Evolution of Windows OS
Microsoft Windows is one of the World’s most using operating system. Around the world, many users have done their works easily through the Windows operating system. Its development has been evolved over several decades. Nowadays Windows has many graphical capabilities. But it is not there when first it started. The OS has its roots in text-based systems and simple graphical interfaces.
Microsoft Windows is a multitasking operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation which is founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen and it was developed to run personal computers (PCs). In 1972 it was initially named “Traf-O-Data”, then in 1975 was renamed as “Micro-soft” and, finally renamed as Microsoft on November 26, 1976. Microsoft released its first version, version 1.0 of the operating system Microsoft DOS(MS-DOS), A 16-bit command-line operating system in August 1981.
MS-DOS — Microsoft Disk Operating System
MS-DOS 1.0 was the first OS that was originally developed and sold by Microsoft for IBM. This was the standard operating system for IBM-compatible personal computers. DOS is a text-based operating system and it has no built-in GUI, and it worked with basic type commands. The initial versions of DOS were very simple and resembled another operating system called CP/M. Many of these commands still exist in the most current Windows OS.
The first version of MS-DOS was released in August 1981 and it supported a maximum of 128 kilobytes of random access memory (RAM) and file allocation table (FAT) file system. DOS itself not provided grater graphical functions than a simple ASCII character-based interface. DOS is a 16-bit operating system and does not support multiple users or multitasking.
This was popular from 1981 to 1999, but after the release of Windows 2000, the GUI based OS s become more popular in the business filed.
After the MS-DOS operating system, Microsoft Windows released many versions to the world.
Windows 1.0-20th of November 1985
Windows 1.0 is not a complete operating system but the shell of it was a program known as the MS-DOS Executive. Windows 1.0 includes Calculator, Calendar, Card-filer, Clipboard viewer, Clock, Control panel, Notepad, Windows Paint, Simple word processor, “Reversi” game, Computer terminal, Windows Write and RAM driver.
Windows 2.0-9th of December 1987
Windows 2.0 become slightly more popular than the previous versions because of its inclusion as a “run-time version” with Microsoft’s new graphical applications, Excel, and Word for Windows. It used the real-mode memory model. Later Windows/286 2.1 and Windows/386 2.1 versions were released. Windows/286 2.1 was supported the high memory area and Windows/386 2.1 was had protected mode Kernel with LIM-standard EMS emulation.
Windows 3.0-22nd of May 1990
Windows 3.0 improved capabilities given to native applications. Graphics of user interface improved by time using VGA video cards. The initially protected mode was introduced in Windows 3.0 and it allows Windows applications to use more memory without more pain. Windows 3.0 received two updates, one with Multimedia Extension 1.0 and released another version called Windows 3.1.
Windows NT-27th of July 1993
Windows NT was a family operating system that was a processor-independent, multi-processing, and multiuser operating system. Windows 3.1, the first version of Windows NT was introduced for workstations and server computers. Windows shell, Windows API, Native API, Active Directory, Group Policy, Hardware abstraction layer, NTFS, BitLocker, Windows Store, Windows update, and Hyper-V are the main features of Windows NT family. This was removed from the product name after starting of Windows 2000.
Windows 95-24th of August 1995
Windows 95 introduced support for native 32-bit applications, plug and play hardware, preemptive multitasking, long file names of up to 255 characters, and a redesigned object-oriented user interface. This was a great commercial success for Microsoft.
Windows 98-25th of June 1998
Windows 98 was introduced Windows driver model, support for USB composite devices, support for ACPI, hibernation, support for multi-monitor configurations, and integration with Internet Explorer 4. The second version of Windows 98 was released in May 1999. Internet Explorer 5.0 and Windows Media Player 6.2 were added among other upgrades.
Windows 2000-17th of February 2000
Windows 2000 is a part of the Windows NT family and it was produced to use as a business-oriented operating system. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0. Windows 2000 introduced NTFS 3.0, Encryption file system, basic and dynamic disk storage. This was supported by different languages and locale information. Windows 2000 was the last version that displays Windows NT designation and the last version where the desktop and server versions of Windows shared the same name.
Windows ME-14th of September 2000
Windows ME (Millennium Edition) was the last DOS-based version of Microsoft. This multimedia functionality was expanded including Windows Media Player 7, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Image Acquisition framework. Windows ME considered one of the worst operating systems that was released by Windows because of its speed, instability, hardware compatibility issues, and removal of real mode DOS support.
Windows XP-25th October 2001
This is also a part of the Windows NT family and this was the first consumer edition of Windows that was not based on MS-DOS. The user interface, infrastructure and networking and internet functionality are the new and updated features of Windows XP. This was released in two major editions called Home edition and professional edition.
Windows Server 2003-24th of April 2003
Windows Server 2003 was a server operating system that was the first release of Windows Server. It is the successor to Windows 2000 Server and the predecessor to Windows Server 2008. Bill Gates stated that Windows Server 2003 was Microsoft’s “most rigorously tested software to date”. Later kernel of this OS was used in the development of Windows Vista.
Windows Vista-8th of November 2006
Windows Vista was produced to use on personal computers. This is the first release of Windows that was released through digital distribution. Graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Aero, Windows Search, redesigned networking, audio, print and display sub-systems, and Windows DVD Maker are some of the new and updated features of Windows Vista. This was the second most widely used operating system at the release of Windows 7.
Windows Server 2008-27th of February 2008
This is also a server operating system like Windows Server 2003 and it was a successor of it. This came as a component of Windows Vista. This was build from the same codebase as Windows Vista and it shares much of the same architecture and functionality. Most editions of Windows Server 2008 was available in x86–64 and IA-32 versions.
Windows 7-22nd of July 2009
Windows 7 is also a part of the Windows NT family. Windows 7 new and updated features are advance in touch and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, improved multicore processor, improved boot performance, DirectAccess, and Kernel improvements. The classic Start Menu user interface, some taskbar features, Windows Explorer features, Windows Media Player features, Windows Ultimate Extras, Search Button and, Ink Ball are removed in this OS.
Windows 8.0–26TH of October 2012
Windows 8 introduced major changes in OS’s platform and user interface. Windows shell, Start screen, Windows store, and a new platform for developing apps were in these major changes. Windows 8 has the Hybrid Kernel type. This was supported for USB 3.0, Advanced format hard drives, near field communications, and cloud computing. Built-in anti-virus software also introduced in this version. Windows 8 was available in three editions called Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows 8 Enterprise.
Windows 8.1–17th of October 2013
Windows 8.1 was made available as a free upgrade for retail copies of Windows 8 and Windows RT users through the Windows store. Improved Start screen, additional snap views, additional bundled apps, tighter One Drive, Internet Explorer 11, high-resolution displays, 3D printing, and Wi-Fi Direct are some enhancements and technologies that were added to the Windows 8.1. As of February 2020, 4.82% of traditional PCs running Windows are running Windows 8.1.
Windows 10–15th of July 2015
Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 are parts of the Windows NT family. Windows 10 was written in C, C++, and C# and made available in 110 languages. Windows 10 most noticeable feature is its support for universal apps. Microsoft Edge Web browser, a virtual desktop system, Task view, support for fingerprint and face recognition login, and new security features for an enterprise environment are some of the other features that were introduced in Windows 10. This received more positive reviews than the previous versions of Windows OS. An estimated 70.98% of traditional PCs running Windows are running Windows 10 by April 2020.
Let’s see some main components of the Windows operating system.
· Configuration & Maintenance
· User interface
· Applications and Utilities
· Windows server components
· File systems
· Core components
· Services
· DirectX
· Networking
· Scripting and Command line
and so more.
Reference : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Microsoft_Windows_components
In every version of Windows, new features were introduced for users. Let us see some main features in the Windows operating system.
1. Control Panel
The control panel helps users to configure and manage the resources on their computers using a collection of tools. Users can change settings for printers, video, audio, mouse, keyboard, date and time, user accounts, installed applications, network connections, power-saving options, etc. Also, users can uninstall or repair applications from the control panel.
2. Desktop
The desktop is the very first screen that every user will see after the Windows start. It is the GUI (Graphical User Interface) in Windows. Here, users can organize applications, folders, documents, and other items and see them as icons.
3. File Explorer (Windows Explorer)
It is a view of the files and folders on the computer. Users can search for files and folders that they want, open them and rename or delete them. Also, users can browse the contents of the computer’s SSD, hard drive, removable disks, etc. You can have more than one file explorer window open at the same time. It is useful for viewing more folders according to the task.
4. Internet Browser
The internet browser is one of the most important applications on your computer. It helps you when you need to browse anything in the world. It can be a document, image, video, song, course, or anything, the browser will help you to know that. In Windows, they introduced two amazing web browsers. From Windows 95 to Windows 8.1, Internet Explorer becomes the default browser and in Windows 10 the default browser is Microsoft Edge.
5. Start Menu
A list of applications and utilities that are installed in your Windows can be found in the Start Menu. According to the alphabetical order all the applications are arranged in this. There is the start menu icon on the left side of the taskbar. By pressing the Windows key in your keyboard or clicking the windows icon you can open the Start menu. This is a very useful tool for users because they can search for any application or setting from here easily.
6. Taskbar
The taskbar is located on the bottom of your computer screen. You can see the current running applications, start menu, notification area there, and also you can pin your frequently using application at the taskbar. This is one of the most important features of Windows.
7. Windows Search Box
Windows search box helps you to find the exact location of any applications or files on your computer if you forget their exact location. This tool helps you to search the entire computer.
Some other features of Windows are,
· Cortana
· Device Manager
· Disk Cleanup
· Event Viewer
· Microsoft Paint
· Settings
· Notepad
· Task Manager
· Windows File Transfer
· Remote Desktop Connection
· Recycle Bin
· Notification Area
· Registry Editor
· System Information
We can see some pros and cons in the Windows operating system.
Advantages of Windows
Ease of use
More user-friendly OS
No need of much technical knowledge to operate Windows
Have many applications
Support for all hardware and Plug & play feature
Microsoft Windows has a great support community
More gaming
Dis-advantages of Windows
The high amount of virus attacks
Dependent on anti-virus software
High price
Cost for upgrade
When installing Windows, your computer should have high capacity computer resources
Getting technical support from Windows is difficult
If the system becomes slow you have to reboot it
The journey of Microsoft company gaining Windows as a famous and reliable product in the world was not very easy. From the beginning of this journey, IBM became partners as well as competitors with Microsoft. After making MS-DOS they were sold it directly to IBM and they also began to develop their own operating systems and desktop software.
Apple has also become a competitor for Microsoft. In the present, these two companies are sharing the majority of the operating system market. Not only in operating systems, but they also became competitors in the cellular world. Oracle also became a competitor because Microsoft started to offer products of server applications.
However, still, most people use Microsoft Windows as the operating system for their purposes and it became dominant in the PC market. Competing with other companies they always try to give new and best features for their users. Windows team said that Windows 10 is the last version of Windows operating system version history and users will get more updates only.
