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Line 1: − + − + − While initially Windows was merely a [[graphical user interface]] extension to [[MS-DOS]] shell<ref>[http://www.microsoft.com/windows/WinHistoryProGraphic.mspx Windows History: Windows Desktop Timeline]. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 29 January, 2008.</ref>, it became a full operating system beginning with the release of Windows NT.+ Line 15:
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Windows (operating system) (view source)
Revision as of 14:14, April 15, 2016
, 14:14, April 15, 2016more info
{{Progress}}
{{Progress}}
'''Windows''' is a series of [[operating system|operating systems]] produced and maintained by [[Microsoft Corporation]]. It was estimated that as of December 2007<ref>[http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp OS Statistics]. Refsnes Data. Retrieved 29 January, 2008.</ref> Microsoft Windows accounted for nearly 90% of operating system usage, with 3 out of 4 being to the [[Windows XP]]. Windows is used both as a desktop operating system and a [[server]]<ref>[http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/default.mspx Windows Server 2003 R2 Home]. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 29 January, 2008.</ref> operating system, and is intended for use with the [[Intel]] x86-64 family of processors.
'''Windows''' is a series of [[operating system]]s produced and maintained by the [[Microsoft Corporation]]. It was estimated that as of December 2007<ref>[http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp OS Statistics]. Refsnes Data. Retrieved 29 January, 2008.</ref> Microsoft Windows accounted for nearly 90% of operating system usage, with 3 out of 4 being [[Windows XP]]. Windows is used for desktop, and [[server]] computers,<ref>[http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/default.mspx Windows Server 2003 R2 Home]. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 29 January, 2008.</ref> and more recently also for [[cellular phone]]s and tablet computers. It is intended for use with the [[Intel]] x86-64 family of processors.
Early versions of Windows (98 and earlier) were notoriously unreliable, despite (or maybe because of?) Microsoft's near-monopoly share of the operating system market. They crashed so often that the term "blue screen of death" entered the vocabulary. See also this satire: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX8yrOAjfKM&feature=related Matrix Runs on Windows XP]
Early versions of Windows (98 and earlier) were notoriously unreliable, despite (or maybe because of?) Microsoft's near-monopoly share of the operating system market. They crashed so often that the term "blue screen of death" entered the vocabulary. ''See also this satire: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX8yrOAjfKM&feature=related Matrix Runs on Windows XP]''
Initially Windows was a text-based system ([[MS-DOS]]). Then a [[graphical user interface]] extension was added onto this [[MS-DOS]] core<ref>[http://www.microsoft.com/windows/WinHistoryProGraphic.mspx Windows History: Windows Desktop Timeline]. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 29 January, 2008.</ref> It became a full GUI operating system free of the MS-DOS core beginning with the release of Windows NT.
==Windows Major Release Versions==
==Windows Major Release Versions==
| Windows 2.0 || 2.11 || March 13, 1989 || Last Windows version to run a [[Graphic User Interface|GUI]] as a shell over a base of [[MS-DOS]]<ref name="HowToGeek">http://www.howtogeek.com/132488/does-windows-still-rely-on-ms-dos</ref> || || ||
| Windows 2.0 || 2.11 || March 13, 1989 || Last Windows version to run a [[Graphic User Interface|GUI]] as a shell over a base of [[MS-DOS]]<ref name="HowToGeek">http://www.howtogeek.com/132488/does-windows-still-rely-on-ms-dos</ref> || || ||
|-
|-
| Windows 3.0 || 3.0 || May 22, 1990 || First Windows version to run without an [[MS-DOS]] base<ref name="HowToGeek">http://www.howtogeek.com/132488/does-windows-still-rely-on-ms-dos</ref> || || ||
| '''Windows 3.0''' || NT 3.0 || May 22, 1990 || First Windows version to run without an [[MS-DOS]] base<ref name="HowToGeek">http://www.howtogeek.com/132488/does-windows-still-rely-on-ms-dos</ref> || || ||
|-
|-
| Windows 3.2 || || November 22, 1993 || Chinese version of [[Windows 3.1]] || || ||
| Windows 3.2 || || November 22, 1993 || Chinese version of [[Windows 3.1]] || || ||
|-
|-
| Windows 3.1 || 3.1 || April 1992 || ||
| Windows 3.1 || 3.1 || April 1992 || ||
|| ||
|| ||
|-
|-
| Windows NT 3.5 || 3.5.807 || September 21, 1994 || ||
| Windows 3.1 || NT 3.10.528 || July 27, 1993 || ||
* Workstation
* Advanced Server
|| ||
|-
| '''Windows NT 3.5''' || 3.5.807 || September 21, 1994 || ||
* Workstation
* Workstation
* Server
* Server
|| ||
|| ||
|-
|-
| Windows 95 || 4.0.950 || August 24, 1995 || Uses the same skin as [[Windows 98|98]], [[Windows 2000|2000]], and [[Windows ME|ME]] || || 4MB<ref>https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/138349</ref> || ||
| '''Windows 95''' || NT 4.0.950 || August 24, 1995 || Uses the same skin as [[Windows 98|98]], [[Windows 2000|2000]], and [[Windows ME|ME]] || || 4MB<ref>https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/138349</ref> || ||
|-
|-
| Windows CE 1.0 || || || || || ||
| Windows CE Alder<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || CE 1.0 || November 16, 1996<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || || || 2MB ||
|-
|-
| Windows CE 2.0 || || || || || ||
| Windows NT 4.0 || NT 4.0 || July 29, 1996 || ||
|-
* Workstation
* Workstation
* Server
* Server
|| ||
|| ||
|-
|-
| [[Windows 98]] || 4.1.1998 || June 25, 1998 || Uses the same skin as [[Windows 95|95]], [[Windows 2000|2000]], and [[Windows ME|ME]] || || 16MB || 500MB
| Windows CE Birch<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || CE 2.0 || November 1997<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || || || ||
|-
| '''[[Windows 98]]''' || NT 4.1.1998 || June 25, 1998 || Uses the same skin as [[Windows 95|95]], [[Windows 2000|2000]], and [[Windows ME|ME]] || || 16MB || 500MB
|-
|-
| Windows 98 Second Edition || 4.1.2222 || April 23, 1999 || Uses the same skin as [[Windows 95|95]], [[Windows 2000|2000]], and [[Windows ME|ME]] || || ||
| '''Windows 98 Second Edition''' || NT 4.1.2222 || April 23, 1999 || Uses the same skin as [[Windows 95|95]], [[Windows 2000|2000]], and [[Windows ME|ME]] || || ||
|-
|-
| Windows CE 2.1 || || || || || ||
| Windows CE 2.1 || || || || || ||
|-
|-
| Windows CE 3.0 || || || || || ||
| Windows CE Cedar || CE 3.0 || April 2000 || || || ||
|-
|-
| Windows ME || 4.90.3000 || September 14, 2000 || Uses the same skin as [[Windows 95|95]], [[Windows 98|98]], and [[Windows 2000|2000]] || || ||
| '''Windows ME''' || NT 4.90.3000 || September 14, 2000 || Uses the same skin as [[Windows 95|95]], [[Windows 98|98]], and [[Windows 2000|2000]] || || ||
|-
|-
| [[Windows 2000]] || 5.0.2195 || February 17, 2000 || Uses the same skin as [[Windows 95|95]], [[Windows 98|98]], and [[Windows ME|ME]] ||
| '''[[Windows 2000]]''' || NT 5.0.2195 || February 17, 2000 || Uses the same skin as [[Windows 95|95]], [[Windows 98|98]], and [[Windows ME|ME]] ||
* Professional
* Professional
* Server
* Server
|| ||
|| ||
|-
|-
| [[Windows XP]] || 5.1.2600 || October 25, 2001 || Last major version to use this layout, which was introduced with [[Windows 95]] ||
| '''[[Windows XP]]''' || 5.1.2600 || October 25, 2001 || Last major version to use this layout, which was introduced with [[Windows 95]] ||
* Starter
* Starter
* Home
* Home
||x32/x86: 64MB<ref name="answers.microsoft.com">http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-windows_install/how-much-ram-is-required-by-windows-xp-to-operate/6e341e7e-4656-4bcb-94e8-d7efc35d3b56?auth=1</ref><br /> x64: 256MB||1.5GB
||x32/x86: 64MB<ref name="answers.microsoft.com">http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-windows_install/how-much-ram-is-required-by-windows-xp-to-operate/6e341e7e-4656-4bcb-94e8-d7efc35d3b56?auth=1</ref><br /> x64: 256MB||1.5GB
|-
|-
| Windows Server 2003 || 5.2 || 2003 || || || ||
| Windows CE Talisker<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || CE 4.0 || January 7, 2002 || || || ||
|-
| Windows CE Jameson<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || CE 4.1 || June 2002<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || || || ||
|-
| Windows CE McKendric<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || CE 4.2 || April 2003<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || || || ||
|-
| ''Windows Server 2003'' || NT 5.2 || 2003 || || || ||
|-
| Windows CE Macallan<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || CE 5.0 || August 2004<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || || || ||
|-
| ''Windows Server 2003 R2'' || || 2006 || || || ||
|-
|-
| Windows Server 2003 R2 || || 2006 || || || ||
| Windows CE Yamazaki<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || CE 6.0 || September 2006<ref name="ce6.0">https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mikehall/2006/09/20/ce-6-0-why-the-codename-yamazaki</ref> || || || ||
|-
|-
| [[Windows Vista]] || 6.0.6000 || January 30, 2007 || System uses new layout, but started out with some problems ||
| '''[[Windows Vista]]''' || NT 6.0.6000 || January 30, 2007 || System uses new layout, but started out with some problems ||
* Starter
* Starter
* Home Basic
* Home Basic
||Home Basic: 512MB,<br /> All Others: 1GB<ref>http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/how-much-ram-do-i-need-721332</ref>|| 20GB
||Home Basic: 512MB,<br /> All Others: 1GB<ref>http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/how-much-ram-do-i-need-721332</ref>|| 20GB
|-
|-
| Windows Server 2008 || || 2008 || || || 512 MB ||
| ''Windows Server 2008'' || || 2008 || || || 512 MB || Foundation: 10GB,<br /> other x32/86: 20GB,<br /> other x64: 32GB
|-
|-
| [[Windows 7]] || 6.1.7600 || October 22, 2009 || Uses the same basic layout as [[Windows Vista|Vista]], but system is more stable ||
| '''[[Windows 7]]''' || NT 6.1.7600 || October 22, 2009 || Uses the same basic layout as [[Windows Vista|Vista]], but system is more stable ||
* Home Basic
* Home Basic
* Home Premium
* Home Premium
|| x32/x85: 1GB, x64: 2GB<ref name="answers.microsoft.com">http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-windows_install/how-much-ram-is-required-by-windows-xp-to-operate/6e341e7e-4656-4bcb-94e8-d7efc35d3b56?auth=1</ref>|| x32/x86: 16GB,<br /> x64: 20GB
|| x32/x85: 1GB, x64: 2GB<ref name="answers.microsoft.com">http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-windows_install/how-much-ram-is-required-by-windows-xp-to-operate/6e341e7e-4656-4bcb-94e8-d7efc35d3b56?auth=1</ref>|| x32/x86: 16GB,<br /> x64: 20GB
|-
|-
| Windows Server 2008 R2 || || 2010 || || || 512 MB ||
| ''Windows Server 2008 R2'' || || 2010 || || || 512 MB || Foundation: 10GB, <br />others: 32GB
|-
|-
| Windows Server 2012 || 6.2 || 2012 || ||
| ''Windows Server 2012'' || NT 6.2 || 2012 || ||
*Foundation
*Foundation
*Essentials
*Essentials
|| 512MB || 32GB
|| 512MB || 32GB
|-
|-
| [[Windows 8]] || 6.2 || October 26, 2012 ||
| '''[[Windows 8]]''' || NT 6.2 || October 26, 2012 ||
*Designed to serve as an [[Operating system|OS]] for all kinds of devices, including [[smartphone|smartphones]]
*Designed to serve as an [[Operating system|OS]] for all kinds of devices, including [[smartphone|smartphones]]
* Also did away with the Start menu
* Also did away with the Start menu
||x32/x86: 1GB,<br /> x64: 2GB<ref name="windows.microsoft.com">http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/system-requirements</ref> ||
||x32/x86: 1GB,<br /> x64: 2GB<ref name="windows.microsoft.com">http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/system-requirements</ref> ||
|-
|-
| Windows Server 2012 R2 || 6.3 || 2013 || ||
| ''Windows Server 2012 R2'' || NT 6.3 || 2013 || ||
*Foundation
*Foundation
*Essentials
*Essentials
|| 512MB || 32GB
|| 512MB || 32GB
|-
|-
| Windows 8.1 || 6.3 || October 17, 2013 || Slight update from [[Windows 8|8.0]] which brings back the Start button ||
| '''Windows 8.1''' || NT 6.3 || October 17, 2013 || Slight update from [[Windows 8|8.0]] which brings back the Start button ||
* Standard
* Standard
* Professional
* Professional
||
||
|-
|-
| [[Windows 10]] || 6.4<ref>http://windowsitpro.com/windows-10/windows-10s-inventoried-version-number</ref> || July 29, 2015 || Designed to collect personal information and customize itself based on preferences ||
| '''[[Windows 10]]''' || NT 6.4<ref>http://windowsitpro.com/windows-10/windows-10s-inventoried-version-number</ref> || July 29, 2015 || Designed to collect personal information and customize itself based on preferences ||
* Home
* Home
* Professional
* Professional
||
||
|-
|-
| Windows Server 2016 || || 2016 || || || ||
| ''Windows Server 2016'' || || 2016 || || || ||
|}
|}
<ref>http://www.nextofwindows.com/a-list-of-windows-operating-system-version-number</ref><ref>http://www.computerhope.com/whow.htm</ref><ref>http://www.carrona.org/winreldt.html#31</ref><ref>http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/history#T1=era0</ref>
(Some popular NT releases are listed in '''bold''' and special server releases are listed in ''italic''.) <ref>http://www.nextofwindows.com/a-list-of-windows-operating-system-version-number</ref><ref>http://www.computerhope.com/whow.htm</ref><ref>http://www.carrona.org/winreldt.html#31</ref><ref>http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/history#T1=era0</ref>
==See also==
==See also==