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A History Into Microsoft Products
Microsoft Windows is the name of several families of software operating
systems by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating
environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in
response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
The most recent client version of Windows is Windows Vista. The current
server version of Windows is Windows Server 2008.
This article summarizes the history of Microsoft Products.
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Windows
Desktop
Products
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Products
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Windows 1.0 and later
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Windows NT® Server
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Windows 95, Windows 98,
Windows Me, Windows 2000
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Windows 2000 Server Family
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Windows XP Professional
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Windows Server™ 2003 Family
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Windows XP Home
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Windows Server™ 2008 Family
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Windows XP Media Center Edition
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Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
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Windows VISTA Family
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Other Windows Products
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Windows Technology
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Windows XP Embedded
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Internet Explorer
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Windows CE .NET
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DirectX®
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Windows Mobile
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Windows Media® Player
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Windows Movie Maker
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Overview of Desktop
Product
Windows
1.0 (1985)
The first version of Windows provided a new software environment for
developing and running applications that use bitmap displays and mouse
pointing devices. Before Windows, PC users relied on the
MS-DOS®
method of typing commands at the C prompt (C:\). With Windows, users
moved a mouse to point and click their way through tasks, such as
starting applications.
In addition, Windows users could switch among several concurrently
running applications. The product included a set of desktop
applications, including the MS-DOS file management program, a calendar,
card file, notepad, calculator, clock, and telecommunications programs,
which helped users, manage day-to-day activities.
Windows 2.0 (1987)
Windows 2.0 took advantage of the improved processing speed of the
Intel 286 processor, expanded memory, and inter-application
communication capabilities made possible through Dynamic Data Exchange
(DDE). With improved graphics support, users could now overlap windows,
control screen layout, and use keyboard combinations to move rapidly
through Windows operations. Many developers wrote their first
Windows–based applications for this release.
Windows 3.0 (1990)
The third major release of the Windows platform from Microsoft offered
improved performance, advanced graphics with 16 colors, and full
support of the more powerful Intel 386 processor. A new wave of 386 PCs
helped drive the popularity of Windows 3.0, which offered a wide range
of useful features and capabilities, including:
• Program Manager, File Manager,
and Print Manager.
• A completely rewritten application development environment.
• An improved set of Windows icons.
Windows NT 3.1 (1993)
When Microsoft Windows
NT® was released
to manufacturing on July 27, 1993, Microsoft met an important
milestone: the completion of a project begun in the late 1980s to build
an advanced new operating system from scratch.
Windows NT was the first Windows operating system to combine support
for high-end, client/server business applications with the industry's
leading personal productivity applications.
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (1993)
A superset of Windows 3.1,
Windows for
Workgroups 3.11 added peer-to-peer workgroup and domain networking
support. For the first time, Windows–based PCs were
network-aware
and became an integral part of the emerging client/server computing
evolution.
Windows for Workgroups was used in local area networks (LANs) and on
standalone PCs and laptop computers. It added features of special
interest to corporate users, such as centralized configuration and
security, significantly improved support for Novell NetWare networks,
and remote access service (RAS)
Windows NT Workstation 3.5 (1994)
The Windows NT Workstation 3.5
release
provided the highest degree of protection yet for critical business
applications and data. With support for the OpenGL graphics standard,
this operating system helped power high-end applications for software
development, engineering, financial analysis, scientific, and
business-critical tasks.
Windows 95 (1995)
Windows 95 was the successor to
the three
existing general-purpose desktop operating systems from
Microsoft—Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, and MS-DOS.
Windows 95 integrated a 32-bit TCP/IP (Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol) stack for built-in Internet support,
dial-up networking, and new Plug and Play capabilities that made it
easy for users to install hardware and software.
The 32-bit operating system also offered enhanced multimedia
capabilities, more powerful features for mobile computing, and
integrated networking.
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 (1996)
This upgrade to the Microsoft business desktop operating system brought
increased ease of use and simplified management, higher network
throughput, and tools for developing and managing intranets. Windows NT
Workstation 4.0 included the popular Windows 95 user interface yet
provided improved networking support for easier and more secure access
to the Internet and corporate intranets.
Windows 98 (1998)
Windows 98 was the upgrade from
Windows 95.
Described as an operating system that "Works Better, Plays Better,"
Windows 98 was the first version of Windows designed specifically for
consumers.
With Windows 98, users could find information more easily on their PCs
as well as the Internet. Other ease-of-use improvements included the
ability to open and close applications more quickly, support for
reading DVD discs, and support for universal serial bus (USB) devices
Windows 98 Second Edition (1999)
Windows 98 SE, as it was often abbreviated, was an incremental update
to Windows 98. It offered consumers a variety of new and enhanced
hardware compatibility and Internet-related features.
Windows 98 SE helped improve users' online experience with the Internet
Explorer 5.0 browser technology and Microsoft Windows
NetMeeting®
3.0 conferencing software. It also included Microsoft DirectX®
API
6.1, which provided improved support for Windows multimedia, and
offered home networking capabilities through Internet connection
sharing (ICS)
Windows Millennium Edition (Windows
Me) (2000)
Designed for home computer users, Windows Me offered consumers numerous
music, video, and home networking enhancements and reliability
improvements.
Windows Me was the last Microsoft operating system to be based on the
Windows 95 code base. Microsoft announced that all future operating
system products would be based on the Windows NT and Windows 2000
kernel.
Windows 2000 Professional (2000)
Windows 2000 added major improvements in reliability, ease of use,
Internet compatibility, and support for mobile computing.
Among other improvements, Windows 2000 Professional simplified hardware
installation by adding support for a wide variety of new Plug and Play
hardware, including advanced networking and wireless products, USB
devices, IEEE 1394 devices, and infrared devices.
Windows XP (2001)
With the release of Windows XP in October 2001, Microsoft merged its
two Windows operating system lines for consumers and businesses,
uniting them around the Windows 2000 code base.
With Windows XP, home users can work with and enjoy music, movies,
messaging, and photos with their computer, while business users can
work smarter and faster, thanks to new technical-support technology, a
fresh user interface, and many other improvements that make it easier
to use for a wide range of tasks
Windows VISTA
Windows Vista is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft for
use on personal computers, including home and business desktops,
laptops, Tablet PCs, and media centers.
Windows Vista contains many changes and new features, including an
updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Windows Aero,
improved searching features, new multimedia creation tools such as
Windows DVD Maker, and redesigned networking, audio, print, and display
sub-systems.
I just want to add an important thing many people don't know about windows.
The place windows store all its data
is called registry. the corruption of the registry is a common problem
in windows operating system thus many software has been developed to
repair this problems in the windows registry. These softwares are
called registry cleaner.
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"Thank you! My computer had fatal error
messages and was freezing up.
My brother recommended I try RegCure. I used the free scan and found
363 errors. Using RegCure fixed my PC and has it running like brand
new!"
— Yorgi S. Seattle, WA
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