The first independent version of the Microsoft Windows version 1.0 released on 20 November 1985 was aWindows graphical user interface (GUI) for its own operating system (MS-DOS), which had shipped for IBM PC and compatible computers since 1981.
The foundation for the world’s software giant rather had a humble beginning. Paul Allen and Bill Gates, as computer enthusiasts were immediately drawn to implementation of the programming language BASICS for the microcomputers, after coming across the January 1, 1975 issue of the Popular Electronics which demonstrated the Altair 8800 a microcomputer. Gates called the creator of the new microcomputer, MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems) offering a demonstration of their interpreter for Altair, in order to win the contract.
Allen and Gates had neither an interpreter nor an Altair system, yet in the eight weeks before the demo they developed an interpreter. When Allen flew to Albuquerque, New Mexico to meet with MITS, the interpreter worked and MITS agreed to distribute Altair BASIC.
After this success, Allen and Gates co-founded Microsoft. Gross income of the young company was $1 million in 1975. Allen named the company Micro-Soft which stood for microcomputer and software, and later when company went international, Gates took off the ‘hyphen’ and the company then became“Microsoft”.
Windows 1.0 was not a complete operating system, but rather an “operating environment” that extended MS-DOS, and shared the latter’s inherent flaws and problems, and was not a big hit.
This version included simple programs like, graphics painter like Windows Paint; Windows Write, a simple word processor; an appointment “calendar”; a “card-filer”; a “notepad”; a “clock”; a “control panel”; a “computer terminal”; “Clipboard”; and RAM driver. It also included the MS-DOS Executive and a game called Reversi.
Windows evolved over the period, the latest Windows 8 is the master in user interface and cloud connection. Resplendent with app tiles, and robust with OS, is a sure treat for people who like the beauty in sync with computational power.
Here are the 27 amazing facts compiled by Forbes on the occasion of celebrating 27thWindows birthday.
1. More than 70.39% of Internet users around the world are currently running Windows, and there are 1,693,244,385 users.
1975–1981: Microsoft boots up
2. Bill Gates started Microsoft with Paul Allen in Gates’ 500-square-foot garage in 1975 with a huge vision—a computer on every desktop and in every home.
3. Microsoft currently employs 88,180 people who work across 32,404,796 square feet of Microsoft’s premises.
1982–1985: Windows 1.0
4. Microsoft shipped out the first copy of Windows 1.0 on November 20, 1985. Its TV commercial featured current CEO Steve Ballmer as an enthusiastic salesman.
5. Windows 1.0 only required a minimum of 256 kilobytes (KB), two double-sided floppy disk drives, and a graphics adapter card.
1987–1992: Windows 2.0–2.11
6. Control Panel made its first appearance in Windows 2.0.
1990–1994: Windows 3.0–Windows NT
7. Windows 3.0 had significantly better performance, including advanced graphics with 16 colors (16,777,216 colors in most screens today).
8. Windows NT was originally called “Portable Systems.”
1995–2001: Windows 95—the PC comes of age
9. Microsoft paid Brian Eno $35,000 to compose 3.25 seconds of music for the Windows 95 startup sound.
10. Windows 95 featured the first appearance of the Start menu, taskbar, and minimize, maximize, and close buttons on each window.
11. Windows 95, with built-in Internet support and dial-up networking, marked the coming of the Internet Age.
1998–2000: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me
12. Windows 98 was the first Windows system that supported DVD discs and universal serial bus (USB) devices.
13. Windows 98 was the last version based on MS DOS.
2001–2005: Windows XP
14. Between the original launch of Windows and the release of Windows XP, about one billion PCs were shipped worldwide.
15. Windows XP was compiled from 45 million lines of code.
2006–2008: Windows Vista
16. More than 1.5 million devices were compatible with Windows Vista at launch.
17. Vista had the longest startup/logon music ever.
2009–2012: Windows 7
18. Windows 7 was evaluated by 8 million beta testers worldwide before its release.
19. Windows sold 240 million in 2010 which means that Microsoft sold 657,534 Windows 7 copies per day, 27,397 copies per hour, and 7.6 copies each second.
20. 93% of all new computers from OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) ship with Windows 7 preinstalled.
21. The Windows 7 Start Menu was opened a total of 14,139,925,439 times in October of 2010
22. Windows 7 has largest users share among all other OS – 41.35%.
2012: Window 8
23. The consumer preview of Windows 8 was downloaded one million times in a single day.
24. Citizens from 70 different countries completed the download soon after the launch.
25. Windows 8 is available in 109 different languages.
26. Windows 8 works with files of up to 16 exbibytes, which equates to 687 million Blu-Rays.
27. Estimates suggest roughly 4.5 billion people will use Windows 8 in the future.
Source::::silicon india net…
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