Microsoft
entered the marketplace in August 1981 by releasing version 1.0 of the
operating system Microsoft DOS (MS-DOS), a 16-bit command-line operating
system
The
first version of Microsoft Windows (Microsoft Windows 1.0) came out in
November 1985. It had a graphical user interface, inspired by the user
interface of the Apple computers of the time. Windows 1.0 was not
successful with the public, and Microsoft Windows 2.0, launched December
9, 1987, did not do much better.
It
was on May 22, 1990 that Microsoft Windows became a success, with
Windows 3.0, then Windows 3.1 in 1992, and finally Microsoft Windows for Work groups, later renamed Windows 3.11, which included network
capabilities. Windows 3.1 cannot be considered an entirely separate
operating system because it was only a graphical user interface running
on top of MS-DOS.
On
August 24, 1995, Microsoft launched the operating system Microsoft
Windows 95. Windows 95 signified Microsoft's willingness to transfer
some of MS-DOS's capabilities into Windows, but this new version was
based more heavily on 16-bit DOS and retained the limitations of the
FAT16 file system, so that it was not possible to use long file names.
After
minor revisions of Microsoft Windows 95, named Windows 95A OSR1,
Windows 95B OSR2, Windows 95B OSR2.1 and Windows 95C OSR2.5, Microsoft
released the next version of Windows on June 25, 1998: Windows 98.
Windows 98 natively supported features other than those of MS-DOS but
was still based upon it. What's more, Windows 98 suffered from poor
memory handling when multiple applications were running, which could
cause system malfunctions. A second edition of Windows 98 came out on
February 17, 2000; it was named Windows 98 SE (for "Second Edition").
On
September 14, 2000, Microsoft released Windows Me (for Millennium
Edition), also called Windows Millennium. Windows Millennium was based
largely on Windows 98 (and therefore on MS-DOS), but added additional
multimedia and software capabilities. Furthermore, Windows Millennium
included a system-restore mechanism for returning to a previous state in
the event of a crash.
Concurrent
with these releases, Microsoft had been selling (since 1992) an
entirely 32-bit operating system (which therefore was not based on
MS-DOS) for professional use, at a time when business primarily used
mainframes. It was Windows NT (for Windows "New Technology"). Windows NT
was not a new version of Windows 95 or an improvement on it, but an
entirely different operating system
On
May 24, 1993, the first version of Windows NT was released. It was
called Windows NT 3.1, and was followed by Windows NT 3.5 in September
1994 and Windows 3.51 in June 1995. With Windows NT 4.0, launched for
sale on August 24, 1996, Windows NT finally became a true success.
In
July 1998, Microsoft released Windows NT 4.0 TSE (Terminal Server
Emulation), the first Windows system that allowed terminals to be
plugged into a server, i.e. use thin clients to open a session on the
server.
On
February 17, 2000, the next version of NT 4.0 was renamed Windows 2000
(instead of Windows NT 5.0) in order to highlight the unification of
"NT" with the "Windows 9x" systems. Windows 2000 is an entirely 32-bit
system with characteristics of Windows NT, as well as an improved task
manager and full compatibility with USB and FireWire peripherals.
Then, on October 25, 2001, Windows XP arrived on the scene. This was a merger of the preceding operating systems.
Finally, on April 24, 2003, a server operating system was released by Microsoft: Windows Server 2003.
Features of MS Windows
Microsoft
Windows is an operating system created by Microsoft for PC computers.
An operating system is the software utilized to run and manage programs
and functions on the computer. Windows updates and adds to its features
with each release, however some of the features it is known for are
Windows Live, Windows Search, Windows Updates and Windows Taskbar.
Windows Live
Windows
Live is a group of tools and software for use with Windows. All Windows
users can have access to Windows Live by creating a free account.
Windows Live includes a chat client, networking tools, a movie maker and
photo gallery, and email and Internet functions. A user can choose to
download and use all of these programs, or only download a selection of
them depending on needs.
Windows Search
Because
of the nature of computers, it can sometimes be difficult to locate a
particular file. Windows Search is a search function included with
Windows that allows the user to search their entire computer. Windows
Search is located in the start menu. Users can search for files by name,
date and file. The search function also allows the user to search for
text within a file in case you cannot remember the document name.
Windows Updates
Windows
includes an automatic update feature with the intended purpose of
keeping ts operating system safe and up-to-date. Security updates are
installed with this feature to help protect against new risks as well as
to apply any software updates and bug fixes. Users can set this feature
to check for new updates and install them automatically or turn off the
automatic update feature and check for updates on their own. Windows
recommends automatic checking for updates for the maximum security.
Windows Taskbar
The
taskbar in Windows is located at the bottom of the screen by default,
but can be moved to the top or sides of the screen if the user chooses.
The taskbar is the main navigation tool for Windows. It includes the
Start Menu, which allows users to access programs and features. It also
includes a clock, calendar, and program icons for things such as
commonly used programs and updates. The taskbar and the items displayed
in it are customizable.
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