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Windows 2
The big innovation for Windows 2 was that windows could overlap each other, and it also introduced the ability to minimize or maximize windows instead of Zooming. The control panel, where various system settings and configuration options were collected together in one place, was introduced in Windows 2 and survives to this day.Microsoft Word and Excel also made their first appearances running on Windows 2. -
Windows 1.0
Microsoft’s first true attempt at a graphical user interface in 16-bit. It relied heavily on use of a mouse before the mouse was a common computer input device. To help users become familiar with this odd input system, Microsoft included a game, Reversi relied on mouse control, not the keyboard, to get people used to moving the mouse around and clicking onscreen elements. -
Windows 3
The first Windows that required a hard drive. Windows 3 introduced the ability to run MS-DOS programs in windows, which brought multitasking to legacy programs, and supported 256 colors bringing a more modern, colorful look to the interface. It also introduced Solitaire. -
Windows 3.1
Introduced True Type fonts making Windows a viable publishing platform for the first time. Minesweeper also made its first appearance. Windows 3.1 required 1MB of RAM to run and allowed supported MS-DOS programs to be controlled with a mouse for the first time. Windows 3.1 was also the first Windows to be distributed on a CD-ROM, although once installed on a hard drive it only took up 10 to 15MB. -
Windows 95
It brought the first ever Start button and Start menu. It also introduced the concept of “plug and play” – connect a peripheral and the operating system finds the appropriate drivers for it and makes it work. That was the idea; it didn’t always work in practice. -
Windows NT workstation
Microsoft says that 32-bit applications run 20% faster on this system than on Windows 95. Since older 16-bit applications run in a separate address space, one can crash without crashing other applications or the operating system. Security and management features not available on Windows 95 are provided. The Workstation has the same desktop user interface as Windows 95. -
Windows 98
Windows 98 built on Windows 95 and brought with it IE 4, Outlook Express, Windows Address Book, Microsoft Chat and Net Show Player.introduced the back and forward navigation buttons and the address bar in Windows Explorer, among other things. One of the biggest changes was the introduction of the Windows Driver Model for computer components and accessories – one driver to support all future versions of Windows.USB support was much improved in Windows 98. -
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 was released in February 2000 and was based on Microsoft’s business-orientated system Windows NT and later became the basis for Windows XP. Microsoft’s automatic updating played an important role in Windows 2000 and became the first Windows to support hibernation. -
Windows ME
Windows Millennium Edition was the last Windows to be based on MS-DOS, and the last in the Windows 9x line. It introduced some important concepts to consumers, including more automated system recovery tools. Windows Media Player 7 and Windows Movie Maker all made their appearance for the first time. Autocomplete also appeared in Windows Explorer, but the operating system was notorious for being buggy, failing to install properly and being generally poor. -
Windows XP
The Start menu and task bar got a visual overhaul, bringing the familiar green Start button, blue task bar and vista wallpaper, along with various shadow and other visual effects. ClearType, which was designed to make text easier to read on LCD screens, was introduced, as were built-in CD burning, auto-play from CDs and other media, plus various automated update and recovery tools, that unlike Windows ME actually worked. Longest running Microsoft operating system. -
Windows Vista
Vista updated the look and feel of Windows with more focus on transparent elements, search and security. Its development, under the codename “Longhorn”, was troubled, with ambitious elements abandoned in order to get it into production. Windows Media Player 11 and IE 7 debuted, along with Windows Defender an anti-spyware programme. Vista also included speech recognition, Windows DVD Maker and Photo Gallery, as well as being the first Windows to be distributed on DVD. -
Windows 7
Windows Media Player 11 and IE 7 debuted, along with Windows Defender an anti-spyware program. Vista also included speech recognition, Windows DVD Maker and Photo Gallery, as well as being the first Windows to be distributed on DVD. Later a version of Windows Vista without Windows Media Player was created in response to anti-trust investigations. -
Windows 8
Microsoft’s most radical overhaul of the Windows interface, ditching the Start button and Start menu in favor of a more touch-friendly Start screen. The new tiled interface saw program icons and live tiles, which displayed at-a-glance information normally associated with “widgets”, replace the lists of programs and icons. A desktop was still included, which resembled Windows 7. Windows 8 was faster than previous versions of Windows and included support for the new, much faster USB 3.0 devices. -
Windows 8.1
Windows 8.1 marked a shift towards yearly software updates from Microsoft and included the first step in Microsoft’s U-turn around its new visual interface. Windows 8.1 re-introduced the Start button, which brought up the Start screen from the desktop view of Windows 8.1. Users could also choose to boot directly into the desktop of Windows 8.1, which was more suitable for those using a desktop computer with a mouse and keyboard than the touch-focused Start screen. -
Windows 10
Some interesting features include the ability to switch between a keyboard and mouse mode and a tablet mode, for those computers like the Surface Pro 3 with a detachable keyboard. Windows 10 – despite being the ninth version of Windows – is designed to unify all Windows platforms across multiple devices, including Windows Phone and tablets, with universal apps that can be downloaded from the Windows Store and run on all Windows devices.
