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Windows (operating system)

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Windows is a series of operating systems produced and maintained by Microsoft Corporation. It was estimated that as of December 2007[1] 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[2] operating system, and 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: Matrix Runs on Windows XP

While initially Windows was merely a graphical user interface extension to MS-DOS shell[3], it became a full operating system beginning with the release of Windows NT.

Windows Major Release Versions

Name Version Number Public Release Notes Editions Minimum RAM required Minimum drive space
Windows 1.0 1.04 April, 1987
Windows 2.0 2.11 March 13, 1989 Last Windows version to run a GUI as a shell over a base of MS-DOS[4]
Windows 3.0 3.0 May 22, 1990 First Windows version to run without an MS-DOS base[4]
Windows 3.2 November 22, 1993 Chinese version of Windows 3.1
Windows NT 3.1 3.10.528 July 27, 1993
  • Workstation
  • Advanced Server
Windows 3.1 3.1 April 1992
  • Windows 3.1
  • Windows for Workgroups 3.1 (October 1992)
Windows NT 3.5 3.5.807 September 21, 1994
  • Workstation
  • Server
Windows NT 3.51 3.51.1057 May 30, 1995
  • Workstation
  • Server
Windows 95 4.0.950 August 24, 1995 Uses the same skin as 98, 2000, and ME 4MB[5]
Windows CE 1.0
Windows CE 2.0
Windows NT 4.0 July 29, 1996
  • Workstation
  • Server
  • Server Enterprise
  • Terminal Server
Windows 98 4.1.1998 June 25, 1998 Uses the same skin as 95, 2000, and ME 16MB 500MB
Windows 98 Second Edition 4.1.2222 April 23, 1999 Uses the same skin as 95, 2000, and ME
Windows CE 2.1
Windows CE 3.0
Windows ME 4.90.3000 September 14, 2000 Uses the same skin as 95, 98, and 2000
Windows 2000 5.0.2195 February 17, 2000 Uses the same skin as 95, 98, and ME
  • Professional
  • Server
  • Advanced Server
  • Datacenter Server
Windows XP 5.1.2600 October 25, 2001 Last major version to use this layout, which was introduced with Windows 95
  • Starter
  • Home
  • Professional
  • Professional x64
  • Media Center 2002
  • Media Center 2004
  • Media Center 2005
  • Tablet PC
  • Embedded
 x32/x86: 64MB[6]
x64: 256MB		 1.5GB
Windows Server 2003 5.2 2003
Windows Server 2003 R2 2006
Windows Vista 6.0.6000 January 30, 2007 System uses new layout, but started out with some problems
  • Starter
  • Home Basic
  • Home Premium
  • Business
  • Ultimate
  • Enterprise
 Home Basic: 512MB,
All Others: 1GB[7]		 20GB
Windows Server 2008 2008 512 MB
Windows 7 6.1.7600 October 22, 2009 Uses the same basic layout as Vista, but system is more stable
  • Home Basic
  • Home Premium
  • Professional
  • Enterprise
  • Ultimate
  • Thin PC
 x32/x85: 1GB, x64: 2GB[6] x32/x86: 16GB,
x64: 20GB
Windows Server 2008 R2 2010 512 MB
Windows Server 2012 6.2 2012
  • Foundation
  • Essentials
  • Standard
  • Datacenter
 512MB 32GB
Windows 8 6.2 October 26, 2012
  • Designed to serve as an OS for all kinds of devices, including smartphones
  • Also did away with the Start menu
  • Sold surprisingly poorly
  • Standard
  • Professional
  • Enterprise
  • Embedded
 x32/x86: 1GB,
x64: 2GB[8]
Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3 2013
  • Foundation
  • Essentials
  • Standard
  • Datacenter
 512MB 32GB
Windows 8.1 6.3 October 17, 2013 Slight update from 8.0 which brings back the Start button
  • Standard
  • Professional
  • Enterprise
  • Embedded
 x32/x86: 1GB,
x64: 2GB[8]
Windows 10 6.4[9] July 29, 2015 Designed to collect personal information and customize itself based on preferences
  • Home
  • Professional
  • Enterprise
  • Education
  • Mobile
  • Mobile Enterprise
  • IoT Core
 x32/x86: 1GB,
x64: 2GB[10]
Windows Server 2016 2016

[11][12][13][14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ OS Statistics. Refsnes Data. Retrieved 29 January, 2008.
  2. ↑ Windows Server 2003 R2 Home. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 29 January, 2008.
  3. ↑ Windows History: Windows Desktop Timeline. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 29 January, 2008.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.howtogeek.com/132488/does-windows-still-rely-on-ms-dos
  5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/138349
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 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
  7. ↑ http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/how-much-ram-do-i-need-721332
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/system-requirements
  9. ↑ http://windowsitpro.com/windows-10/windows-10s-inventoried-version-number
  10. ↑ http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-win_upgrade/how-much-ram-will-windows-10-use/769c6a0e-82de-4254-ae65-59a84c6a5886
  11. ↑ http://www.nextofwindows.com/a-list-of-windows-operating-system-version-number
  12. ↑ http://www.computerhope.com/whow.htm
  13. ↑ http://www.carrona.org/winreldt.html#31
  14. ↑ http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/history#T1=era0

External Links

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