Evolution of Windows OS
It all began in Plaza Hotel, New York City on the 10th of November 1983. Two Microsoft founders Paul Allen and Bill Gates officially announced their corporation’s first and next-generation graphical user interface operating system — Microsoft Windows.
Despite the criticism on stability and constantly being compared to their rivals Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows is still the most widely used operating systems in the world. In this article, we’ll bring you back to 1985 where the very first official Microsoft Windows 1.0 was announced, and then we take a trip down memory lane to see all boot screens and desktop interface of all Windows operating system possible.
Windows 1 (1985)
Officially released on November 20, 1985, this 16-bit OS that cost less than 1MB in overall is Microsoft’s very first operating system that allows multi tasking with graphical user interface on PC platform that runs on MS-DOS 5.0.
It was notable because it relied heavily on use of a mouse before the mouse was a common computer input device. To help users become familiar with this odd input system, Microsoft included a game, Reversi (visible in the screenshot) that relied on mouse control, not the keyboard, to get people used to moving the mouse around and clicking onscreen elements.
System Requirements:
· Minimum RAM size of 256 KB (kilo byte).
· Version 2.0 of MS-DOS.
· HARD DRIVE or 2 double sided drives.
The utilities provided by this released edition of windows are:
· Clock, Colander.
· Clipboard, Card file, Control Panel.
· Windows note pad editor.
· Windows Paint and Write utility.
However, this was the first version of windows launched; it was further replaced with the windows version 2.0.
Windows 2 (1987)
Two years after the release of Windows 1,Taking advantage of the speed of Intel 286/386 processor at that time, Microsoft’s Windows 2 replaced it in December 1987. Still the entire operating system cost no more than 2.5Mb. 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 .
Applications utilities provided by these versions were:
· Notepad, write.
· Calendar, Clock same as windows 1.0.
· CVT Paint, Clipboard.
· Card file, Calculator.
· Overlapping windows were made enabled
System Requirements:
· Minimum Ram size required 512 KB (kilo byte).
· Ms-Dos version 3.0.
· Single floppy and a Hard disk.
· The facility of mouse is optional.
Windows 3 (1990)
The first Windows that required a hard drive launched in 1990. Windows 3 was the first version to see more widespread success and be considered a challenger to Apple’s Macintosh and the Commodore Amiga graphical user interfaces, coming pre-installed on computers from PC-compatible manufacturers including Zenith Data Systems.
Windows 3 introduced the ability to run MS-DOS programs in windows, which brought multitasking to legacy programs, and supported 256 colours bringing a more modern, colourful look to the interface.
More important — at least to the sum total of human time wasted — it introduced the card-moving time sink (and mouse use trainer) Solitaire.
This is the third major released of Microsoft Windows with a improved set of Windows icons and applications like File Manager, Program Manager that is still being used in today’s Windows. This 22 May 1990 released operating system is then replaced by Windows 3.1 two years later.
Windows 3.1 (1992)
Windows 1 and 2 both had point release updates, but Windows 3.1 released in 1992 is notable because it introduced TrueType fonts making Windows a viable publishing platform for the first time.
Minesweeper also made its first appearance. Windows 3.1 required 1MB of RAM to run and allowed supported MS-DOS programs to be controlled with a mouse for the first time. Windows 3.1 was also the first Windows to be distributed on a CD-ROM, although once installed on a hard drive it only took up 10 to 15MB (a CD can typically store up to 700MB).
Windows 95 (1995)
As the name implies, Windows 95 arrived in August 1995 and with it brought the first ever Start button and Start menu .
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.
System Requirements:
· Minimum Hard disk space required needed 50 MB.
· Minimum Ram required is 4 MB.
· Processor version 80386.
Windows 98 (1998)
Released in June 1998, Windows 98 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 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.
System Requirements:
· Minimum RAM required was 16 MB but recommended was 24 MB.
· Minimum required available space on hard disk was 500 MB.
· VGA or later Resolution monitor was recommended.
· Pentium’s Processor Recommended.
· Microsoft Mouse and CD drive or DV drive was recommended.
Updations:
· Scan Disk.
· Disk Defragmenter.
· Enhanced Universal Serial Bus (USB) support with the system.
· Internet Explorer 5.0 replaced the Internet Explorer 4.0.
· LAN (Local Area Network) was introduced so that multiple nodes can communicate with each other using NAT (Network Address Transition) terminology.
· DVD-ROM support for the different drives.
Major Draw Back of 98:
If the windows 98 goes on running for the 49 days a memory overflow error occurred .This was the ever biggest bug which was resolved in the SE version.
Windows 2000 (2000)
The enterprise twin of ME, Windows 2000 was released in February 2000 and was based on Microsoft’s business-orientated system Windows NT and later became the basis for Windows XP.
Microsoft’s automatic updating played an important role in Windows 2000 and became the first Windows to support hibernation.
Windows 2000 added major improvements in reliability, ease of use, Internet compatibility, and support for mobile computing.
Features:
· FAT 32 File system used.
· NTFS (New Technology File System) 3.0 was introduced.
· Server Features, Different System utilities.
· Maximized administration applications e.g. Microsoft Console Manager.
· Configurable USB drivers, Mass storage devices support.
· Internet Explorer 5.0, Windows update Desktop facility.
· Advanced System Recovery, Encrypt File system, extended data protection.
· Developed Control panel Accessibility, local and languages option.
· Gamming zone.
System Requirements:
· Recommended RAM size 64 MB, but minimum required was 32 MB.
· Pentium or later version 133 Mega Hertz (MHZ) CPU.
· Hard Drive of 2 GB.
· Microsoft keyboard & mouse recommended.
· For Windows 2000 Server Edition minimum RAM should be 256 MB.
Major Bug of Windows 2000:
Windows 2000 was a better secure version for above mentioned features but still this edition became the hit point of a several number of viruses as “ NIMDA “ , “ CODE RED “ etc. This degraded the value of this product and made its customers feel unreliable.
Windows ME (2000)
Designed for home computer users, Windows Me offered consumers numerous music, video, and home networking enhancements and reliability improvements .
Considered a low point in the Windows series by many — at least, until they saw Windows Vista — Windows Millennium Edition was the last Windows to be based on MS-DOS, and the last in the Windows 9x line.
Released in September 2000, it was the consumer-aimed operating system twined with Windows 2000 aimed at the enterprise market. It introduced some important concepts to consumers, including more automated system recovery tools.
IE 5.5, Windows Media Player 7 and Windows Movie Maker all made their appearance for the first time. Autocomplete also appeared in Windows Explorer, but the operating system was notorious for being buggy, failing to install properly and being generally poor.
System Requirements :
· Minimum and recommended RAM size required was 32 MB.
· Pentium processor size recommended was 150 MHZ.
· Hard disk minimum size should be 320 MB, but recommended size was 2 GB.
Bugs in Windows ME:
First of all its time period was so short, other due to the again and again crash and freezing lead this version to the conflict and unreliability of the data. Some times conflicts removed in the system occurred again after the system restore.
Windows XP (2001)
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.
With a fresh visual design, Windows XP Professional includes features for business and advanced home computing, including remote desktop support, an encrypting file system, and system restore and advanced networking features.
ClearType, which was designed to make text easier to read on LCD screens, was introduced, as were built-in CD burning, AutoPay 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.
Editions:
· Windows XP Server 2003.
· Windows XP Server 2008.
System Requirements:
· Minimum Ram size required 64 MB.
· Hard disk size required was 1.5 GB.
· DVD Drive / CD ROM device.
· VGA or EGA Graphics monitor.
Windows Vista (2006)
Windows XP stayed the course for close to six years before being replaced by Windows Vista in January 2007. Vista updated the look and feel of Windows with more focus on transparent elements, search and security. Its development, under the codename “Longhorn”, was troubled, with ambitious elements abandoned in order to get it into production.
It was buggy, burdened the user with hundreds of requests for app permissions under “User Account Control” — the outcome of the Trustworthy Computing initiative which now meant that users had to approve or disapprove attempts by programs to make various changes. The problem with UAC was that it led to complacency, with people clicking “yes” to almost anything — taking security back to the pre-UAC state. It also ran slowly on older computers despite them being deemed as “Vista Ready” — a labelling that saw it sued because not all versions of Vista could run on PCs with that label.
PC gamers saw a boost from Vista’s inclusion of Microsoft’s DirectX 10 technology.
Windows Media Player 11 and IE 7 debuted, along with Windows Defender an anti-spyware program. Vista also included speech recognition, Windows DVD Maker and Photo Gallery, as well as being the first Windows to be distributed on DVD. Later a version of Windows Vista without Windows Media Player was created in response to anti-trust investigations.
System Requirements:
· Minimum Hard disk space required should be more than 20 GB.
· Free space on the hard disk 15 GB.
· Graphics supportable memory 32 MB.
· Processor size 800 MHZ.
Improvements :
· Security improved.
· Better Organizational Architecture for the file systems.
· Integrated Voice Recognition, a better tool for synchronization was also made available.
· Media player modification Windows Media Player (WMP) 11 was introduced.
· For Web related areas Internet Explorer 7 was introduced.
· System Utilities backup and restore services, Disk manager.
· A virtual folder concept was introduced.
· New user, OS Synchronization improvements.
· Extended File management and search technology.
· Fascinated Windows Explorer service.
· Visual look of the operating system.
· Windows Automatic Updates (WAD) also made more enhanced.
Flaws /Bugs of vista:
· Up to the mark System Requirements : This was the major and the hectic problem in this version because the percentage of the people who don’t have the system of these specifications can not install the Vista. This legged behind the use of Vista on the home level.
· Copyrights of PDM (protected digital media), High Restrictions : The licensing terms of the Vista and among these restriction a software or hardware which is of previous generation of vista will not be compatible with the system, in order to run that we have the obey the rules and restrictions of the Vista generation.
Windows 7 (2009)
Considered by many as what Windows Vista should have been, Windows 7 was first released in October 2009. It was intended to fix all the problems and criticism faced by Vista, with slight tweaks to its appearance and a concentration on user-friendly features and less “dialogue box overload”.
It was faster, more stable and easier to use, becoming the operating system most users and business would upgrade to from Windows XP, forgoing Vista entirely.
Handwriting recognition debuted in 7, as did the ability to “snap” windows to the tops or sides of the screen, allowing faster more automatic window resizing.
Windows 7 saw Microsoft hit in Europe with antitrust investigations over the pre-installing of IE, which led to a browser ballot screen being shown to new users allowing them to choose, which browser to install on first boot.
System Requirements:
· For 64-bit Architecture.
· 64-bit Processor required size 1 GHZ.
· RAM size required 2 GB.
· DirectX9 Graphics processor required.
· Hard Disk size 20 GB required.
· DVD optical drive required.
· For 32-bi Architecture
· 32-bit Processor with 1 GHZ size.
· RAM of 1GB.
· Hard disk free capacity 16 GB.
Windows 8 (2012)
Windows 8 focused more on touch than a keyboard and mouse.
Released in October 2012, Windows 8was Microsoft’s most radical overhaul of the Windows interface, ditching the Start button and Start menu in favour of a more touch-friendly Start screen.
The new tiled interface saw program icons and live tiles, which displayed at-a-glance information normally associated with “widgets”, replace the lists of programs and icons. A desktop was still included, which resembled Windows 7.
Windows 8 was faster than previous versions of Windows and included support for the new, much faster USB 3.0 devices. The Windows Store, which offers universal Windows apps that run in a full-screen mode only, was introduced. Programs could still be installed from third-parties like other iterations of Windows, but they could only access the traditional desktop interface of Windows.
The radical overhaul was not welcomed by many. Microsoft attempted to tread a fine line between touchscreen support and desktop users, but ultimately desktop users wanting to control Windows with a traditional mouse and keyboard and not a touchscreen felt Windows 8 was a step back. There were also too few touchscreens in use, or on offer, to make its touch-oriented interface useful or even necessary — despite the parallel rise of tablets such as the iPad, and smartphones, which had begun outselling PCs by the end of 2010.
Windows RT, which runs on ARM-based processors traditionally found in smartphones and non-PC tablets, was introduced at the same time as Windows 8 with the Microsoft Surface tablet. It looked and felt like Windows 8, but could not run traditional Windows applications, instead solely relying on the Windows Store for third-party apps.
Windows 8.1 (2013)
Windows 8.1 and the great reappearance of the Start button.
A free point release to Windows 8 introduced in October 2013, Windows 8.1 marked a shift towards yearly software updates from Microsoft and included the first step in Microsoft’s U-turn around its new visual interface.
Windows 8.1 re-introduced the Start button, which brought up the Start screen from the desktop view of Windows 8.1. Users could also choose to boot directly into the desktop of Windows 8.1, which was more suitable for those using a desktop computer with a mouse and keyboard than the touch-focused Start screen.
Windows 10 (2015)
Windows 10 is the current release of the Microsoft Windows operating system. Unveiled on September 30, 2014, it was released on July 29, 2015. It was distributed without charge to Windows 7 and 8.1 users for one year after release.
Features:
· Cortana
· Microsoft Edge web browser
· The ability to view Windows Store apps as a window instead of full screen
· virtual desktops
· Revamped core apps
· Continuum
· A unified Settings app
So far, nine major versions of Windows 10 have been released, with the version 19H2 being the latest stable release, and 20H2 as the latest preview version. Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will be the last major version of its series of operating systems to be released. Instead, Microsoft will release major updates to the operating system via download or in Windows Update, similar to the way updates are delivered in macOS.
