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Windows 1.0
Windows 1.0 is released. It was notable because it relied heavily on use of a mouse before the mouse was a common computer input device. -
Windows 2.0
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 was introduced in Windows 2. Microsoft Word and Excel also made their first appearances running on Windows 2. -
Windows 3.0
Windows 3 introduced the ability to run MS-DOS programs in windows. It also introduced Solitaire. -
Windows 3.11
Icons could be dragged and dropped for the first time. Windows 3.11 did not add any feature improvements over Windows 3.1; it only corrected problems. -
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. Windows 95 also introduced the task bar and focused on multitasking. Internet Explorer also made its debut on Windows 95 -
Windows 2000
Microsoft’s automatic updating played an important role in Windows 2000 and became the first Windows to support hibernation. -
Windows ME
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. -
Windows XP
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 -
Windows Vista
Vista included speech recognition, Windows DVD Maker and Photo Gallery, as well as being the first Windows to be distributed on DVD. -
Windows 7
It was faster, more stable and easier to use, becoming the operating system most users and business would upgrade to from Windows XP -
Windows 8
Windows 8 was faster than previous versions of Windows and included support for the new, much faster USB 3.0 devices. The Windows Store, which offers universal Windows apps that run in a full-screen mode only, was introduced. -
Windows 10
Some interesting features include the ability to switch between a keyboard and mouse mode and a tablet mode. Windows 10 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.
