the time.


Windows 98

Windows 98 was released in June, 1998. It was built on Windows 95 and brought with it IE 4, Outlook Express, Windows Address Book, Microsoft Chat and NetShow Player, which was replaced by Windows Media Player 6.2 in Windows 98 Second Edition in 1999.

Windows 98 has introduced the back and forward navigation buttons and the address bar in Windows Explorer, among other things. One of the biggest changes was the introduction of the Windows Driver Model for computer components and accessories – one driver to support all future versions of Windows. USB support was much improved in Windows 98 and led to its widespread adoption, including USB hubs and USB mice.


Windows Millennium Edition (Windows ME)

In between Windows 98 and Windows 2000, Windows Me was launched. So, it released in September, 2000. it was the consumer-aimed operating system twined with Windows 2000 aimed at the enterprise market. 

In other words, it was introduced some important concepts to consumers, including more automated system recovery tools. Also in this version, System Restore was introduced for the first time. This important feature enabled the user to roll back the PC to last know good configuration before a problem occurred. 

Movie Maker tool and Microsoft Windows Media Player was also introduced for the first time. Windows Me happened to be the last operating system to be based on Windows 95 code.




Windows 2000

Windows 2000 Professional version was designed with an intention to replace all the previous versions on all business desktops. Windows 2000 was based on Windows NT 4.0 Workstation Code and it came out with a large number of improvements in reliability, internet capability, support for mobile computing, support for advanced networking and wireless products, USB devices, IEEE 1394 devices etc.




Windows XP

Arguably one of the best Windows versions, Windows XP was released in October 2001 and brought Microsoft’s enterprise line and consumer line of operating systems under one roof.

It was based on Windows NT like Windows 2000, but brought the consumer-friendly elements from Windows ME. The Start menu and task bar got a visual overhaul, bringing the familiar green Start button, blue task bar and vista wallpaper, along with various shadow and other visual effects.

ClearType, which was designed to make text easier to read on LCD screens, was introduced, as were built-in CD burning, auto-play from CDs and other media, plus various automated update and recovery tools, that unlike Windows ME actually worked.

Windows XP was the longest running Microsoft operating system, seeing three major updates and support up until April 2014 - 13 years from its original release date. Windows XP was still used on an estimated 430m PCs when it was discontinued.

Its biggest problem was security: though it had a firewall built in, it was turned off by default. Windows XP’s huge popularity turned out to be a boon for hackers and criminals, who exploited its flaws, especially in Internet Explorer, mercilessly - leading Bill Gates to initiate a “Trustworthy Computing” initiative and the subsequent issuance of to Service Pack updates that hardened XP against attack substantially.


Windows Vista

The most secured Operating System, Windows Vista was launched in 2006 in 35 languages. User Account Control, BitLocker Drive Encryption were provided to protect the system data. Enhancements were made to the Windows Media Player as digital media became the center of attraction. The taskbar and Start button got a brand-new look in this edition.



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