Microsoft Windows is a series of graphical interface operating systems developed, marketed,
and sold by Microsoft.
Microsoft introduced an operating
environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as a graphical
operating system shell for MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in
graphical user interfaces (GUI). Microsoft Windows came to dominate the
world's personal computer market with over 90% market share, overtaking Mac
OS, which had been introduced in 1984.
As of October 2013, the most
recent versions of Windows for personal computers, mobile devices, server
computers and embedded devices are respectively Windows 8.1, Windows Phone
8, Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Embedded 8.
The term Windows
collectively describes any or all of several generations of Microsoft
operating system products. These products are generally categorized as
follows:
Early versions
The history of Windows dates back
to September 1981, when Chase Bishop, a computer scientist, designed the
first model of an electronic device and project "Interface Manager" was
started. It was announced in November 1983 (after the Apple Lisa, but before
the Macintosh) under the name "Windows", but Windows 1.0 was not released
until November 1985. Windows 1.0 achieved little popularity and was to
compete with Apple's own operating system. Windows 1.0 is not a complete
operating system; rather, it extends MS-DOS. The shell of Windows 1.0 is a
program known as the MS-DOS Executive. Components included Calculator,
Calendar, Cardfile, Clipboard viewer, Clock, Control Panel, Notepad, Paint,
Reversi, Terminal and Write. Windows 1.0 does not allow overlapping windows.
Instead all windows are tiled. Only modal dialog boxes may appear over other
windows.
Windows 2.0 was released in
December 1987 and was more popular than its predecessor. It features several
improvements to the user interface and memory management. Windows 2.03
changed the OS from tiled windows to overlapping windows. The result of this
change led to Apple Computer filing a suit against Microsoft alleging
infringement on Apple's copyrights. Windows 2.0 also introduced more
sophisticated keyboard shortcuts and could make use of expanded memory.
Windows 2.1 was released in two
different versions: Windows/286 and Windows/386. Windows/386 uses the
virtual 8086 mode of Intel 80386 to multitask several DOS programs and the
paged memory model to emulate expanded memory using available extended
memory. Windows/286, in spite of its name, runs on both Intel 8086 and Intel
80286. It runs in real mode but can make use of the high memory area.
In addition to full
Windows-packages, there were runtime-only versions that shipped with early
Windows software from third parties and made it possible to run their
Windows software on MS-DOS and without the full Windows feature set.
The early versions of Windows are
often thought of as graphical shells, mostly because they ran on top of
MS-DOS and use it for file system services. However, even the earliest
Windows versions already assumed many typical operating system functions;
notably, having their own executable file format and providing their own
device drivers (timer, graphics, printer, mouse, keyboard and sound). Unlike
MS-DOS, Windows allowed users to execute multiple graphical applications at
the same time, through cooperative multitasking. Windows implemented an
elaborate, segment-based, software virtual memory scheme, which allows it to
run applications larger than available memory: code segments and resources
are swapped in and thrown away when memory became scarce; data segments
moved in memory when a given application had relinquished processor control.
Windows 3.0 and 3.1
Windows 3.0, released in 1990,
improved the design, mostly because of virtual memory and loadable virtual
device drivers (VxDs) that allow Windows to share arbitrary devices between
multi-tasked DOS applications. Windows 3.0 applications can run in protected
mode, which gives them access to several megabytes of memory without the
obligation to participate in the software virtual memory scheme. They run
inside the same address space, where the segmented memory provides a degree
of protection. Windows 3.0 also featured improvements to the user interface.
Microsoft rewrote critical operations from C into assembly. Windows 3.0 is
the first Microsoft Windows version to achieve broad commercial success,
selling 2 million copies in the first six months.
Windows 3.1, made generally
available on March 1, 1992, featured a facelift. In August 1993, Windows for
Workgroups, a special version with integrated peer-to-peer networking
features and a version number of 3.11, was released. It was sold along
Windows 3.1. Support for Windows 3.1 ended on December 31, 2001.
Windows 9x
The next major consumer-oriented
release of Windows, Windows 95, was released on August 24, 1995. While still
remaining MS-DOS-based, Windows 95 introduced support for native 32-bit
applications, plug and play hardware, preemptive multitasking, long file
names of up to 255 characters, and provided increased stability over its
predecessors. Windows 95 also introduced a redesigned, object oriented user
interface, replacing the previous Program Manager with the Start menu,
taskbar, and Windows Explorer shell. Windows 95 was a major commercial
success for Microsoft; Ina Fried of CNET remarked that "by the time Windows
95 was finally ushered off the market in 2001, it had become a fixture on
computer desktops around the world." Microsoft published four OEM Service
Releases (OSR) of Windows 95, each of which was roughly equivalent to a
service pack. The first OSR of Windows 95 was also the first version of
Windows to be bundled with Microsoft's web browser, Internet Explorer.
Mainstream support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2000 and extended
support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2001.
Windows 95 was followed up with
the release of Windows 98 on June 25, 1998, which introduced the Windows
Driver Model, support for USB composite devices, support for ACPI,
hibernation, and support for multi-monitor configurations. Windows 98 also
included integration with Internet Explorer 4 through Active Desktop and
other aspects of the Windows Desktop Update (a series of enhancements to the
Explorer shell which were also made available for Windows 95). In May 1999,
Microsoft released Windows 98 Second Edition, an updated version of Windows
98. Windows 98 SE added Internet Explorer 5.0 and Windows Media Player 6.2
amongst other upgrades. Mainstream support for Windows 98 ended on June 30,
2002 and extended support for Windows 98 ended on July 11, 2006.
On September 14, 2000, Microsoft
released Windows ME (Millennium Edition), the last DOS-based version of
Windows. Windows ME incorporated visual interface enhancements from its
Windows NT-based counterpart Windows 2000, had faster boot times than
previous versions (which however, required the removal of the ability to
access a real mode DOS environment, removing compatibility with some older
programs), expanded multimedia functionality (including Windows Media Player
7, Windows Movie Maker, and the Windows Image Acquisition framework for
retrieving images from scanners and digital cameras), additional system
utilities such as System File Protection and System Restore, and updated
home networking tools. However, Windows ME was faced with criticism for its
speed and instability, along with hardware compatibility issues and its
removal of real mode DOS support. PC World considered Windows ME to be one
of the worst operating systems Microsoft had ever released, and the 4th
worst tech product of all time.
Windows NT family
In November 1988, a new
development team within Microsoft (which included former Digital Equipment
Corporation developers Dave Cutler and Mark Lucovsky) began work on a
revamped version of IBM and Microsoft's OS/2 operating system known as "NT
OS/2". NT OS/2 was intended to be a secure, multi-user operating system with
POSIX compatibility and a modular, portable kernel with preemptive
multitasking and support for multiple processor architectures. However,
following the successful release of Windows 3.0, the NT development team
decided to rework the project to use an extended 32-bit port of the Windows
API known as Win32 instead of those of OS/2. Win32 maintained a similar
structure to the Windows APIs (allowing existing Windows applications to
easily be ported to the platform), but also supported the capabilities of
the existing NT kernel. Following its approval by Microsoft's staff,
development continued on what was now Windows NT, the first 32-bit version
of Windows. However, IBM objected to the changes, and ultimately continued
OS/2 development on its own.
The first release of the resulting
operating system, Windows NT 3.1 (named to associate it with Windows 3.1)
was released in July 1993 with versions for desktop workstations and
servers. Windows NT 3.5 was released in September 1994, focusing on
performance improvements and support for Novell's NetWare, and was followed
up by Windows NT 3.51 in May 1995, which included additional improvements
and support for the PowerPC architecture. Windows NT 4.0 was released in
June 1996, introducing the redesigned interface of Windows 95 to the NT
series. On February 17, 2000, Microsoft released Windows 2000, a successor
to NT 4.0. The Windows NT name was dropped at this point in order to put a
greater focus on the Windows brand.
Windows XP
The next major version of Windows,
Windows XP, was released on October 25, 2001. The introduction of Windows XP
aimed to unify the consumer-oriented Windows 9x series with the architecture
introduced by Windows NT, a change which Microsoft promised would provide
better performance over its DOS-based predecessors. Windows XP would also
introduce a redesigned user interface (including an updated Start menu and a
"task-oriented" Windows Explorer), streamlined multimedia and networking
features, Internet Explorer 6, integration with Microsoft's .NET Passport
services, modes to help provide compatibility with software designed for
previous versions of Windows, and Remote Assistance functionality.
At retail, Windows XP was now
marketed in two main editions: the "Home" edition was targeted towards
consumers, while the "Professional" edition was targeted towards business
environments and power users, and included additional security and
networking features. Home and Professional were later accompanied by the
"Media Center" edition (designed for home theater PCs, with an emphasis on
support for DVD playback, TV tuner cards, DVR functionality, and remote
controls), and the "Tablet PC" edition (designed for mobile devices meeting
its specifications for a tablet computer, with support for stylus pen input
and additional pen-enabled applications). Mainstream support for Windows XP
ended on April 14, 2009. Extended support will continue until April 8, 2014.
After Windows 2000, Microsoft also
changed its release schedules for server operating systems; the server
counterpart of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, was released in April 2003.
It was followed in December 2005 by Windows Server 2003 R2.
Windows Vista, 7 and 8
After a lengthy development
process, Windows Vista was released on November 30, 2006 for volume
licensing and January 30, 2007 for consumers. It contained a number of new
features, from a redesigned shell and user interface to significant
technical changes, with a particular focus on security features. It was
available in a number of different editions, and has been subject to some
criticism. Vista's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 was released in
early 2008.
On July 22, 2009, Windows 7 and
Windows Server 2008 R2 were released as RTM (release to manufacturing) while
the former was released to the public 3 months later on October 22, 2009.
Unlike its predecessor, Windows Vista, which introduced a large number of
new features, Windows 7 was intended to be a more focused, incremental
upgrade to the Windows line, with the goal of being compatible with
applications and hardware with which Windows Vista was already compatible.
Windows 7 has multi-touch support, a redesigned Windows shell with an
updated taskbar, a home networking system called HomeGroup, and performance
improvements.
Windows 8, the successor to
Windows 7, was released generally on October 28, 2012. A number of
significant changes were made on Windows 8, including the introduction of a
user interface based around Microsoft's Metro design language with
optimizations for touch-based devices such as tablets and all-in-one PCs.
These changes include the Start screen, which uses large tiles that are more
convenient for touch interactions and allow for the display of continually
updated information, and a new class of apps which are designed primarily
for use on touch-based devices. Other changes include increased integration
with cloud services and other online platforms (such as social networks and
Microsoft's own SkyDrive and Xbox Live services), the Windows Store service
for software distribution, and a new variant known as Windows RT for use on
devices that utilize the ARM architecture. An update to Windows 8, called
Windows 8.1, was released on October 17, 2013, and includes features such as
new live tile sizes, deeper SkyDrive integration, and many other revisions.
Multilingual support: IMEs and LIPs
There are three main issues
involved in making English-language Windows multilingual: (1) some languages
require an Input Method Editor (IME) to enter text, (2) many users want
application menus (such as MS Office menus) to display in their own
language, and they may also want to use a keyboard that matches the normal
keyboard layout and marking for their own language, and (3) some users want
Windows menus and messages to display in their own language, i.e. they want
to be able to switch from an English Windows environment to another
language.
For languages like Italian,
Spanish, French and German, (2) alone may suffice. For languages like
Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (CJK), an IME (1) is also required. This is
bundled with the corresponding language version of Windows, but is also
available as a separate download for English Windows, as described below;
(1) and (2) can be essentially free (apart from the custom keyboard).
For some languages, (3), multilingual support for Windows, is a free
download for Windows XP and later—but it requires Windows 7 Ultimate or
better for languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
(1) After releasing Chinese,
Japanese, and Korean bundles of Office 2010 and IME 2010, Microsoft made IME
2010 available as a free upgrade for users of the earlier IME versions of
Windows. Microsoft later made these Chinese, Japanese, and Korean IME
versions available free to users of Windows XP and later, including English
Windows XP (but now says that users should own some version of MS Office).
Each IME package enables the entering of text in the corresponding language;
necessary fonts may be bundled with it (or supplementary fonts offered with
the corresponding version of Office).
(2) Microsoft now also offers
Language Interface Packs (LIPs) for MS Office. Some LIPs are free; some
"Language Packs" (such as the CJK ones) are sold separately and may include
spelling and grammar checking tools. (Recent application software from some
companies may support two or more popular languages).
(3) Microsoft now also offers
Language Interface Packs (LIPs) that allow users to view Windows menus,
dialog boxes, and other user interface items in their preferred language.
These are free; most are for English Windows (XP and later)—however,
Chinese, Japanese, and Korean LIP downloads require Windows 7 Ultimate or
Enterprise. These LIPs include IMEs where applicable.
Platform support
Windows NT included support for
several different platforms before the x86-based personal computer became
dominant in the professional world. Windows NT 4.0 and its predecessors
supported PowerPC, DEC Alpha and MIPS R4000. (Although some these platforms
implement 64-bit computing, the operating system treated them as 32-bit.)
However, Windows 2000, the successor of Windows NT 4.0, dropped support for
all platforms except the third generation x86 (known as IA-32) or newer in
32-bit mode. The client line of Window NT family still runs on IA-32,
although the Windows Server line has ceased supporting this platform with
the release of Windows Server 2008 R2.
With the introduction of the Intel
Itanium architecture (IA-64), Microsoft released new versions of Windows to
support it. Itanium versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 were
released at the same time as their mainstream x86 counterparts. Windows XP
64-Bit Edition, released in 2005, is the last Windows client operating
systems to support Itanium. Windows Server line continued to support this
platform until Windows Server 2012; Windows Server 2008 R2 is the last
Windows operating system to support Itanium architecture.
On April 25, 2005, Microsoft
released Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and Windows Server 2003 x64
Editions to support the x86-64 (or simply x64), the eighth generation of x86
architecture. Windows Vista was the first client version of Windows NT to be
released simultaneously in IA-32 and x64 editions. x64 is still supported.
An edition of Windows 8 known as
Windows RT was specifically created for computers with ARM architecture.
Windows CE
Windows CE (officially known as Windows Embedded Compact), is an edition of Windows that runs on
minimalistic computers, like satellite navigation systems and some mobile
phones. Windows Embedded Compact is based on its own dedicated kernel,
dubbed Windows CE kernel. Microsoft licenses Windows CE to OEMs and device
makers. The OEMs and device makers can modify and create their own user
interfaces and experiences, while Windows CE provides the technical
foundation to do so.
Windows CE was used in the
Dreamcast along with Sega's own proprietary OS for the console. Windows CE
was the core from which Windows Mobile was derived. Its successor, Windows
Phone 7, was based on components from both Windows CE 6.0 R3 and Windows CE
7.0. Windows Phone 8 however, is based on the same NT-kernel as Windows 8.
Windows Embedded Compact is not to
be confused with Windows XP Embedded or Windows NT 4.0 Embedded, modular
editions of Windows based on Windows NT kernel. |