Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows

Screenshot of Microsoft Windows Vista

Website: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/

Developer: Microsoft

OS family: Windows NT-based

Source model: Closed source

Latest stable release: Windows Vista / January 30, 2007

Supported platforms: x86, x86-64

Kernel type: Hybrid microkernel (Windows NT-based)

Default user interface: Graphical user interface (Aero)

License: MS-EULA

Working state: Current

Microsoft Windows is the name of several families of closed source software operating systems, first released by Microsoft in 1985. Windows is largely known as holding approximately 90% of the desktop operating system market and as having a great number of security threats throughout the years, as it is the most targeted system by malware developers. Windows is a graphical system, and was one of the first of its kind to allow input from such devices as a mouse. Before Windows, users of the Microsoft operating systems were limited to plain text operations.

Computers running Windows have commonly been referred to as Personal Computers (PCs) for many years, as opposed to Macs, workstation computers, and supercomputers. A Windows system is typically found in the home and office environment, completing tasks for nearly every conceivable type of work, from displaying and editing text documents, to gaming and displaying x-rays. A version of Windows (called Windows Media Center Edition or MCE) is specifically geared toward acting as a "Media hub," providing rich content and various types of leisure, such as watching television or high definition movies.

History

There are two development tracks of Windows that were kept updated through subsequent versions: versions of Windows which still relied on an MS-DOS subsystem, and Windows NT, which was written from scratch on a completely new, Hybrid microkernel design.

Windows 1.0 through Windows ME

Screenshot of Windows version 3.1

Windows started life as an attempt at creating a graphical user interface on top of MS-DOS. The first "breakthough" version of Windows that started gaining in popularity was Windows 3.0. Earlier versions weren't feature complete in various ways yet, such as they didn't support overlapped windows, and they couldn't run MS-DOS programs very well. Windows 3.0 changed all that, and combined with the addition of Microsoft Office for Windows, popularity (and sales) of Windows boomed.

The original Start menu in Windows 95

In 1995, Microsoft completely re-designed the Windows interface with the new Windows 95 operating system, introducing what we now call the "Start menu". The Start menu is contained in a button on the lower left of the screen (by default; it can be moved). When clicked, this button displays a list of groups, such as Programs, Documents, and Settings, in addition to some special buttons, such as Help, Run, and Shut Down. Each group is a sub-menu of files or programs. Each sub-menu can be divided into even more groups, so everything inside it can be organized.

The lineage of Windows as a 16 bit, then hybrid 32-bit operating system ended with the release of Windows ME. The next version of Windows, Windows XP (Windows NT 5.1) merged the two product lines together, with Windows XP Home for home users and and Windows XP Professional for business users.

Windows NT through Windows Vista

The Microsoft Windows NT project was created because Microsoft needed an operating system that could compete with Unix workstations in terms of software stability, reliability and scalability. Windows NT was originally intended to complement the MS-DOS based versions of Windows, and provide a viable, marketable platform for businesses.

Microsoft intentionally "rebuild from scratch" Windows NT, and its architecture is still implemented today, as the base OS of Windows Vista.

In October of 1988 Dave Cutler and several hand picked engineers from the Digital Equipment Corporation VMS team was hired away and assigned a new project: build a viable operating system for Microsoft.

External links

• Microsoft's Windows website