Microsoft\u2019s Windows operating system is often at the heart of such controversy, with history reflecting how Windows came about as a direct result of the company\u2019s work with Apple on the Macintosh.<\/p>\n
Apple\u2019s nose isn\u2019t clean either, as both it and Microsoft cribbed off the work done by the Xerox Palo Alto Research Centre.<\/p>\n
However, hearing Larry Tesler tell the story<\/a><\/strong>, the Xerox PARC meetings were not quite the \u201cpirate raid\u201d they have\u00a0been depicted to be in movies and TV shows.<\/p>\n Regardless of what the truth is behind the \u201cPrometheus myth of modern computing\u201d, Windows is now a fact of life.<\/p>\n From Windows 1.0 in 1985<\/strong>, to the launch of Windows 10 today<\/strong>, this is how the world\u2019s most widely-used desktop OS has evolved<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Windows 1.0<\/p><\/div>\n While Microsoft originally promised that Windows would allow for overlapping windows, this feature didn\u2019t make it to release.<\/p>\n Instead, all windows were tiled and only dialog boxes could appear over other windows.<\/p>\n The first few iterations of Windows were also not fully-fledged operating systems, but rather shells that ran atop MS-DOS.<\/p>\n Windows 2.0<\/p><\/div>\n Windows 2.0 added overlapping window functionality, and support for the Expanded Memory Specification.<\/p>\n The first versions of Microsoft Word and Excel ran on Windows 2.0.<\/p>\n It also ran as a shell on top of MS-DOS.<\/p>\n Windows 2.1x<\/p><\/div>\n Built to take advantage of the Intel 80286 and 80286 processors, Windows\/286 and Windows\/386 were released just 6 months after the launch of its predecessor.<\/p>\n Like its predecessors, Windows 2.1 required MS-DOS to run.<\/p>\n Windows 3.0<\/p><\/div>\n Launched on 22 May 1990, Windows 3.0 could run in three different memory modes<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n In October 1991 Microsoft launched multimedia extensions for Windows 3.0, which required an 80386 CPU, 2MB RAM, VGA, 30MB hard drive, CD-ROM, 2-button mouse, and audio hardware.<\/p>\n Windows 3.1<\/p><\/div>\n Released to manufacturing on 6 April 1992, Windows 3.1 dropped real mode support and some other older features.<\/p>\n Truetype font support, drag-and-drop, and the Windows Registry were first added in Windows 3.1.<\/p>\n Like its predecessors, it was a graphical environment for MS-DOS and not a fully-fledged operating system.<\/p>\n Windows NT 3.1<\/p><\/div>\n Windows NT 3.1 was the first version of Windows that didn\u2019t run on a DOS-based operating system.<\/p>\n Instead it had its own 32-bit OS that combined elements of monolithic and microkernel architecture.<\/p>\n This laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the modern Windows.<\/p>\n Windows NT 3.5<\/p><\/div>\n Microsoft released Windows NT 3.51 just three months before the launch of Windows 95.<\/p>\n The third release of the Windows NT line, it offered client\/server interoperability for Windows 95.<\/p>\n Windows NT 3.51 also added support for the Apple-IBM-Motorola alliance PowerPC processors.<\/p>\n Windows 95<\/p><\/div>\n Representing a major departure from previous versions of Windows, Microsoft launched the fourth major version of its graphical environment as Windows 95.<\/p>\n Windows 95 still came with MS-DOS, sparking some debate about whether it was really an operating system.<\/p>\n However, when the graphical user interface of Windows 95 was started, MS-DOS was effectively demoted to a compatibility layer for 16-bit device drivers.<\/p>\n Windows 95 was also not reliant on MS-DOS for filesystem access.<\/p>\n Windows NT 4.0<\/p><\/div>\n Microsoft\u2019s next version of its NT line of operating systems incorporated the new visual elements of Windows 95.<\/p>\n It also continued to support non-Intel processors, including PowerPC.<\/p>\n While it offered greater stability than Windows 95, it had limited support for DirectX, meaning some 3D games would not run on Windows NT 4.0.<\/p>\n It also remained somewhat less user-friendly than Windows 95, launching without Plug-and-play support or a Device Manager.<\/p>\n Windows 98<\/p><\/div>\n The second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems, Windows 98 offered web integration into the desktop.<\/p>\n Like Windows 95, it was not dependent on MS-DOS, but still shipped with a version of Microsoft\u2019s ageing operating system for compatibility reasons.<\/p>\n Windows 98 introduced the Windows Driver Model, but this only became more widely adopted under Windows 2000 and Windows XP.<\/p>\n Microsoft released an updated version, called Windows 98 Second Edition, on 23 April 1999.<\/p>\n Windows ME<\/p><\/div>\n The third and final release in the Windows 9x line, Windows ME may be one of the least fondly remembered versions of Microsoft’s graphical shell.<\/p>\n It removed support for real mode DOS, and was the last Windows to offer a 16-bit compatibility through MS-DOS.<\/p>\n Windows ME was soon succeeded by Windows 2000 and Windows XP, which launched within 13 months of its general availability.<\/p>\n Windows 2000<\/p><\/div>\n The last version of Windows to explicitly call itself an \u201cNT\u201d version of the operating system, Windows 2000 came in four editions: Professional, Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server.<\/p>\n With Windows 2000, Microsoft dropped all support for RISC processors such as MIPS and PowerPC, and it would not support non-Intel (x86) architectures again until AMD\u2019s 64-bit version of the x86 architecture became popular.<\/p>\n Along with Windows ME, Windows 2000 was the last version of Windows that lacked product activation.<\/p>\n Windows XP<\/p><\/div>\n In 2001, Microsoft merged the Windows 9x and Windows NT branches, and stopped supporting 16-bit backwards compatibility through MS-DOS.<\/p>\n Windows XP also dropped support for Microsoft\u2019s VxD driver model, forcing hardware makers to use the Windows Driver Model.<\/p>\n Consensus in the industry was that this decreased occurrences of the infamous \u201cBlue Screen of Death\u201d due to misbehaving drivers.<\/p>\n Although Windows XP is fondly remembered, Ars Technica notes<\/a><\/strong> that it wasn\u2019t universally welcomed among techies when it launched.<\/p>\n Windows Vista<\/p><\/div>\n Many technology professionals do not speak fondly of Windows Vista.<\/p>\n Microsoft revamped the graphical interface, dubbing its new theme capable of window transparency \u201cWindows Aero\u201d.<\/p>\n Vista introduced User Account Control, and programs that required security privileges caused a prompt to be displayed – letting an administrator account cancel or allow access.<\/p>\n It also introduced a new set of tools and libraries for driver developers:\u00a0Windows Driver Frameworks.<\/p>\n Vista was set to launch with a new filesystem called WinFS, but the feature was dropped and little has been said about it since 2013 when Bill Gates said it was \u201cbefore its time<\/a><\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n Windows 7<\/p><\/div>\n Windows 7 was an incremental improvement on Vista, and\u00a0featured a reworked taskbar and less invasive User Account Control (UAC).<\/p>\n As Ars Technica noted<\/a>,<\/strong> UAC in Windows 7 was less secure at launch than in Vista, but its invasiveness caused some users to turn it off.<\/p>\n Windows 7 may have traded off security for usability, but the general response from users was positive.<\/p>\n Windows 8<\/p><\/div>\n Windows 8 represented another shift in user interface design for Microsoft, with the company deciding to drop the Start Menu.<\/p>\n It also marked\u00a0the return of support for RISC-based processors, specifically those using ARMv7 architecture.<\/p>\n Instead of a Start menu, Microsoft introduced the Start Screen – a grid of Live Tiles that showed content from the app they linked to.<\/p>\n Windows 8 also introduced Microsoft\u2019s \u201cMetro\u201d design language, which was renamed to \u201cModern UI Style\u201d.<\/p>\n Its simplified licensing model and various improvements to performance and security were generally welcomed, while its user interface changes were criticised.<\/p>\n Microsoft later offered Windows 8 users free upgrades to Windows 8.1. Much like a Service Pack, the upgrade extends the support window from 12 January 2016 to 2018 for mainstream support and 2023 for extended support.<\/p>\n Windows 8.1 brought back the Start button, but not the Start Menu, and also reverted back to the old licensing model with separate OEM and personal versions available at retail.<\/p>\n Windows 10<\/p><\/div>\n Called \u201cThe last version of Windows\u201d by Microsoft, Windows 10 launched on 29 July 2015.<\/p>\n It is available as a free upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users.<\/p>\n Once a device is upgraded, Microsoft will provide free updates for Windows 10 for the lifetime of that device.<\/p>\n Windows 10 brings\u00a0back a reworked Start Menu that also shows Live Tiles, and improves the way Modern UI Style apps are handled on desktop PCs.<\/p>\n It also introduces a number of new features, such as virtual desktops, a built-in screen recorder, a new framework for biometric authentication called Windows Hello, and the Cortana voice-assisted intelligent search.<\/p>\n This article was republished with permission from MyBroadband<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Windows 10 will be free for a year, and comes with a new browser<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nWindows 1.0<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows 2.0<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-2.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows 2.1x<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-2-1x.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows 3.0<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-3.jpg\")
<\/a>\n
Windows 3.1<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-3-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows NT 3.1<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-NT-3-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows NT 3.51<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-NT-3-5.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows 95<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-95.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows NT 4.0<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-NT-4.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows 98<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-98.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows ME<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-ME.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows 2000<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-2000.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows XP and Windows Server 2003<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-XP.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-Vista.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows 7<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-7.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows 8, 8.1, and Windows Server 2012<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-8.jpg\")
<\/a>Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016<\/h3>\n
![\"Windows](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Windows-10.jpg\")
<\/a>More Windows 10\u00a0news<\/h3>\n