Who created Microsoft Windows? History of Windows development
Windows is one of the most popular operating systems today. Now this is a familiar and convenient work environment for many people. But where did it all start and how did the world's most famous operating system, Microsoft Windows, improve? We invite you on a journey into the past!
Windows 1.0
November 1985
At the time of its first release, Windows was far from the full-fledged operating system that is familiar to us today. Previously, it was simply an "operating environment" for MS-DOS. And it was almost called Interface Manager.
Despite its simplicity, the first version of Windows already contained many innovative tools: the graphics editor Windows Paint, the word processor Windows Write, and, of course, the legendary board game Reversi.
Windows 2.X
December 1987
The next major release of Windows introduced the famous Excel and Word - two more cornerstones in the history of software. But an equally important role in the success of Windows was played by the Aldus PageMaker application, which was previously available only to Macintosh users. It was this application that brought Windows great popularity in 1987.
Note translation It should be noted that the Aldus PageMaker application was released in version 1.0, but it was in version 2.0 that it gained its fame on the Microsoft Windows platform.
However, a shadow was now cast over Windows as tensions grew: Apple, which had patented many user interface elements and ideas, felt that Microsoft was using too much of its original work in the design of Windows.
Windows 3.X
May 1990
Improvements in multitasking, the introduction of virtual memory, and design updates finally allowed the Windows user interface to compete with the Macintosh interface.
Along with Windows 3.1, the concept of the “Multimedia PC” also appeared: CD-ROM drives and sound cards became all the rage in the 1990s.
Having reached 10,000,000 copies sold, version 3.0 became not only a major source of income for Microsoft, but also a huge success in the IT world.
Windows NT
July 1992
Microsoft joined forces with IBM to develop a successor to DOS. However, the collaboration did not last long, and what was called OS/2 became the new Windows NT. Windows 3.11 and NT were developed in parallel (together) until they were combined into Windows XP.
With improved networking support in Windows NT and the new NTFS file system, Microsoft overtook Novell to become a major player in the server market.
Windows 95
August 1995
Microsoft implemented ideas that had been around since the release of NT, codenamed Chicago, by introducing them to the consumer (such as a 32-bit system and improved memory management).
However, the need for backward compatibility and the fact that not all code was changed to 32-bit ultimately led to failures: Windows 95 faced major performance and stability problems.
Later versions of Windows 95 introduced the famous Internet Explorer browser and USB support that is familiar to us today.
Windows 98
June 1998
With Windows 98, codenamed Memphis, Microsoft greatly improved USB support. After all, Windows 95 never provided its stable implementation.
Although FAT32 was first introduced in an update to Windows 95, it remained a young file system and became even more popular than before. Thanks to this, disk partitions larger than two gigabytes have become more common.
1998 was also the year of the United States v. Microsoft legal showdown over the legitimacy of shipping Internet Explorer pre-installed with every copy of Windows.
Windows 2000
February 2000
The next version of Windows NT introduced a new service - Active Directory.
Although this version was aimed at the business market, Windows 2000 also came with an improved DirectX API. This marked the first time that many modern games ran on NT computers.
In one respect, however, Windows 2000 was the last of its kind: its successor versions introduced a new (and controversial) product activation mechanism.
Windows ME
September 2000
The ME version focused on multimedia: Microsoft introduced Windows Movie Maker and updated the platform's standard multimedia application, Windows Media Player, to version 7.
In addition, the System Restore utility has appeared - a simple system recovery tool. Apple's Time Machine, of course, cannot be compared with Microsoft's new utility, but nevertheless, it did not appear for several more years.
Windows XP
August 2001
Windows XP marked a special reunion: it finally combined Windows 95/98/ME and NT/2000.
At first, the new XP had several painful shortcomings, which primarily concerned security. It was they who forced Microsoft to publish as many as three service packs during the support period for XP.
However, this did not stop Windows XP from becoming the flagship operating system and remaining so for another 6 years - longer than any other version of Microsoft Windows.
Windows Vista
January 2007
Microsoft introduced Windows Vista with a completely new design thanks to Windows Aero, a set of graphical user interface technologies. There were a lot of small changes, like replacing the familiar Start button with a Windows logo icon.
Additionally, Vista featured a redesigned and (compared to Windows XP) stricter permissions system called User Account Control.
In terms of new applications, Vista debuted Windows Calendar, Windows DVD Maker, and several new games.
Note translation It should be noted that Windows Vista was presented back in November 2006, but in the form of a corporate version.
Windows 7
October 2009
Windows 7 is an improved platform in many areas: it boots faster, supports multi-touch, has improved window management, and much more.
In other areas, the system has been reversed: Vista's new User Account Control has become less intrusive, and the newly introduced Sidebar (along with several applications) has been removed entirely.
Windows 8
October 2012
Windows 8 is the most extensive visual update in recent versions. Windows 8 introduces not only a new look at the OS in general, but also a completely new UI and UX. She adopted the popular Flat style and introduced the full-screen window mode into the trend.
In addition, Windows 8 provided support for USB 3.0 and launched the Windows Store.
Windows 10
July 2015
Microsoft decided to call its latest update "Windows 10", skipping version 9. One reason may be the scale and importance of the project: Windows 10 provides a common platform for many devices, from smartphones to personal computers.
,Over the 30-year history of the OS, nine major versions of the system have been released: from Windows 1.0 developed by Bill Gates to the latest release under the leadership of the new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Windows is the most common operating system and is installed on more than 88% of personal computers in the world.
The very first Windows 1.0 came out in November 1985. In truth, the first version released was Window 1.01, as 1.0 had a serious bug. This was Microsoft's first real attempt at creating a graphical user interface on a 16-bit architecture.
However, Windows 1.0, unlike Mac OS, was not an independent operating system and was only a graphical add-on over DOS. Because of this, many users, by inertia, continued to use the “Command Line” to control the system, although there was mouse support in the system.
To get users used to the new input system, Microsoft came up with the game Reversi, which had to be played with the mouse. In this way, users learned to move the mouse by clicking on various objects on the screen. “Sapper” also pursued the same goal.
The second and third versions of Windows were also a “shell” for MS-DOS, but had a number of innovations. In 2.0, released on December 9, 1987, it became possible to arrange windows one above the other in any order, the “Control Panel” (which is still used today), and also program description files (PIF files) appeared for the first time. It was also the first Windows platform to feature Microsoft Word and Excel applications.
The third version, which appeared on May 22, 1990, received the Program Manager and File Manager, as well as an updated version of the Control Panel and Solitaire, which is still an integral part of Windows. In addition, the new operating system looks much better thanks to support for 256 colors in the VGA video adapter and changes to the graphical interface.
However, the company is no stranger to experimentation. Thus, at the CES exhibition in 1995, a software product for Windows 3.0 Microsoft Bob was presented, which was developed without the participation of Bill Gates. The idea was to create a “social interface” by replacing the “Program Manager” with a cartoon house, where the corresponding applications were stored in “rooms”, and a dog named Rover served as the default guide around the house.
Photo report: Bill Gates turns 60
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Then it was updated, and a character called Paperclip appeared in Microsoft Office. One could say that Bob anticipated the advent of modern virtual personal assistants like Cortana and Siri. In July 2013, Bill Gates commented on the legacy of Windows Bob: "We were simply ahead of our time, as with most of our mistakes."
A full-fledged Microsoft operating system appeared only in August 1995. Windows 95 was a significant milestone in the development of Windows. Compared to 3.0, it had a huge number of innovations.
The Start menu, already familiar to all users, and icons for quick access to files and applications on the desktop have appeared. Windows 95 was the first to use a 32-bit environment, the "Taskbar" and was focused on multitasking. MS-DOS still played an important role in Windows 95 and was needed to run a number of programs and items. Interaction with files and folders was carried out using icons.
The Internet Explorer browser also appeared in Windows 95, but it was not installed by default - it required the Windows 95 Plus package. Later versions of Internet Explorer were installed initially, since Netscape Navigator and NCSA Mosaic browsers were popular at that time.
Windows 98, released on June 25, 1998, was even more consumer-oriented than its predecessor, Windows 95. It introduced a number of user interface improvements through Windows Desktop Update in Internet Explorer 4, including the Quick Launch Toolbar. , active desktop, the ability to minimize a window by clicking on the window title, as well as the “Back” and “Forward” buttons and the address bar in Windows Explorer.
In 2000, the company introduced two completely different operating systems - Windows 2000 and Windows ME. The first belonged to the NT family of operating systems (new technologies), while the second was built on the Windows 9x platform. Windows Millennium can be called the next step in the development of Windows 98, adding some elements of the Windows 2000 interface and making it as simple as possible for modern home use.
Windows ME was heavily criticized by users due to its instability and unreliability, frequent freezes and crashes. Some users deciphered ME as Mistake Edition (erroneous edition). This version is still considered one of the worst products from Microsoft.
Windows 2000 was aimed at business customers, and it later became the basis for Windows XP.
In Windows 2000, automatic updates played an important role. In addition, it introduced a hibernation mode for the first time. Windows 2000 Professional introduced numerous improvements, such as the plug-and-play concept: when a new peripheral device was connected, the operating system itself found the necessary drivers for it, and it began to work.
The triumphant release of Windows XP took place in October 2001. The new system was a kind of symbiosis of Windows 2000 and Windows ME. Like Windows 2000, it was based on Windows NT, but it added client-centric elements from Windows ME.
The new OS featured a new graphical interface design, text smoothing on LCD monitors, the ability to quickly switch between users, and many other nice features. Windows XP is a “long-liver” among operating systems: three large-scale updates were released for it, and support for the OS ceased only in 2014, that is, 13 years after its release - this support period is the longest among all Windows operating systems.
The system also had its shortcomings. For example, when installing an OS, the user is prompted to create an account with administrator rights, which leads to the system's potential vulnerability to viruses. Also, the disadvantages include the system requirements that were quite high at that time: a processor of at least 500 MHz and more than 128 MB of RAM.
After the tremendous success of Windows XP, Microsoft releases Windows Vista. The system was released in 2007. The new OS was a kind of attempt to revolutionize the design of the graphical interface. Microsoft also tried to eliminate the security flaws that plagued XP users.
However, the new system turned out to be extremely mediocre. This is evidenced by the fact that the OS took first place in the “Failure of the Year” competition in 2007.
Users were also disappointed in the new product from Microsoft. Particularly noteworthy are problems with performance, incompatibility with many old programs, as well as inflated system requirements that exceed those stated. Users also did not like the new Aero interface. After the release of Windows 7 in 2009, Vista, already unpopular, almost completely died out. As of 2015, Windows Vista's market share is less than 2%.
Microsoft's next operating system, Windows 7, was introduced on October 22, 2009. It was supposed to eliminate all the shortcomings that existed in Vista. Aero's design has been greatly improved, and support for older programs that are not available to run on Windows Vista has been implemented. Windows 7 also introduced Windows XP mode, which allows you to run old applications in a Windows XP virtual machine, which provides almost complete support for old applications.
An important feature of the new system is closer integration with driver manufacturers: most are detected automatically. As a result, Microsoft produced an operating system that appealed to a large number of users: in the first eight hours, the number of pre-orders exceeded the demand that Windows Vista had in the first 17 weeks.
But even here there was a fly in the ointment. The main disadvantage of the system is, again, high system requirements, which is why the autonomy of laptops in some cases was reduced by up to 30%. Despite this, the system remains popular to this day: as of September 2015, Windows 7 holds more than 55% of the market share.
In October 2012, Microsoft introduced another product - Windows 8. The new system received a radically new interface, more “tailored” for use on tablets. Thus, in Windows 8, the Start button has disappeared, in its place is access to the Metro interface.
The interface was a tiled platform. Also in the new system there is a Windows Store application store, similar to the Play Market and App Store. The main innovations of Windows 8, in addition to the new interface, can be considered native support for USB 3.0, improved search and a new task manager.
However, most users did not appreciate the system: Microsoft made too much of a bias towards touch control. This affected the ease of system management on desktops.
The new version of Windows 8.1 was an attempt to correct the shortcomings. The Start button has returned to its rightful place and it has become possible to set the standard desktop to launch by default. Despite an attempt to correct the mistakes made in Windows 8, the update was also received without enthusiasm.
Microsoft's latest operating system is Windows 10, introduced in July 2015. Windows 10 should bring all devices together, including embedded systems, smartphones, tablets, laptops, PCs and gaming consoles. The upgrade to Windows 10 is available to users of devices running Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 free of charge for a year.
The main innovations of the system are the improved Start menu, the Cortana voice assistant, as well as the ability to interact simultaneously with the touch interface and with the traditional one on hybrid devices.
In Windows 10, Microsoft collects a lot of data about your computer usage. Examples of such data are name, email address and others. Because of this, Microsoft received a barrage of criticism. Some of the criticism also relates to Windows sharing Wi-Fi passwords with other users. In any case, data collection can be turned off at any time; all instructions are searched on the Internet.
Windows can rightfully be called an integral part of an entire generation of PC users. Thanks to Microsoft's OS, millions of people have discovered information technology and access to the global network. And no matter how much they criticize it, it will in any case remain relevant for many more years.
Windows was originally developed as a graphical add-on to the MS-DOS operating system. The first personal computers from IBM were controlled by the MS-DOS operating system developed by Microsoft. This system was a fairly effective computer management tool, but difficult to master, requiring certain knowledge, and therefore needed to be simplified.
When IBM ordered software for the first personal computer from Microsoft, Gates resorted to a trick - he bought a ready-made QDOS system for 50 thousand dollars, renamed it MS-DOS, and sold it to IBM.
This was well understood at Microsoft, which set itself the global task of providing any user with a convenient personal computer. Therefore, in the period from 1981 to 1983. the company was actively working on creating the first version of an innovative operating system for that time, codenamed Interface Manager.
Windows 1.0
The emergence of a new platform, which in its final version became known as windows, was officially announced in 1983. Many skeptics did not appreciate the convenience and far-reaching prospects of the new operating system and called it a “bogus software product.” As you know, the further history of product development showed that the criticism was completely in vain. These statements did not seriously affect the plans of Microsoft, which, two years after the official presentation of Windows to the general public, released its new software product called Windows 1.0 to the market.
The new operating system freed users from the mandatory attribute of MS-DOS - entering commands through which control was carried out. Windows 1.0 was controlled by simply moving the mouse and clicking on desired parts of the screen. In addition, Microsoft contained many innovative functions for that period of time. Scroll bars, drop-down menus, icons, dialog boxes, the ability to switch between programs without restarting each of them, the new platform was equipped with all these convenient features for the average user. Windows 1.0 also included several additional programs to help the user with daily tasks. The appearance of a system with a convenient graphical control interface was a real breakthrough in the development of software for personal computers.
Windows 98 was the last version of the MS‑DOS-based system.
Windows 1.0 was a graphical add-on to the MS-DOS operating system, but it was it that became the platform on which an independent system was subsequently developed, which received exactly the same name.
Among all the system programs that computer users have to deal with, operating systems occupy a special place.
An operating system is a program that runs immediately after the computer is turned on and allows the user to control the computer.
The operating system (OS) controls the computer, runs programs, provides data protection, and performs various service functions at the request of the user and programs. Each program uses the services of the OS, and therefore can only run under the control of the OS that provides the services for it. Thus, the choice of OS is very important, as it determines what programs you can run on your computer. The choice of OS also determines the performance of your work, the level of data protection, the necessary hardware, etc. However, the choice of operating system also depends on the technical characteristics (configuration) of the computer. The more modern the operating system, the more it not only provides more features and is more visual, but also the more requirements it places on the computer (processor clock speed, RAM and disk memory, the presence and capacity of additional cards and devices). We have figured out what operating systems are and their features in general; now it’s time to begin a more detailed, specific consideration of the variety of operating systems, which usually begins with a consideration of a brief history of appearance and development.
Multics operating system
So, it all started back in 1965... For four years, American Telegraph & Telephone Bell Labs, together with General Electric and a group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, created the Os Multics project (also called MAC - not to be confused with MacOS). The goal of the project was to create a multi-user interactive operating system that would provide a large number of users with convenient and powerful means of accessing computing resources. This OS was based on the principles of multi-level protection. Virtual memory had a segment-page organization, where each segment was associated with an access level. In order for any program to call a program or access data located in a certain segment, it was required that the execution level of this program be not lower than the access level of the corresponding segment. Also for the first time, Multics implemented a fully centralized file system. That is, even if the files are located on different physical devices, logically they seem to be present on the same disk. The directory does not indicate the file itself, but only a link to its physical location. If suddenly the file is not there, the smart system asks you to insert the appropriate device. In addition, Multics had a large amount of virtual memory, which made it possible to image files from external memory to virtual memory. Alas, all attempts to create a relatively friendly interface in the system failed. A lot of money was invested, but the result was somewhat different than what the guys from Bell Labs wanted. The project was closed. By the way, Ken Thompson and Denis Ritchie were listed as participants in the project. Despite the fact that the project was closed, it was the Multics OS that is believed to have given rise to the Unix OS.
Unix operating system
It is believed that... a computer game is particularly to blame for the emergence of Unix. The fact is that Ken Thompson (see photo on the left) for some unknown reason created the “Space Travel” toy. He wrote it in 1969 on a Honeywell-635 computer, which was used to develop Multics. But the trick is that neither the aforementioned Honeywell nor the General Electric-645 available in the laboratory were suitable for the toy. And Ken had to find another computer - an 18-bit PDP-7 computer. Ken and the guys were developing a new file system to make their life and work easier. Well, I decided to try my invention on a brand new car. I tried it. The entire patent department at Bell Labs rejoiced. This seemed not enough to Thompson and he began to improve it, including such functions as inodes, a process and memory management subsystem that ensures the use of the system by two users in TimeSharing mode (time sharing) and a simple command interpreter. Ken even developed several utilities for the system. Actually , Ken’s employees still remembered how they suffered over the Multics OS, so in honor of old achievements, one of them - Brian Kernighan - decided to call it by a similar name - UNICS After some time, the name was shortened to UNIX (read the same way, just write the extra letter in real. Programmers have always been lazy). The OS was written in assembly language.
Here we are approaching what is known in the world as the “First Edition of UNIX”. In November 1971, the first release of a full-fledged Unix document was published. In accordance with this, the OS was called the “First Edition of UNIX”. The second edition came out quite quickly - in less than a year. The third edition was no different. Unless it forced Denis Ritchie (see photo on the left) to “sit down with dictionaries”, as a result of which he wrote his own language, now known as C. It was in it that the 4th edition of UNIX was written in 1973. In July 1974, version 5 of UNIX was released. The sixth edition of UNIX (aka UNIX V6), released in 1975, was the first commercially distributed Unix. Most of it was written in S.
Later, the RAM and virtual memory management subsystem was completely rewritten, and at the same time the interface of external device drivers was changed. All this made the system easily portable to other architectures and was called the “Seventh Edition” (aka UNIX version 7). When the “six” arrived at Berkeley University in 1976, local Unix gurus arose there. One of them was Bill Joy.
Having gathered his programmer friends, Billy began developing his own system on the UNIX kernel. Having crammed in a bunch of his own functions (including the Pascal compiler) in addition to the main functions, he called this whole hodgepodge Distribution (BSD 1.0). The second version of BSD was almost no different from the first. The third version of BSD was based on the port of UNIX Version 7 to the VAX family of computers, which gave the 32/V system, which formed the basis of BSD 3.x. Well, and most importantly, a TCP/IP protocol stack was developed; development was funded by the US Department of Security.
The first commercial system was called UNIX SYSTEM III and it was released in 1982. This OS combined the best qualities of UNIX Version 7.
Then Unix developed something like this:
First, companies emerged to commercially port UNIX to other platforms. The well-known Microsoft Corporation also had a hand in this, together with the Santa Cruz Operation, which produced a UNIX variation called XENIX.
Second, Bell Labs created a Unix development group and announced that all subsequent commercial versions of UNIX (starting with System V) would be compatible with the previous ones. 
By 1984, the second release of UNIX System V was released, which introduced: the ability to lock files and records, copy shared pages of RAM when attempting to write (copy-on-write), page replacement of RAM, etc. At this time, UNIX OS was installed on more than 100 thousand computers.
In 1987, the third release of UNIX System V was released. Four and a half million users of this epic operating system were registered... By the way, as for Linux, it arose only in 1990, and the first official version of the OS was released only in October 1991. Like BSD, Linux was distributed with source code so that any user could customize it the way he wanted. Almost EVERYTHING was customized, which Windows 9x, for example, cannot afford.
Operating system DOS
There have always been DOSes. The first - from IBM, in the 1960s, they were very limited in functionality. Normal ones, which have survived to our times and enjoyed relative fame, trace their accounts with QDOS...
This shorter history than the development of UNIX began in 1980 at Seattle Computer Products. Originally called QDOS, the OS was modified and, renamed MS-DOS by the end of the year, was sold to our beloved Microsoft. The IBM Corporation commissioned Microsoft to work on the OS for the new Blue Giant computer models - IBM-RS. At the end of 1981, the first version of the new OS was released - PC-DOS 1.0. The problem with the operating system was that it had to be configured anew for each specific machine. PC-DOS was taken up by IBM itself, and Microsoft got its own modification, called MS-DOS. In 1982, PC-DOS and MS-DOS version 1.1 appeared simultaneously with some added and expanded capabilities. By 1983, version 2.0, which introduced support for hard drives, as well as an improved file administration system. The third version of MS-DOS, released in 1984, gave only some improvements. Subsequent versions were aimed at managing basic and virtual memory until version 6.22. which appeared terribly cut down 7.0, part of some of the Windows 9x. Microsoft did not deal with DOS anymore.
Meanwhile, MS-DOS did not die. The latest version included almost everything that MS-DOS 6.22 could, plus such functions as backup and recovery tools for damaged data, anti-virus control tools built into the system, synchronization of files on two computers, etc. Another DOS was this a thing like PTS-DOS produced by one of the Russian physics laboratories. Its latest version is listed as 6.65. But the most unusual is DR-OrenDos 7.02. Initially, this OC was developed by Digital Research, but then for some reason they abandoned it and sold it to Novell. Novell built his network stuff into it and sold it further - to CALDERA, which supplemented DR-DOS with Internet access tools and now distributes it for free.
Operating system OS/2
It all started with OC VM (Virtual Machine), which was released in 1972. The product released at that time was called VM/370 and was designed to support a server for a certain number of users. This OS, which has long celebrated its 25th anniversary, from the history of which one can study the development of IBM technologies in the field of server operating systems and network solutions, is a reliable and powerful basis for organizing a corporate information and computing system focused on the multi-user environment of a large modern company. VM/ESA makes very efficient use of the hardware and is somewhat less demanding on computer resources than OS/390, making it a good choice for use as a platform for an enterprise system, a large organization's information server, or an Internet server. Later, IBM organized a joint project between Microsoft and IBM, aimed at creating an operating system free of flaws. The first version, 0S/2, was released at the end of 1987. It was able to use the advanced computing capabilities of the processor and had the means to communicate with large IBM machines. In 1993, IBM released 0S/2 2.1, a fully 32-bit system that had the ability to run applications built for Windows, had high performance, and supported a large number of peripheral devices. In 1994, 0S/2 WARP 3 was released. This implementation, in addition to further improving performance and reducing hardware resource requirements, introduced support for working on the Internet. Now, of the latest versions, only 0S/2 Warp4, capable of working with 64-bit processors, should be noted. In addition, it provides a fairly comprehensive means of interacting with the Internet, allowing 0S/2 to run not only client programs, but also act as a Web server. Starting from the third version, IBM supplies localized versions of 0S/2 for Russia. Having gone through a rather long and complex path, this OS for personal computers today has such features as real multitasking, thoughtful and reliable memory management and process management subsystems, built-in network support and additional network server functions, a powerful REXX programming language designed to solve system administration tasks. The listed features allow you to use 0S/2 as an operating system for powerful workstations or network servers.
Windows operating system
Windows was probably the first operating system that no one ordered for Bill Gates (see photo on the left), and he undertook to develop it at his own peril and risk. What's so special about it? Firstly, the graphical interface. At that time, only the notorious Mac 0S had this. Secondly, multitasking. In general, Windows 1.0 was released in November 1985. The main platform was the 286th vehicle.
Exactly two years later, in November 1987, Windows 2.0 was released, and a year and a half later 2.10 was released. There was nothing special about them. And finally, the revolution! May 1990, Windows 3.0 was released. What was there: DOS applications ran in a separate window on full screen, and Soru-Paste worked to exchange data with DOS applications, and Windows itself worked in several memory modes: in real (base 640 KB), in protected and expanded. At the same time, it was possible to run applications whose size exceeds the size of physical memory. There was also dynamic data exchange (DDE). A couple of years later, version 3.1 was released, which no longer had problems with base memory. A newfangled feature has also been introduced that supports True Type fonts. Normal operation in the local network is ensured. Drag&Drop appeared (moving files and directories with the mouse). Version 3.11 improved network support and introduced a few more minor features. At the same time, Windows NT 3.5 was released, which at that time was a collection of basic network gadgets taken from 0S/2.
In June 1995, the entire computer community was excited by Microsoft's announcement of the release in August of a new operating system, significantly different from Windows 3.11.
August 24 is the official release date of Windows 95 (other names: Windows 4.0, Windows Chicago). Now it was not just an operating environment - it was a full-fledged operating system. The 32-bit kernel allowed for improved access to files and network functions. 32-bit applications were better protected from each other's errors, and there was support for multi-user mode on one computer with one system. Many differences in the interface, a lot of settings and improvements.
A little later, a new Windows NT was released with the same interface as the 95th. It was supplied in two versions: as a server and as a workstation. Windows NT 4.x systems were reliable, but not so much because Microsoft had a conscience, but because NT was written by programmers who had once worked on VAX/VMS.
In 1996, Windows-95 OSR2 (this stands for Open Service Release) was released. The distribution included Internet Explorer 3.0 and some ancient version of Outlook (then simply called Exchange). The main functions include FAT32 support, an improved hardware and driver initializer. Some settings (including video) can be changed without rebooting. There was also built-in DOS 7.10 with FAT32 support.
The year is 1998. Windows 98 was released with built-in Internet Explorer 4.0 and Outlook. The so-called Active Desktop appeared. Improved support for universal drivers and DirectX. Built-in support for multiple monitors. Optionally, it was possible to add a wonderful utility for converting hard drives from FAT16 to FAT32. The built-in DOS dates back to the same 7.10.
A year later, Windows 98 Special Edition was released. With optimized kernel. Internet Explorer reached version 5.0, which, by and large, was not much different from 4.x. Integration with the World Wide Web, consisting of the delivery of several weak utilities such as FrontPage and Web Publisher. DOS was still the same - 7.10.
Year 2000. The full version of Windows Millenium is released. Internet Explorer became version 5.5, DOS seems to have died, but smart people claim that it existed, but was called 8.0. DOS applications are simply ignored. The interface has been improved with graphical features and acceleration of everything that can move (including the mouse cursor), plus a couple of network functions. Well, quite recently, one might say, in our time, the OS came out Windows Vista and Windows server 2008.
Alexey Komolov (St. Petersburg)
Many computer users use Windows OS, but not everyone knows its history - for many it is something new from our time. Therefore, below I will describe a brief history of the Windows OS.
1982 Then, unknown to anyone, Bill Gates began creating the first version of Windows.
1885 The first Microsoft Windows 1.0 saw the light. The release of Windows was a real revolution in the world of computers: the long-awaited multitasking (the ability to simultaneously work with several programs at once) appeared.
By today's standards, the graphical design of Windows was, to put it mildly, pathetic. But it was the mid-80s, the computers themselves were large and low-performance - so the graphical interface was gorgeous by the standards of that time.
1987 Release of Microsoft Windows 2.0. It is now possible to use hot keys to switch between application windows and perform some simple tasks.
Later, this version was divided into 2 lines: for x286 processors and for more powerful x386 (this version could use more resources of the new processors of that time).
1990 Microsoft Windows 3.0 is released. This version of Windows was a great success thanks to its VGA support, plus the interface was improved.
1992-1993. Microsoft Windows 3.1 and 3.11 are released. These versions of Windows were, in fact, an updated version of Windows 3.0: then support for multimedia data appeared, a CD-ROM and a sound card appeared, and the first normally readable vector fonts appeared.
1993 Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 is released. It was the first 32-bit system to have built-in local network support. Accordingly, the hardware requirements also increased by that time.
1995 Microsoft Windows 95 (Chicago) is released. It was a full-fledged OS, unlike previous versions, which were essentially “shells” for MS-DOS. Windows 95 introduced the taskbar and Start button menu for the first time.
1998 Microsoft Windows 98 is released. This OS received many significant updates, most of them aimed at improving operation and access to the Internet, drivers were improved, a full-fledged browser was built into the system distribution, and there was support for USB ports.
2000 Microsoft Windows 2000 was released, which was an attempt to combine home Windows 95 with professional Windows NT. This version finally fixed most of the problems with drivers, and also introduced Active Directory - a very important network technology.
The same year 2000. At the same time, Microsoft Windows ME was released. This OS was supposed to replace Windows 98 on weaker computers that could not handle the more resource-hungry Windows 2000. It was the last in a line that began with version 95 and was not very successful due to its instability and glitches.
2001 Microsoft Windows XP is released (in my opinion, the most successful solution in the Windows family line today).
It is still used on many millions of user computers around the world - thanks to its stability, greater ease of use, less buggy and fairly wide options in the settings of the OS itself.
2003 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 is released - the successor to Windows 2000.
A little later, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) was released, which became the successor to Windows ME - just as failed and buggy, although it brought several useful updates: an improved security system, an improved search system, hibernation mode, an updated interface and other little things.
Most users received Microsoft Windows 7 with a bang after the disastrous Vista.
Here they were able to fix the problem with “inflated” system requirements, speed up its loading, enable multi-touch support, improve application compatibility, redesign the taskbar, and add many small useful features.
True, there were still a lot of glitches, which is why many did not want to switch to Windows 7: some controls were removed, a lot was renamed (what’s the point?), something was swapped. Some settings elements from one window have been moved to several different windows, which makes the work less convenient. Some settings are disabled, and some changes in the system spontaneously reset to “default” after a while. There is no way to place files in folders in random order, which is inconvenient.
2012 Microsoft Windows 8 is coming out. The release of this version of Windows created a lot of hype - they tried to visually adapt this version to all devices (computers, laptops, tablets, etc.). It's too early to judge its popularity, but we can say for sure: this is one of the riskiest versions of Windows. The interface has been completely redesigned and the beloved and very convenient Start button has been removed.
True, the design of large shortcuts is convenient when working on tablets, but it is extremely inconvenient on other computers.
By the way, pay attention to two screenshots. This is what AOL looks like, released in 1996:
And this is what Windows 8, released in 2012, looks like:
Many users have the impression that after Gates left the post of president, Microsoft began to “evolve” in the opposite direction (Vista. 7 and 8 were no longer released under his leadership).
Near future. The first rumors about the release of Windows 9 (Blue) have already begun to appear. By mid-2013 the situation should become clearer.