Have you ever wondered that how Windows evolved to such a beauty?
How was windows when it was first introduced and how it all improved? The Windows 7, Latest masterpiece by Microsoft offers a rich experience to users with its eye-candy animations and solid programming.
To have a peak at the evolution of Windows with time, read more.
Windows 1.0
Windows 1.0 was introduced in November 1985. It was a huge improvement at that time as it offered a Graphical User Interface (GUI) instead of black command screens used by previous operating systems.
Windows 1.0 did not allow overlapping of different windows as it was a feature used and copyrighted by Mac operating system. So instead of that windows 1.0 used tiled scheme for the placement of windows.
Windows 2.0
Windows 2.0 was introduced in November 1987. It offered a significant improvement over Windows 1.0. It introduced several features like overlapping of Windows, new Keyboard shortcuts and improved GUI. It also featured many new applications.
After some time windows 2.1 was introduced which could multi-task several applications and had better memory management schemes. Visually it was identical to windows 2.0.
Windows 3.0 & 3.1
Windows 3.0 and 3.1 brought a breakthrough in personal computer industry. They were widely adopted by several pc manufacturers. Apple’s Mac OS however was only allowed to be installed on Apple computers.
Windows 3.0 brought many new features into the windows realm. It supported better multi-tasking and it had access to more memory modules than any other previous versions. As most of the coding was done in assembly language, This Windows was faster and more reliable.
Microsoft Bob
Microsoft bob was a GUI experiment by Microsoft that was innovative but it failed. It presented a cartoon view of an office, where users can access their programs easily. Microsoft Bob is usually mentioned as one of the worst products Microsoft created.
Windows 95
Windows 95 was the base of the future Windows versions introduced. Windows 95 was more stable and reliable as compared to previous versions of Windows. It supported 32-bit applications.
Windows 95 became a highly successful and acclaimed OS.
Windows NT versions
First windows NT version was released on july, 1993 and after came a series on NT labeled Windows Versions. NT 3.0, 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 are prominent in those versions. NT stands for “New Technology”, which means NT was a full windows version that was an upgrade from 8/16 bit windows to 32 bit windows.
Windows 98
Microsoft introduced Windows 98 in year 1998. It had several stability and memory fixes over windows 95.
This OS was very widely opted by PC manufacturers in the World.
Windows ME
Shortly after windows 98, Windows Millenium Edition was launched. It didnt performed very well in the market because it had several stability flaws. Its is known in technological circles as “Windows Mistake Edition”.
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 was one of the operating system offered by Microsoft which was built on NT platform.
This OS was widely installed on many Servers of the World. Overall it was a success.
Windows XP
Windows XP is regarded as the most successful creation by Microsoft corporation. Windows XP has entirely revamped User Interface with several new features and stability fixes. XP was most stable operating system as it did not crash when one of the applications malfunctioned. Windows XP was widely installed and people upgraded from previous versions of Windows to XP.
Windows Vista
Windows Vista was released world wide on january 27, 2007. Windows Vista featured advanced GUI and security features. The Animations and Alpha shading effects of Windows Vista came at a shear expense of system resources.
Huge system resources were required to run Vista smoothly. Minimum RAM requirement was 2 GB. These problems hindered wide adoption of Vista by masses. So Vista is not regarded as a successful operating system compared to previous versions of Windows.
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows 7 was released to worldwide OEM’s on July 22, 2009 and to users on October 21, 2009. Windows 7 promised to offer fast and rich user experience. The system requirements for Windows 7 were reduced and it was made lighter and more agile. It had the largest pre-order in the history, Performing many times better than Vista in the first week of sales.
Windows 7 has entirely revamped UI and engine. The Taskbar makeover in the builds is shown below, the last Taskbar is the final version used in Windows 7.
Oddly enough Windows like all Microsoft products is bloatware. Just check out the “eastereggs” hidden in some of their software. Microsoft STILL has a company policy of PATCH not FIX to address problems. Unless they start over with a blank hard drive it will always be bloated and full of problems. Sadly there’s not much in the way of alternatives.
LMAO!! I am so old though that I not only remember working with computers BEFORE Windows, but remember working with them before hard drives, everything was stored by punching holes in a paper tape that was rolled up on a movie reel! We have come a long way baby!
complex post. due one decimal where I bicker with it. I am emailing you in detail.
‘Windows 7 was released worldwide on July 22, 2009′
You mean: will be released on October 22nd
It’s hard work; trying to make a lame copy of an Apple OS; it’s an eternal chase for Microsoft. But why get a bad copy when you can get the real thing?
Actually, on July 22nd, 2009 it was released worldwide… to all OEM PC manufacturers.
The general public release will be on October 22nd, 2009.
What about BoB? Was right before Win 95…
You say that Windows 2000 is the last Windows built on the NT. Firstly, you don’t mention anything else about NT3.0, 3.5, 3.51, 4.0. Secondly, I am pretty certain that remains of the “NT platform” remain through XP, Vista, and 7 in the sense that all other Windows prior were 8 or 16 bit, whereas starting with NT3.0, it was a 32 bit kernel, and continues to be (and 64 bit). Secondly all Windows prior to NT were based on dos. I believe Windows ME still showed C:\> VER
C:\> MSDos 7.XX
or something to that effect.
Just saying, there are alot more pics and information that could be in your presentation if the purpose is to look and “Windows 1-7.”
Interesting walk down memory lane nevertheless.
I totally agree with Colorado
Windows XP was NT5
Windows Vista was NT6
and Windows 7 is… well NT7
NT stands for New Technology
“Windows 7, Latest masterpiece by Microsoft” – lololololololol
i don’t agree with it..
“Have you ever wondered that how Windows evolved to such a beauty?”
You mean a bloated OS trying to look like the far more user friendly and capable Leopard.
Windows 7 had the Largest pre-order in the History. You may be a Mac OS fan but it doesn't make Windows 7 bad. Its fast and i am impressed by it.
ARobbi Have you used windows 7 ? i guess not !
Yeah it was…but its not called Windows. It was just a graphical experiment that failed
Go back to star bucks you hippy bitches. windows > mac
“Windows 2000 was the last operating system offered by Microsoft which was built on NT platform.”
That is incorrect sir. XP Vista & 7 are all NT based. =)
And finally the last operating system…Ubuntu Linux
Two mistakes. First, Windows Vista only requires 1GB of RAM (512MB absolute minimum). Second, Windows 7 was released on October 22nd.
Two mistakes. First, Windows Vista only requires 1GB of RAM (512MB absolute minimum). Second, Windows 7 was released on October 22nd.
Couple of things:
Windows 2000 predates ME, and it was not the last version of Windows built on the NT kernel. XP and Vista, and probably 7 were built on this basic framework.
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My old Compaq Concerto laptop was running MS Windows for Pen Computing – no one ever mentions that. Was around back in Win 3.1 days.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Im looking forward to getting 7
“Windows 2000 was the last operating system offered by Microsoft which was built on NT platform”
Wait, what? You know that XP, Vista and Win7 are all NT-based, right?
Thanks for pointing that out. its fixed now
where is the download link???????
There's not supposed to be one.
I wish some of the later OS's had nice screenshots to go with them.
hey brian all links are broken….
Clearly written by somebody who has no experience of Windows other than XP/Vista/7. Significant factual errors for the earlier stuff, no mention of the two kernel paths (DOS+Win vs WinNT), nor the OS/2 story – which is very significant in the history of Windows, unsubstantiated claims about perception/capabilities of OSes, no mention of the culture in which any of these OSes happened, regarding Unix (even Minix), CP/M, OS/2, MacOS, Linux,…
Yes there is a lot to say about a lot of stuff but all and all good article.
nice Flash-back while reading it !!!
Enlighten us then, Steve, by doing one of these yourself. I thought it was pretty cool just seeing the changes in UI through the different iterations of windows. Clearly this wasn't meant to be the history report your looking for, so its unfair of you to judge it as such. I'm not saying your wrong, just cut the guy some slack.
Interesting
You can see here the chronological evolution of the Microsoft Office:
http://chetroni.com/microsoft-office-timeline-1...
Windows 7 is not a masterpiece. It's a disappointment. I've never seen Windows steal so many features from one OS in one go. And despite claims to the contrary, it IS an iterative release.
It's nowhere near good enough for me to even entertain the thought of leaving Linux for, sinc eI can STILL do more with Linux without even trying.
Actually, Win7 did more feature theft from Linux than OS X, including that “innovative” taskbar the Windows fanboys rave about. OS X users, get over yourselves: You're not the only other operating system in town.
Vista is the only recent version of Windows you get to bitch about and actually be right. Win7 was about copying Linux (And poorly at that.).
Quantity != Quality
A whole buttload of people pre-ordering Windows 7 does not a high-quality operating system make.
Call me when Windows gets up there with Linux.
Hate to bust the reality distortion field you Mac fanboys live in, but Windows 7 stole Linux features, not OS X features.
Go back to whining about Vista, that's the only recent versionof Windows Microsoft ripped features from OS X to make.
Can you even read Steve?
If you can please head over to the top and read the title again…
The claim that “NT” stands for “New Technology” is apocryphal, as anyone who was alive during that time will tell you. Wikipedia actually has several sources documenting the actual origin of “NT”. Wikipedia's summary: “Although various Microsoft publications, including a 1998 question-and-answer session with Bill Gates, reveal that the letters 'NT' were expanded to 'New Technology' for marketing purposes, they originally stood for 'N-Ten', the emulator that NT was developed under. However, they no longer carry any specific meaning.”
Nice …. used them all …. in that order
…. this brings back memories
Man, does that bring me back to my programming days with V1.0 +++. Thanks for the memeory lane trip!
ubuntu? are you serious. ubuntu is crap! maybe if you are a code geek, ubuntu is serviceable. but for the other 6 billion of us on the planet, we like things that we can use with out being a geek to do it. ubuntu is the worst os i have ever played with. and it is buggy. MOST people's problems with windows are their own fault. they cause the problem by doing something very ignorant, and then blame the computer. i have been using windows since 3.0, and have rarely ever had a serious problem. when i read the problems that people report with vista, i have to laugh. most of their problems could have been solved if they had an iq above their shoe size. which is why, i assume, is why linux is becoming popular.
Really?
I installed Ubuntu on my wife's laptop. She was a linux virgin, and loved it so much that she had me remove Windows from he desktop. That, and you can't beat the price. You know, free, legal download, don't even need a CD these days.
Just because you don't do anything other than normal games with your Vista installation does not make it a good operating system.
This is really cool article thanks . And yap someone knows where to download Windows 1.0
it will be cool at virtual PC
Ohhhh this takes my back! Windows 95 was on my very first computer and I'm pretty sure we had it until way after the release of XP. We've come a long way…thank god.
up to you which operating systems are better, just choose according to your work and interests of each.
what about Geos Desk for the Commadore 64 and the windows program that Run magazine put out back in the early 80's so you could make your own windows open by using sys number places. still got it on my 64..
I have been using computers from before Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were born. (1955) (it was called ‘Univac’) I have used Macs and PCs of every type, For a little while I was an Apple man until Jobs and company tried to corner the market and keep all the secrets for themselves. Then I hooked onto the Microsoft way of doing things and never looked back. The only edition of windows that really dissapointed me was ‘Millenium Edition’ (ME). Vista sucked but delivered on some of its promise, XP Pro was the “Boss” until ‘Win 7 Pro ‘rolled out. I beta’ed it and liked it so much I pre-ordered to make sure I got the real deal. It took a little customizing but I now have 6 machines running it and will put it against Mac anytime, (I have that too). Steve Jobs must have seen the light because he is now considering euthanizing the Mac. The iPhone line will be Apples mainstay and the iPad will try to carve out a niche for it’s own line.
I love Windows!