Evaluation of Windows, from Windows 1 to Windows 10

We have been talking about the characteristics of Windows 10 since October of last year. And many of you are bored of reading articles of the type “5 reasons why no / yes I should update my computer to Windows 10” (depending on the foot that limps the writer) as that part is not so exciting to us. Since it is ours to teach programming courses (good ones), these designed post is to detoxify us from the storm of these days since the decision. After all, like Frank Sinatra, It would say up to you. So we will go through the last 30 years of windows evaluation, starting naturally in Windows 1 until we reach Windows 10.

We begin:

Windows 1 (1985)

Bill Gates was announced in 1983 but launched two years later, on November 20, 1985. It became famous thanks to its window-based graphic interface.

Among its desktop features stood out the handling of MS-DOS files, calendar, notepad, calculator, and clock.

Windows 2 (1987)

After two years (12/9/1987), Windows 2.0 was launched by Microsoft with some new features like desktop icons, exceptional graphics, expanded memory, and the ability to control windows, screen design controllers, and keyboard use shortcuts to speed up work.
Word or Excel was the common application launched today through this windows platform.

Windows 3 (1990)

On May 22, 1990, Windows 3.0 appeared as the first version that achieved commercial success, with several million sales in the first year. Significant user interface changes are needed to improve the exploitation of the memory management capabilities of the processors introduced.

The Program Manager and File Manager first appeared with the redesigned control panel and some games such as Solitaire, Hearts, and Minesweeper.

Windows NT (1993)

Although Microsoft’s marketing people try to convince the world that NT means New Technology, the truth is that the acronym NT comes from the code name the project had in the N-Ten development phase. The final project came to light on July 27, 1993.

This development was carried out from scratch, and IBM partnered with Microsoft. They built a 32-byte OS multitasking, multi-threaded, multi-threaded, multi-user with a hybrid core and an abstraction hardware layer to facilitate platform portability.

Windows 95 (1994)

On July 24, 1994, Microsoft launched Windows 95. They carried out an unprecedented advertising campaign, including the Rolling Stones song “Start me up.” Naturally, the Windows detractors did not miss the opportunity to mock, showing that the song lyrics were “you make a grown man cry.” But this did not prevent 7 million copies from being sold in just five weeks! A record!

Windows 95 was an accurate consumer-oriented operating system with a completely new user interface and features that are very familiar now. But the Start button is constituted something revolutionary: the Taskbar, the Notifications Area (remember the era of the modem, fax, etc.

Windows 98 (1998)

On June 25, 1998, the first version designed for the consumer came to light. After the list of improvements in the user interface is introduced through the desktop updates package of Internet Explorer 4. For example, to minimize a window with a click on the toolbar icon, the buttons navigate to “Forward” and “Back,” etc.

Through Windows 98, the recognition of scanners, mice, keyboards, and improved levers.

Windows Me (2000)

On September 14, 2000, the last of the DOS-based Windows 9x line, Windows Millennium Edition, considered the worst version of Windows that has existed, went on sale. (as it said that ” someone will come that goodwill do me; P)

Through Windows 98, the recognition of scanners, mice, keyboards, and levers improved.

Unlike W95 and W98, they lacked real-mode DOS support. However, in its favor, it must say that it had a handy feature, namely “System Restore,” which allowed users to establish a stable system configuration before the current one.

Windows XP (2001)

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Only one year later, on October 25, 2001, the first consumer operating system based on NT architecture, whose code name was Whistler, was sold under the XP name of experience. In December 2013, one of the most successful, its market share reached up to 500 million computers. After 12 years in the market! In April 2014, Microsoft stopped supporting it.

Windows XP’s new features, such as using a new, more straightforward user interface, were introduced. The possibility of using several user accounts at once and the ability to group similar applications on the taskbar, to name a few.

Windows Vista (2007)

Microsoft had never waited so long for an OS change; on January 30, 2007, Microsoft launched its worldwide after five years. Unfortunately, it is a system that arrived late due to inadequacy and drag. The chief complaints focused on security functions, digital rights management, hardware requirements, and software performance and compatibility.

In its favor, it is necessary to remember the characteristics by which everyone identifies it: the new upgraded graphical interface that especially allows transparency in the OS. The new Flip-3D application was activated with the combination of Win + Tab keys and showed a 3D effect with the windows that could change from one to another. Also, it allowed a preview of the open windows just by hovering over the buttons on the taskbar.

By the way, in April, do you remember when Stack Overflow unveiled the preferences of programmers? And we discovered that in 2015 there are still programmers who use Vista and XP: O? We better forget the latter and continue with the review; there is little left!

Windows 7 (2009)

Initially, It conceives as a kind of Windows Vista update, which allows for maintaining a certain degree of compatibility with applications and hardware. However, as soon as it was released on October 22, 2009, its predecessors’ market share began to grow.

Windows 7 offers a well-designed interface, a new taskbar, and significant improvements in OS performance. And especially because W7 marked Windows Touch’s debut, allowing you to explore the web from touch screens.

Windows 8 (2012)

On October 25, 2012, there was the release of the controversial Windows 8. Users were tearing their clothes. There was no Start button! How would they survive without him?

It was a user-modified interface that made it more friendly and easy to use with the touch screens, besides continuing to use the mouse and keyboard. At the moment, the Apps whose different sizes icon occupies the screen show notifications. The file explorer now leaves just a mouse click, functions that hide previously. And like this, hundreds of newly listed features, but we know you’re impatient to get to the next one.

Windows 10 (2015)

After an arduous journey of three years through the desert without a start button, on July 29, 2015, Windows 10 made its stellar appearance.
The “universal rule” has been met since Windows came out. Users always consider the first and the subsequent bad versions, changing them. For example, Windows XP: is good, but Windows Vista: is terrible. And if you look at the list, it has always been fulfilled. Now it’s a good version, so as we told you at the beginning of this article, the decision is yours 😉