The windows system is the program that allows you to control your computer and carry out basic tasks. You can use it to surf the Internet, check email, edit digital photos and play games.
The windows system is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) shell that runs on top of MS-DOS. It features icons that represent programs and files, a taskbar for running multiple applications simultaneously and a window that is movable and resizable.
Windows 1.0
Windows 1.0 was Microsoft’s first graphical operating system, and it marked the transition from MS-DOS command-line interfaces to a GUI. It introduced the concept of multiple applications running concurrently, and featured tiled windows, drop-down menus, scroll bars and a mouse-friendly user interface. It also included the MS-DOS Executive file manager, Notepad, Calendar, Clock and Calculator. It ran on Intel 8086- or 8088-based PCs with 256 KB of RAM, and supported keyboards, mice (if available), printers and displays that support IBM CGA, Hercules monochrome or EGA graphics resolutions.
Windows 1.0 was widely adopted, and was the foundation of Microsoft’s dominance in personal computing market. However, it was limited by hardware requirements and its reliance on a mouse for navigation. Contemporary technology publications criticized its demanding system requirements, and some criticized its performance, which was slow compared to Macintosh systems. Other criticisms focused on the lack of exciting applications that were available for the system. Microsoft’s legal battle with Apple was another major obstacle that delayed the release of Windows 1.0 until November 20, 1985.
Windows NT
NT is the first version of Windows to use 32-bit demand-paged virtual memory and the first to support a true multiprogramming environment. It supports both NTFS and FAT file systems with maximum volumes of 4G and cluster sizes up to 64K.
Unlike MS-DOS and previous versions of Windows, NT can run multiple programs simultaneously with different user privileges. This makes it ideal for business LANs and large corporate network servers.
NT features extensive compatibility with existing 16-bit DOS and Windows applications, most common PC hardware and devices and the Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser. It also interoperates with a wide variety of network operating systems including UNIX, Novell NetWare and the Macintosh. It is designed to be used with either CISI or RISC processors and meets the US Department of Defense C2 standard for security. NT is available in two versions, workstation and server. Those versions differ primarily in their emphasis on functions with the server version having more sophisticated management capabilities.
Windows 2000
Also known as Win2K, it was a major upgrade of Windows NT 4. It introduced Active Directory, a new way to organize the domain system that allowed for more scalability and centralization of management. It was also designed to be more stable and less prone to DLL hell (where corrupted system files cause applications not to run).
The new version of the GUI included transparency and alpha blending features. It could be customized through HTML based appearance templates. Windows 2000 also included the latest DirectX application programming interfaces, allowing games to be run with greater graphical quality.
It supported the System Management Server feature that allows software to be installed on a network of computers simultaneously over the Internet. The system can also be remotely upgraded using this method, although it requires each machine to have a version of Windows 2000 that can be upgraded. It also included support for the Itanium processor from Intel.
Windows ME
Released in 2000, Windows ME is the successor to Windows 98 and was a disappointment for many users. The operating system suffers from a great deal of instability and users had to endure frequent program crashes that resulted in exception errors, blue screens and other issues.
However, it did offer improved multimedia capabilities and Internet integration, while also introducing features such as System Restore and Windows Movie Maker. It also enhanced support for digital cameras and imaging devices.
Compared to its predecessor, the operating system can run much faster on computers with more than 256 MB of RAM, due to the abandonment of real-mode MS-DOS and an optimized registry database. It also offers significant improvements in pre and post-logon boot times.
Using modern cloud services with Windows ME would be difficult. This is because most of these platforms have evolved to include advanced hardware and software standards that the system lacks. However, it’s possible to use Windows ME on a virtual machine for testing purposes or nostalgic reasons.