Windows system is a graphical operating system that allows users to view and manage files, programs, games, videos, and internet connections. It can also be used for office applications and other business tasks.
It is easy to use, with a point-and-click interface. It has a large developer support, and is available for various hardware platforms.
Windows 1.0
Originally announced on November 10, 1983, Windows 1.0 was Microsoft’s first version of its graphical OS. It was ported to many incompatible machines including the IBM PC, DEC Rainbow 100, Atari 800, Commodore 64, Apple IIe, and the Burroughs B20, Compaq Portable, and Zenith Z-100.
Reviews of the system were mixed, with critics stating that it was overly reliant on mouse input at a time when keyboard navigation was popular; it required high specifications and experienced performance issues; and its multitasking capabilities fell short of expectations. Support ended on December 31, 2001.
Windows 2.0
Unlike Windows 1.0 which was tiled, this version of Microsoft’s graphical shell allowed application windows to overlap and resize, introduced desktop icons and menu keyboard shortcuts, supported VGA graphics in 16 colors. It also moved to protected mode for i386 machines.
The development of 2.0 was led by the team that had previously worked on OS/2 and included Dynamical Systems Research employees who’d built Mondrian, a competitor to IBM’s TopView. System requirements increased slightly to an 8086 or 80386, 512k RAM, two double-sided floppy disk drives and a pointing device.
Windows 3.0
This version of Windows introduced a graphical user interface, which allowed users to launch applications and files using icons instead of text commands. This revolutionized computer use and encouraged a surge of third-party software development tailored to this environment, further solidifying Microsoft’s position in the operating systems market.
It also improved memory management, allowing programs to access segments larger than 64 KB, although this still capped program segment size at 16 MB. It could run in either Real or Protected mode and supported a wide range of Intel-compatible hardware.
Windows 95
From a technical perspective, Windows 95 was the first major release to support Win32 applications. [1]
It also added a new document-oriented desktop shell that worked much like the 1984 Macintosh Finder and offered more network capabilities.
Windows 95 was also the first release to allow multiple applications to run together with true preemptive multitasking. It also featured a then-new Help system and a number of wizard applications that guided users through tasks step by step.
Windows 98
Unlike its predecessors, Windows 98 eliminates the need for MS-DOS to run on your computer. It also simplifies system administration by providing new self-maintenance and update capabilities. Other improvements include basic OHCI-compliant FireWire (IEEE 1394a) DV camcorder support and improved USB support.
Windows 98 requires at least a 486 DX2 CPU with 16MB RAM and a VGA display card, although users can bypass the hardware requirement checks using an undocumented /NM setup switch during installation. It comes with Internet Explorer 4.01 and 5.0 and other Internet companion applications like Microsoft Chat, FrontPage Express, and Outlook Express.
Windows 2000
The Windows 2000 line combines the user-friendliness, plug-and-play support and USB device compatibility of Windows 95 with the security, scalability and manageability features of Windows NT. It includes an advanced security model, a hierarchical domain structure, Active Directory, and improved hardware and printer support.
Added to Windows 2000 is the System File Checker (SFC), which checks for corruption of system files and replaces them. Also included is a Recovery Console to help fix problems that prevent the operating system from booting properly.
Windows XP
When it was released in October of 2001, XP represented the latest generation of Microsoft’s flagship operating system. It came at a time when Microsoft was achieving its highest revenues and had a commanding lead over Netscape in the browser market.
Unlike previous versions of Windows, XP allows more than one person to use the same computer at the same time. Each user can have a separate computer account that tracks their individual settings and documents. Switching between users can be accomplished by clicking the Start menu and choosing either Switch User or Log Off.
Windows Vista
Among other things, Vista has a new graphics engine and uses icon sizes that are visually more realistic. It also features ReadyBoost, which employs fast flash memory on USB drives and hybrid hard disk drives to preload frequently used applications.
A new Games Explorer special folder provides links to a few games designed to show off the computer’s graphics capabilities. The operating system includes a variety of privilege-restriction techniques and obfuscation technologies that increase the amount of work malware must do to infiltrate a computer.
Windows 7
Microsoft released Windows 7 to manufacturing in July 2009 and made it available on October 22, 2009. It was preceded by Windows Vista and succeeded by Windows 8.
Some of the features that distinguish Windows 7 from its predecessors include a task bar known as the Superbar, an improved search function, redesigned folders, and home networking capabilities.
Users who want to run legacy software on their PCs might prefer Windows 7, as it offers better compatibility than 10 does, but that comes at the cost of privacy through telemetry data collection. Security experts recommend upgrading to Windows 10.