Rare is the person who, if he hears about Windows, does not know what it is or at least knows how to relate it to computers. And it is that the Microsoft operating system is undoubtedly the most popular, known and used on the entire planet. However, not everyone knows in depth what Windows really is, its history and all the versions that have existed since its birth. Next, we will review the history of the operating system, what it is exactly and what it is for and what all its versions are .
To speak of Windows is to speak of the software giant, Microsoft, since it is the company behind the famous operating system. Now, when we use the term operating system , there are already many who begin to doubt what exactly it is and how it works. From the above link, you can know what exactly is an operating system, how it works, important parts and different types.
However, today we want to focus on the Microsoft operating system and learn more about what it is and how it has become the most widely used software in much of the world.
Windows history, versions and logos
To talk about the birth of the famous operating system, we have to go back to 1985, so this year it will celebrate its 35th birthday.
1985 : Although a couple of years before there was already talk of the existence of the first version of Windows under the code name of Interface Manager, the truth is that until the end of 1985 Windows 1.0 was not officially announced. An early version that offered little functionality and was not a complete operating system, as it was rather a graphical extension of MS-DOS.
1987 : A couple of years later, in November 1987, Windows 2.0 was released, which in just a couple of months, was replaced by version 2.03. This latest version already included for the first time windows that could overlap each other.
1990 : This is the year that Windows version 3.0 was released and one of the most important years for the company, since it was the first version that had great commercial success. So much so, that Microsoft managed to sell up to 2 million copies in the first six months since its launch.
1992 : The great success of version 3.0 made Microsoft stop working on the development of its operating system and in 1992 it received some improvements with version 3.1, released in March 1992 and whose version was supported by the company. until the end of 2001.
1995 : This year was a major turning point in the life of Windows, since it was the year in which the version bearing the last two figures of its launch year, Windows 95, was released. A new version intended for the consumer market and which replaced Windows 3.1 as a graphical interface and MS-DOS as the operating system.
A version in which the improvements were very important, since the graphical interface was much more advanced and different from that of previous versions and with which, in addition, it went from a cooperative 16-bit multitasking architecture to a 32-bit appropriative, also multitasking. It is the first version of the system that included the famous taskbar and the Start button, elements that today continue and continue to offer great functionality.
1998 : The next version came three years later and, like the previous one, the format of its name was again adding the year of its release as the last name. Therefore, it was Windows 98 as the next version was baptized, which on the other hand became one of the most criticized for its slowness and unreliability compared to Windows 95.
2000 : As part of its professional line, Microsoft released Windows 2000, a version of which leaked part of its source code on the Internet, so the company decided to use its core to develop the new version of the system.
2001 : Shortly afterwards Windows XP was released, a version that was offered in two different editions, Home and Professional and that was built in the Windows NT kernel, which has the consumer-oriented usability of Windows 95 and its successors.
2007 : It was necessary to wait until 2007 for the arrival of another new version. In this case it was Windows Vista, a version with infinite new features and functions, a redesigned Shell and a user interface with major changes and designed with special attention to user safety.
2009 : In October 2009, Microsoft announced the release of Windows 7, one of the most important versions of the Microsoft operating system. It added multi touch support, a redesigned Windows Shell, a new taskbar, a network system, improvements in performance and speed, and a reduction in the consumption of resources.
2012 : It was the year of the launch of Windows 8, a version in which the company made the decision to do without the Start menu, whose decision was not to the liking of the vast majority of users. Therefore, since the arrival of Windows 95, for the first time the start button disappeared from the taskbar and a renewed interface was displayed.
2015 : On July 29, 2015, Microsoft released Windows 10, which is the latest version of the Redmond operating system. A version that has a great set of applications, a modern interface and that offers great performance and is also cross-platform. That is, it allows its use on computers and mobile devices.
What is Windows and how does it work?
Windows is the name of a set of programs or software for PCs, servers and other mobile devices developed and distributed by Microsoft and available for different architectures such as x86, x86-64 and ARM.
And it is that from a very technical point of view, it can be said that Windows is more than just an operating system, since in addition to the system itself, it is accompanied by another set of applications or software to provide users with certain tools and functions .
As an operating system, Microsoft Windows makes it easy to manage a computer’s resources even at the most basic level, since it begins to work practically from when we turn on the computer to manage all the hardware components. And it is that in the end, it is an intermediary between the user and the hardware , since it is the system that allows access to resources and peripherals, as well as ensuring their correct operation and assigning them the corresponding amount of memory according to your needs.
But also, it is in charge of coordinating the hardware, organizing files, controlling access to data and processing of tasks, providing services to facilitate the efficient execution and management of resources of any application, etc. For everything, it offers a graphical interface that makes interaction with users much easier and more intuitive, and also has all the necessary tools so that users can control and use their computer in the most comfortable and easy way.
Current editions of Windows 10
The latest version of the Microsoft operating system is available in different editions, being able to choose between Windows 10 Home , Windows 10 Education and Windows 10 Pro , as well as their corresponding N versions .
Windows 10 Home is the most basic and cheapest version if we have to buy a license of the Microsoft operating system, but the truth is that it has all the common characteristics of the system. The only thing to keep in mind is that it offers some limitations when buying OEM or Retail licenses and that the maximum RAM is 4G in 32 bits and 128 GB in 64 bits.
For its part, the Pro edition is designed for users looking for something else. In this case, Windows 10 Pro includes everything from the Home edition, but it also allows you to buy licenses by volume and the maximum memory for 64-bit RAM is 512 GB. It should be noted that it also has Hyper-V, Bitlocker and EFS or the possibility of using Remote Desktop as client and server, in addition to other features designed for the business environment.
As its name suggests, Windows 10 Education is the version of the system focused on education, or rather schools. The licenses are distributed by volume, so they cannot be purchased individually and, in addition, it has a series of tools specially designed for this environment. All these editions also have their particular “N” version , which means that they do not have any multimedia player installed by default.