Windows Evolution : A game changer in Operating Systems
Microsoft is a name which is synonymous to the world of innovation and technology, a name which is regarded as the first ever operating system to have ever been created. A system through which computers became accessible for millions of household citizens and consumers alike and a technology which was founded by a certain Harvard dropout named Bill Gates who is now often listed amongst the wealthiest men on earth. Come let’s look at the journey of Microsoft and let’s see how it has evolved over the year’s in regards to technology and innovation.
In 1985 as an extension of the MS-DOS operating system the first version of Windows was launched. Through it the user could browse the virtual desktop, opening multiple windows and displaying the content of folders with a single click. Windows 1.0 came with Windows Write and Windows Paint, notepad, clock, calendar, a terminal application and a file manager and last but not the least, a game called Reversi.
The second version of windows was launched in 1987, became more popular than the first version due to Excel application and Microsoft Words. Moreover, this version of Windows consisted of new exciting features such as resizable windows, overlapping windows, support for VGA graphics and keyboard shortcuts.
Windows 3.0 is considered to be the beginning of the world’s popularity as a Desktop Operating System. It was made in 1990 with DOS multitasking programs and the first appearance of the Solitaire game.
The version 3.1 was released with important new features such as the ability to scroll icons, support for TrueType fonts and support for OLE Compound File after two years, in 1992. The version to be distributed via CD-ROM was also version 3.1. Launched in 1993 Windows NT 3.1 is a server and business desktop operating system.
It was a 32bit operating system and allowed several new functions for example NTFS file system, User Manager, performance monitor and network administration tools. In 1994 the second version of Windows NT operating system was released known as Windows NT 3.5. The main purpose during the development of the version was the speed of the operating system, which is why it was named “Daytona: after Daytona International Speedway. Windows NT 3.5 features performance improvements that require less memory, and new features in this release include the introduction of file names up to 255 characters long, Object Linking and Embedding and support for input/output completion ports.
The third and final version of Windows NT operating system was released in 1995 known as Windows NT 3.51. This version had two major improvements. It was Microsoft’s first operating system developed on the PowerPC architecture and provides client/server support for interoperating with Windows 95.
The most iconic version of windows was launched in 1995 with the name Windows 95. It was the first version of 32-bit windows, including the Start menu, the taskbar, and the plug and play function. Also, another important thing included in Windows 95 was the introduction of the Internet Explorer browser.
Windows NT 4.0 was released in 1996 and was Microsoft’s first business-oriented operating system. It is a 32-bit operating system with a graphical interface similar to that of Windows 95.
In 1998, Microsoft released Windows 98. This release came with Outlook Express, Microsoft Chat, Web Publishing Wizard, new hardware drivers, improved USB support and accessibility, and the FAT32 file system that supports disk partitions larger than 2GB.
Windows 2000 came with a number of new features, such as an improved Device Manager, Windows Media Player and a revised DirectX. It also had a multilingual user interface, with users being able to choose their display language.
Microsoft decided to come up with a version of Windows which would be designed specifically for the consumers. Thus in the year 2001 Microsoft released Windows XP in two versions: Home and Professional. This gained major success. Among the important functions it was equipped with CD burning software, desktop search, remote desktop and improved security.
In 2007 Windows Vista was released and it had several useful features including Windows Defender, Direct X 10, Speech Recognition and Windows DVD maker. However, Vista was not a successful version of Windows because it offered low performance, high resource consumption and User Account Control dialog boxes became annoying for users.
To fix the mistakes made with Windows Vista, Microsoft released Windows 7 in 2009.Which proved to be much more efficient than the previous version. This version had a much faster overall performance, could recognize handwriting, the user could preview minimized application windows. Windows 7 also came with internet Explorer 9 and Windows Media player 12.
In 2012 Windows 8 was released this particular version gave users a lot of benefits. They included the opportunity to connect with a Microsoft account, it supported USB 3.0, XBOX Live integration and it also had a similar lock screen like a smart phone. In terms of the appearance as well Windows 8 was different from its previous versions. A year later, version 8.1 was released as a free upgrade to troubleshoot Windows 8.
In 2015 Microsoft launched Windows 10 with the following important features; Cortana, a personal digital assistant, Microsoft Edge web browser, which replaced Internet Explorer, the ability to switch between tablet and desktop mode and many other enhancements and shortcuts that give users a much more complex and at the same time simple experience.
Over the years with new innovation and technology Microsoft has been the market leader of the tech industry. There are only a handful of competitors who were able to have a vision and a goal like their founder Bill Gates did when they started. His vision is what still drives this company and his vision is what makes every new idea of the engineer and innovators of Microsoft a reality not only for them but for their millions of users.