On November 20th, 1985, a then not-so-big company called Microsoft announced that Windows was commercially available. Read the full story of the Microsoft operating system below.
Windows 1 to 11: The history of Windows, blue screens, and Easter eggs
We’re taking a look back at the history of the most widely used operating system. Why? Because Windows is full of surprises. When Bill Gates demonstrated the beta version of Windows 98, he ran into a blue screen. Windows 10 users fared only slightly better in fall 2018 with the Windows Fall Creators Update version 1809. It’s been a journey, to say the least.
I present to you a floppy disc containing the VERY FIRST demo of what would become @Microsoft @Windows! It was coded by the little-known father of Windows, Rao Remala. I will have much more to share on this, but for now, I thought you might like to see this historical treasure! pic.twitter.com/lyWKFMYn2M-BetaCollector (@beta_collector) March 9, 2022
Timeline, curious: Microsoft forgets Windows Me in its own compilation.©Microsoft
Windows 1.0: DOS gets a graphical add-on
On November 21st, 1985, Microsoft officially presented Windows 1.0 (which also contained an Easter egg that named the developers and employees of the Windows team). One day earlier, on November 20th, 1985, Microsoft had announced the delivery of the retail version: “BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON—November 20, 1985—Microsoft Corporation announced today the retail shipment of the Microsoft Windows operating environment to dealers and distributors.”
The Windows 1.0 desktop. On 20 November 1985, more than 35 years ago, Microsoft introduced the first graphical user interface for its MS-DOS environment under the name Microsoft Windows 1.0.©Microsoft
This is how Windows 1 looked on the shelf in 1985©Microsoft
Until then, MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) had been Microsoft’s operating system for IBM PCs. Windows 1.0 required a graphics card and 256KB of memory, the equivalent of 66 typewritten pages. For comparison, Windows 10 required a good 8GB of space on the hard drive. And by the way, Microsoft Word had already been around for a while by this time!
Which version of @Windows is the first to include Easter eggs? Windows 3.0? Nope. What if I tell you there is an Easter egg in Windows 1.0 RTM? This is what I have recently discovered: pic.twitter.com/dbfcv4r7jj-Lucas Brooks (@mswin_bat) March 18, 2022
Images from Microsoft show the beginnings of more than just Windows
The trigger
This is where it all begins: Microsoft’s co-founder Paul Allen discovers the Altair 8800 on the cover of “Popular Science” magazine in January 1975. The device is minimally equipped and has 256 bytes of RAM. Gates and Allen then worked day and night and developed the computer language “Altair BASIC” in just a few weeks.©Poptronix
Nerds as they are written in the book
in 1978, shortly before the company moved to Albuquerque, one of the most famous photos of the Microsoft team was taken. The colourful bunch of long-bearded nerds hardly gives any indication that the team is about to establish a company worth billions.©Microsoft
Microsoft Word for DOS
the first version of Microsoft Word was released in 1983, back then for the MS-DOS 1.0 operating system. The programme made use of the computer mouse for the first time. The peripheral device, which was not very ergonomic at the time, also came from Microsoft – it was the company’s first hardware product.©Microsoft
The most important product
in 1985, Windows 1.0 is released. Developed under the code name “Interface Manager”, the operating system offers a graphical user interface, unlike MS-DOS, and allows various applications to be run simultaneously. The Windows series is still one of the most important sales centres for Microsoft today.©Microsoft
The new headquarters: Microsoft Campus
in 1986, the rapidly growing company moves to a new headquarters in Redmond, Washington State. The picture shows the Microsoft campus after numerous extensions and expansions. Today, over 30,000 employees work on the 750,000 square metre site.©Microsoft
Separate operating system for IBM
Microsoft develops the OS/2 operating system for IBM, which is released almost simultaneously with Windows 2.0. Although the operating systems compete with each other, Microsoft earns money from both products. microsoft ended its co-operation with IBM in 1991, but despite further development, OS/2 was ultimately unable to prevail against Windows.©IBM
Clever acquisition
In 1987, Microsoft bought the company Forethought, which had developed promising presentation software. A short time later, this would become Microsoft PowerPoint. The software is still a key component of the Office package today.©Microsoft
Office 1.0 goes on sale
Microsoft Office version 1.0 is launched on the market in 1989. The software bundle includes Word 4.0, Excel 2.2, PowerPoint 2.01 and Microsoft Mail 1.37. To this day, Microsoft Office is one of the most successful and best-selling products from the Redmond-based corporation.©Microsoft
Bill Gates presents Windows 3.0
Bill Gates, who still lives up to the image of a nerd, presents Windows 3.0. The operating system is launched on the market in 1990, sells very well and now also conquers domestic computers. It contains games such as Minesweeper, Solitaire and Hearts for the first time.©Microsoft
Microsoft Encarta
The first version of Microsoft Encarta is launched in 1993. The encyclopaedia, initially developed under the code name “Gandalf”, was published in a new version every year. The picture shows the 1998 edition, which also supported updates via the Internet. microsoft discontinued all Encarta offerings in 2009.©Microsoft
More power, more freedom, more fun…More power, more freedom, more fun…
… the release of the operating system was accompanied by the biggest advertising campaign that Microsoft had ever launched up to that point. It was a great success, with Windows 95 selling more than seven million copies in the first few weeks. This is also because Microsoft has recognised the signs of the times: Internet support and plug-and-play functions are included for the first time.©Microsoft
Microsoft buys FrontPage with development studio
in 1996, Microsoft bought the company Vermeer Technologies together with its HTML editor FrontPage 1.0 for 133 million dollars. A short time later, the programme was distributed by Microsoft in version 1.1 and was consistently developed further in the following years and added to the Office suite. Since the release of Office 2007, FrontPage is no longer part of the package and has been replaced by Microsoft Expression Web.©Microsoft
The strategic purchases continue
in 1997, Microsoft paid 400 million dollars for the Hotmail e-mail service; at the time of the takeover, the webmail provider already had twelve million users. After the takeover, the service was repeatedly the victim of hacker attacks due to numerous security vulnerabilities. Hotmail was completely replaced by Outlook.com in mid-2012.©Microsoft
Flagship for the browser war
microsoft starts the browser war in 1995. Internet Explorer was to take market share away from the previously successful Netscape Navigator. The strategy worked, partly because Microsoft was able to spread its own browser quickly by linking it to Windows. Netscape loses out and is swallowed up by AOL in 1998. Internet Explorer is therefore mockingly dubbed the “Internet Destroyer”. The picture shows version 10.©Microsoft
Another acquisition
In 2000, Microsoft bought the Visio Corporation and the software of the same name for 1.3 billion dollars. The visualisation program can be used to create graphical representations using simple tools and templates. Visio is one of a long series of software acquisitions with which Microsoft earns a lot of money. The programme is not part of the Office package and must be purchased separately.©Microsoft
Steve Ballmer becomes the new Microsoft boss
Also in 2000, Bill Gates appoints Steve Ballmer (pictured right), who has been President of the company since 1998, as the new CEO. The hot-tempered Ballmer repeatedly attracted attention with his eccentric appearances, earning him the nickname “Monkey Boy”.©Microsoft
Proud of the new operating system
in 2001, Bill Gates can hardly wait for the release of the new Windows XP, which goes on sale at the end of the year. Microsoft now undeniably dominates the market for home computer operating systems. Windows XP, like other versions before it, is criticised because it again contains program types that cannot be uninstalled and were previously distributed by other providers.©Microsoft
Windows Vista
Windows Vista hits the shops in 2007. With the new Aero user interface, a new search function, the Flip 3D view and, for the first time, control functions for parents, Vista brings many new features. In 2006, the European Union threatened to force Microsoft to stop selling the operating system if EU requirements (such as the disclosure of communication interfaces) were not finally implemented.©Microsoft
Windows 7 enters the race quickly
Windows 7 is coming onto the market just two years after Vista. On board are new options for working with windows, such as docking or peek and shake, as well as an improved user interface and taskbar. With Windows Touch, touchscreen PCs are also supported for the first time.©Microsoft
Courage for the new user interface
In the competition with Apple and Google for share of the mobile market, Microsoft is focussing on the new “Metro” user interface. The typography-based “tile design” is intended to satisfy PC, smartphone and tablet users alike. The reception is mixed. Microsoft later renamed the design “Modern UI”.©Microsoft
Microsoft prevails
Bill Gates, who still lives up to the image of a nerd, introduces Windows 3.0. The operating system is launched in 1990, sells very well and now also conquers domestic computers. It contains games such as Minesweeper, Solitaire and Hearts for the first time.©Skype
The first tablet from Microsoft
2012 sees the launch of the “Surface”, Microsoft’s first tablet. The device, which was manufactured entirely in-house, received mixed reviews with its powerful computing power, high-quality workmanship, but also high weight and short battery life. The third generation of the tablet is now available.©Microsoft
The new Windows 8
in 2012, Julie Larson-Green, a Vice President at Microsoft, presents the new Windows 8. It contains both the Windows 8 Modern UI (formerly “Metro”) for touchscreen PCs and a classic desktop view. With the Windows RT operating system for tablets and Windows Phone 8 for smartphones, Microsoft is thus offering a standardised design for all devices.©Microsoft
The evolution of Microsoft logos
The logo of the software pioneer from Redmond has changed several times in the company’s almost 40-year history. After 25 years with the same logo, a symbol in a tile design was added for the first time in 2012. It underlines the company’s efforts to standardise its products.©Microsoft
Third generation of the games console
The Xbox One, the third generation of Microsoft’s successful games console, goes on sale in 2013. The device competes with Sony’s high-performance Playstation 4 console, and the “Kinect” add-on module allows players to control the console using body movements or voice commands. Three million Xbox One units will be sold worldwide by the end of 2013.©Microsoft
Net profits since 2002
In the last calendar year alone, Microsoft generated a net profit of 21.86 billion dollars. A look at the past few years reveals fluctuations and shows the company’s difficulties in gaining a foothold in the mobile market.©en.statista.com
This man should fix it
Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer’s successor as head of Microsoft since this year, has to make up for the botched entry into the mobile device market. With personnel changes and a new motto focussing more on cloud services and mobile technologies, he wants to make Microsoft a pioneer in the IT industry again.©Microsoft
Windows was initially only intended to make DOS easier to use
The first Windows was sold as a graphical add-on for the MS-DOS operating system. The aim of the still-young company Microsoft with its boss and founder Bill Gates was to make DOS PCs easier to use: users no longer had to type in command-line commands to get things done.
The “Interface Manager”—as Windows was originally called—brought a small word processor, a drawing program, a card index box, a calendar, a clock, and some service programs in addition to file management.
The Windows 2.0 desktop©Microsoft
Windows 2.0 arrives in 1987
On December 9th, 1987, Microsoft released Windows 2.0 with desktop icons and expansion memory. Thanks to improved graphics support, users could now arrange windows to overlap, control the screen layout, and use keyboard shortcuts to get their work done faster. Windows 2.0 was developed for the Intel 286 processor.
Bill Gates presents the newly released Windows 3.0©Microsoft
Windows 3.0/3.1: A legendary operating system with 16 colors
Windows 3.0©Microsoft
Windows 3.0 was launched on May 22nd, 1990 together with Microsoft Solitaire. Windows 3.1 followed in 1992. Windows 3.1 computers are still in operation at Paris Orly Airport today. Microsoft announced that a total of 10 million copies of both systems were sold in the first two years.
Windows 3.1: Before Windows Explorer, there was the Programme Manager, in which applications could be grouped and collected in every conceivable way.©Microsoft
Windows 3.x offered better performance, extended graphics options with 16 colors, and visually improved icons. Users enjoyed a modern interface with 3D-looking icons and new programs. The cult games Solitaire, Hearts, and Minesweeper, which are still popular today, now also made Windows a favorite at home. From a technical point of view, however, Windows was still an add-on for DOS.
Spent the entire day today reverse engineering early Windows binaries to hunt for Easter eggs. Here is a list of the Easter eggs in various builds of Windows 1.0 – 3.0 and the keystrokes required to trigger them. https://t.co/ecqLN1NoDg. Try them yourself! pic.twitter.com/lr5Cfd5XLu-Lucas Brooks (@mswin_bat) March 19, 2022
Windows 95: Bringing the PC into the living room©Microsoft
Windows 95: Bringing the PC into the living room
Windows 95©Microsoft
When Windows 95 was officially launched at a major event in Redmond in the summer of 1995, the world’s press was there. The launch was accompanied by the Rolling Stones hit “Start Me Up,” the most important topic at the time was the internet, and the most urgent task that an operating system had to fulfill was communication: “More than half of all new features in Windows 95 revolve around communication, for example electronic messaging (electronic mail), Internet access, and the ability to dial into your system decentrally,” said Bill Gates at CeBIT 1995.
Bill Gates presents Windows 95microsoft
Windows 95 allowed several programs to run simultaneously. Internet Explorer for surfing the web also appeared during the lifetime of Windows 95. In addition, longer file names were possible and 32-bit became available. Settings were no longer set via INI files but in the Registry. Windows 95 introduced the Start menu, the taskbar, and buttons for “minimize”, “maximize,” and “close.” Also new were the Plug & Play functions, which simplified the installation of hardware and software. The 32-bit operating system also offered enhanced multimedia functions.
The following images show screenshots of early Windows versions
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
1985: Windows 1.01 With the very first version of Windows, Microsoft still had to be careful not to come into legal conflict with Apple’s MacOS. For example, a recycle bin icon was omitted and windows were not allowed to overlap. But the very first version of Windows also had a taskbar.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
1987: Windows 2.0 With Windows 2.0, Microsoft slightly improved the graphics and, for the first time, windows could overlap. The taskbar from Windows 1.0 was removed again. A number of useful helpers were included for the first time. These included a clock, Paint and Terminal and the file manager, which was still called MS-DOS Executive. Shortly after the release of Windows 2.0, Microsoft also brought out Word and Excel for Windows.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
1990: Windows 3.0 Windows 3.0 included Solitaire, which is still popular today, for the first time. It also included the Program Manager, support for VGA and virtual memory. Visually, Windows 3.0 came in a 3D look. More and more software and hardware manufacturers began to support Windows from Windows 3.0 onwards.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
1992: Windows 3.1 Windows 3.1 was significantly improved compared to its predecessor Windows 3.1. For example, scalable fonts with TrueType fonts were included for the first time. Drag-and-drop functionality and multimedia support have also been improved and OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) has been integrated. And – oh yes: Minesweeper celebrated its premiere.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
1992: Windows for Workgroups 3.1 This version of Windows was based on Windows 3.1 and added native network support, particularly for LAN networks. Various network tools were also added.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
1993: Windows NT 3.1 The work that had previously been done for OS/2 was channelled into Windows NT. It was a completely new 32-bit operating system. All previous versions of Windows had been graphical user interfaces for MS-DOS. Windows NT 3.1 was aimed at workstations and servers. Although Windows NT 3.1 resembled Windows 3.1 in appearance, it was ultimately a completely new operating system.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
1995: Windows 95 For end users, Microsoft continued to rely on a DOS-based operating system and developed Windows 3.1 into Windows 95. For the first time, no separate DOS installation was necessary. The new taskbar and the Start menu celebrated their première. Many other improvements were also made. Windows 95 was a success and heralded the triumph of the Windows platform.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
1996: Windows NT 4.0 With Windows NT 4.0, the stable server Windows was given the interface of the consumer Windows 95. The very stable Windows kernel was further improved. The NT operating system became a success with Microsoft’s corporate customers.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
1996: Windows CE 1.0 Windows CE 1.0 was the first version of Windows for small devices. It was an operating system that was completely independent of other Windows versions that had previously been released and was used for handheld devices in the mid to late 1990s. Windows CE 1.0 ultimately formed the basis for the later Windows Mobile.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
1998: Windows 98 With Windows 98, the Internet Explorer browser became part of the operating system for the first time, along with support for USB and the quick launch bar.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
2000: Windows 2000 The NT Windows family was further developed in 2000 with Windows 2000. Web support from Windows 98 was now added to the server operating system as standard. It was also a relatively secure operating system that Microsoft developed for servers and workstations. Nevertheless, Windows 2000 was also often used on desktop PCs. An important new feature of Windows 2000 was that the reboots that were previously often necessary after installing new software or changing system settings were a thing of the past.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
2000: Windows ME Windows users from the early days still remember Windows 2000, which was released in 2000, with nostalgia, but Windows ME, which was released in the same year, still inflames people today. Windows ME aimed to increase multimedia support and user-friendliness. However, the operating system was also very unstable and slow.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
2001: Windows XP With Windows XP, Microsoft combined the stable NT family with the 9x family for end users for the first time. The result was the most successful operating system to date – and Windows XP still has a large following today. A great achievement for software that has been around for over 10 years. There was also criticism when Windows XP was released. For example, the new, colourful Luna interface.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
2003: Windows Server 2003 The NT family was continued in 2003 with Windows Server 2003, which offered improvements to the interface that Microsoft had already introduced two years earlier with Windows XP.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
2007: Windows Vista In 2007, the visually sophisticated interface of MacOS X stole the show from the ageing Windows XP. Microsoft’s answer to this was Windows Vista, which introduced the Aero interface, gadgets, a new Start menu and more stylish icons. There were also many improvements under the bonnet. However, Windows Vista failed to win over the masses. However, Windows Vista laid an important foundation for the next version of the Windows operating system for desktop PCs: Windows 7.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
2008: Windows Server 2008 Windows Server 2008 was primarily the server version of Windows Vista. However, the Aero interface was omitted.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
2009: Windows 7 Criticism of Windows Vista prompted Microsoft to quickly start work on a successor that would address all the criticisms levelled at Windows Vista. The result was Windows 7, which has now been well received by the masses and is becoming increasingly popular.©2014
Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows
2012: Windows 8Windows8 was released as the successor to Windows 7 on 26 October 2012. With Windows 8, Microsoft built on its highly successful predecessor and increased stability, security and speed. Microsoft developed the new tile interface for use on touch devices. Two major updates followed with Windows 8.1 on 18 October and Windows 8.1 Update 1. With these, Microsoft significantly improved the operation of the operating system, among other things.©2014
Windows 10
2015: Windows 10 Windows 10 took over the legacy of Windows 8 in 2015. Microsoft justified the version number jump by saying that Windows 10 was not just a successor, but heralded a new era for Windows.Windows 95 becomes a success despite its many crashes
Even though Windows 95 was a standalone operating system, it still required some DOS technologies. And Windows 95 was by no means stable—crashes are simply part and parcel for Windows users. However, this did not detract from its sales success, as Microsoft sold around 40 million copies in its first year.
The Windows 98 desktop©Microsoft
Windows 98: Windows in the age of the first internet cafés
Three years after Windows 95, on June 25th, 1998, Microsoft launched Windows 98 (codename Memphis). It was the successor to Windows 95 and had Internet Explorer integrated into the operating system for excursions into the still relatively new World Wide Web. A browser war promptly broke out between Internet Explorer and the then-widely-used Netscape Navigator, which is now defunct.
Windows 98©Microsoft
Fun fact: When Bill Gates presented a beta version of Windows 98 at the US computer trade fair Comdex on April 20th, 1998, he actually looked at a blue screen. This sight was later shared by many millions of users, as Windows 98 remained susceptible to crashes but always recovered. The blue screen and the associated computer restart were commonplace for Windows 98 users. The Windows 98 SE upgrade, which appeared a year later, did nothing to change this.
Windows 98 not only offered simplified access to the internet, but also supported reading and writing DVDs and automatic hardware recognition of many USB devices for the first time. A new feature was the quick launch bar (“taskbar”), which allowed Windows programs to be launched more quickly than via the Start menu. Windows 98 also had native support for USB and FAT32.
The breakthrough on the market came with Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), which was the first time Microsoft used the CD-ROM and said goodbye to floppy disks as an installation medium. However, users still needed a boot disc with CD-ROM drivers because the Windows 98 retail CDs themselves were not bootable—and blue screens were still part of everyday life for Windows users. Windows 98 was the last version of the operating system based on MS-DOS.
Windows 2000: Standardization of Windows for businesses
Back in 1993, Microsoft launched Windows NT, an operating system designed to meet the requirements of companies for business computers. The Windows 2000 Professional operating system offered companies a standardized IT platform. Based on the code of Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000 offered greater reliability and improved usability. Microsoft also simplified hardware installation with broad support for USB devices and new network and wireless products.
Windows 2000©Microsoft
Windows Me: Who asked for this?
Windows Me, which was released in 2000, was the first to introduce system recovery, a feature where the configuration of PC software could be reset to a point in time before problems occurred. Movie Maker provided users with tools for digitally editing, saving, and sharing home videos. And with the help of Microsoft Windows Media Player 7 technologies, digital media could be searched, organized, and played back. However, users weren’t very enthusiastic about Windows Me.
Technically speaking, Windows Me was the last Microsoft operating system based on the Windows 95 code base. Microsoft announced at the time that all future operating system products would be based on the Windows NT and Windows 2000 kernel.
The Windows XP Home Edition desktop©Microsoft
Windows XP: Still fondly remembered
Windows XP was launched on October 25th, 2001 with a common code base shared between Windows for end users and Windows for servers and businesses (formerly Windows NT). With XP, Windows became significantly more crash-proof and blue screens less common.
For Microsoft, Windows XP became the best-selling Windows of all time in the following years, with millions and millions of users loving it. Many users found the navigation in the Start menu, the taskbar, and the Control Panel intuitive—and many years later still didn’t want to give up their Windows XP for later versions like Windows 8.
Windows XP: XP wallpaper “Bliss”©Microsoft
Microsoft also provided regular security updates online and launched the Trustworthy Computing initiative in 2002. With Windows XP, Microsoft increasingly integrated digital entertainment media in 2001. Later versions of Windows XP, such as the Media Center Edition, could even be controlled using a remote control.
Windows XP©Microsoft
Windows XP was available in two versions: Home and Professional. Windows XP Home came with Network Installation Wizard, Windows Media Player, Windows Movie Maker, and advanced features for digital photos. Windows XP Professional contained additional features especially for use in companies. Windows XP consisteds of 45 million lines of code.
Even 20 years after its launch, a small number of computers still run Windows XP. However, as they no longer receive security updates, they pose a huge security risk as soon as they’re connected to the internet.
The Windows Vista desktop©Microsoft
Windows Vista: A huge flop with users
In January 2007, Microsoft revealed the secret behind the new operating system codenamed “Longhorn”: Windows Vista with its new Aero design. Microsoft redesigned the Start menu and taskbar, while User Account Control ensured that potential malware didn’t harm the PC. But user enthusiasm was limited with Vista, as it was with Windows Me.
Windows Vista©Microsoft
The Windows 7 desktop©Microsoft
Windows 7: The first step on the way to the cloud
Windows 7 was released in 2009, together with Windows Live Services and the “online hard drive” SkyDrive (which would later be known as OneDrive when Microsoft had to change the name of its online storage due to legal problems). Windows 7 was such a huge success that nobody wanted to move on to its successor, Windows 8.
Windows 7microsoft
Windows 8 – now with apps and tiles©Microsoft
Windows 8: Optimized for mobile use
In 2012, Microsoft brought tiles out of the bathroom and onto the Windows desktop—with Windows 8 and apps in tile form. Windows could now be operated via touch input. The Windows Store was also integrated, allowing apps to be downloaded.
Windows 8©Microsoft
Microsoft wanted to bring together desktop PCs, laptops, and tablets (where Windows didn’t play a major role). However, users gave Windows 8 the cold shoulder. With the subsequent release of Windows 8.1, which went on sale on October 17th, 2013, Microsoft tried to correct the worst flaws of Windows 8 and also bring back the Start button. The desktop could now also be used again as standard. Microsoft discontinued support for Windows 8.1 on January 10th, 2023.
Windows 10: A new attempt at success
On July 29th, 2015, Microsoft released a new generation of its operating system: Windows 10. It offered a uniform software platform for all devices and took into account the specific characteristics of tablets, laptops, phones, and the Xbox through to the Internet of Things and the development of holograms. Developers now just needed to create one app for Windows 10—known as a Universal App—to use on all Windows devices, which could be made available via the Windows Store. Microsoft also released its digital assistant Cortana and the Edge browser, plus the Start menu was also back with Windows 10.
Windows 10©Microsoft
Windows 10 was made available as a free upgrade for qualified Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices in 190 countries worldwide. Windows 10 users received the first major update automatically and free of charge on their PCs and tablets as part of Windows-as-a-Service. Microsoft followed this up with the Anniversary Update for Windows 10 in August 2016, which was followed by two further updates per year.
Major feature updates for Windows 10 were released regularly in spring and fall. The most notorious of these was the Fall Creators Update version 1809 from 2018, which turned into a tour of bankruptcies and mishaps, leading Microsoft to finally end the update.
Windows 11: How the story continues
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.
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