HISTORY

 1975 – Bill Gates and Paul Allen formed Microsoft.

o Microsoft is a tech company that offers different services to its users e.g.,
Office, Windows, Azure
 1982 – IBM approached Microsoft to develop the MS-DOS, the operating system
was used on IBM PCs
o MS-DOS did not have a GUI, commands were typed
 1985 – Microsoft released Windows 1.0
o It had a GUI
o It allowed users to click and point
 1987 – Microsoft released Windows 2.0
o Added desktop icons, keyboard shortcuts, and improved graphics support
o Can open applications on top of one another
o Start of MS word and excel
o Apple filed a lawsuit against Microsoft
 1990 – Release of Windows 3.0
o Advanced graphics with 16 colors design
o Popularity grew because of the release of SDK
o Featured File Manager, Program Manager
o Had solitaire that teaches users to drag and drop
 1995 – Release of Windows 95
o A major release that made Apple’s share decline
o It had internet explorer to catch up with the internet wave
o It had the start button
o Featured faxing, messaging, and networking
 1998 – Release of Windows 98
o Described as the operating system that “Works better and Plays better”
o It offered support for new technologies such as DVD, USB
o First version that had Windows Update
 Feb 2000 – Release of Windows 2000
o It had 4 versions, Professional, Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter
server
 Sept 2000 – Release of Windows ME (Millennium Edition)
o Windows media player and Movie Maker
 2001 – Release of Windows XP
o Became a long-lasting OS although it has already expired
o It had 2 versions, Home and Professional
o The famous wallpaper
 2006 – Release of Windows Vista
o The disaster of Microsoft Windows
 o Vista interacted differently with programs, applications run slower and
had problems with the UI, and hardware connection issues.
o The management team for Vista got kicked out and the management team
for MS Office took over
o It lacked drivers during their launch
 2009 – Release of Windows 7
o Better security features
o Fast start-up time
o Stable, secure, graphically friendly, and easy to use
 2012 – Release of Windows 8
o Microsoft wanted to immerse the mobile industry, windows 8 was a
hybrid OS that would work on touch and non-touch devices.
o It had a more modern interface
 2015 – Release of Windows 10
o The start menu was brought back
o Cortana
o Xbox App
o MS edge, which is meant to replace the internet explorer
o Virtual Desktop
o Described as the last operating system from Microsoft, they would now
release a series of half-year updates
 2021 – Release of Windows 11
o Menu was in the center
o Android apps in the store
o Edge was already the default browser
o Had better snapping feature
NOTABLE DISTRIBUTION

NOTABLE VERSION
 Windows 8
o It had a more modern interface
o A lot of people couldn’t cope with the degree of change
o The start menu was removed; it felt unfamiliar to users, and companies claim
they have to retrain their employees
 Windows 3.0
o First big selling of Microsoft’s OS
o By 1993, there were 25 million licensed Windows users
 o Most computers came in Windows pre-installed (60%)
o Release of Windows NT, used for multitasking (servers)
 Windows 95
o Considered the first grand celebration of Microsoft
o Generated 30 million dollars in revenue on its first day
o 80% of PCs used Windows
o Available in 8 languages
 Windows 7
o Better security features
o Fast start-up time
o Stable, secure, graphically friendly, and easy to use
o It made users they were more in control over their computers
o In most polls, they usually consider windows 7 as the best version

IMPORTANT/ KEY FEATURES

 MS Office already installed for a free trial
 Several laptop brands are using Microsoft windows as the operating system (More
options)
 Big support base
 Compatibility

TRIVIA
 MS Windows was called that way because programs looked like windows on the screen
 In just eight hours, the pre-order for Windows 7 surpassed Vista’s total sales in 17 weeks.
 Windows will always find a way to start task manager even if it hangs as long as there are
still resources available
 In estimate, Windows XP has sold more than one billion copies over the years
 Windows’ market share in operating system units is about 70 to 80%
 Microsoft was making sure that they could give what big companies, who produce PCs,
were asking for. This makes the employees get used to using windows, which makes
those companies reluctant to leave windows.

REFERENCES
CNBCs
A History of Microsoft Windows - Timeline (thewindowsclub.com)

A Brief History of Microsoft Windows (lifewire.com)