Annex: History of Microsoft Windows

In 1983 he began development of Windows, a graphical user interface (GUI) for his own operating system (MS-DOS) that he had shipped for the IBM PC and compatible computers since 1981. The product line has changed from a GUI product to a modern operating system in two design families, each with its own code base and default file system.

From the story: an MS-DOS expansion

In 1985, Microsoft Brain released the first version of Windows, a graphical user interface (GUI) for its own operating system (MS-DOS) that had been included in and compatible with the IBM PC since 1981.

The first version of Windows released on November 20, 1985 was never fully powerful, nor did it catch on. It was severely limited due to Apple's legal recourse, which did not allow imitations of its user interfaces. For example, there windows could only be tiled on the screen and could never overlap or hide each other. There was no recycle bin there either because Apple thought it had the patent for this paradigm or concept. Both limitations were removed when Apple's appeal was rejected in court. Windows 1.0 included a simple graphics painting program called Windows Paint, Windows Write a simple word processor, an appointment calendar, a card file, a notepad, a clock, a control panel, a computer terminal, clipboard and a RAM controller. It also included MS-DOS Executive and a game called Reversi. However, they were considered as "toy" with little appeal to all professional users and engineers.

Windows 2.0 was released in December 1987 and was somewhat more popular than the initial version. Much of this popularity has been met by the inclusion in the form of run-time versions of new Microsoft graphical applications such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word for Windows. Also, it got a big boost when Aldus PageMaker appeared in a version of Windows, which previously only ran on Macintosh. Unlike its predecessor, Windows 2.0 for the first time allowed application windows to overlap each other and introduced VGA graphics support, albeit only at 16 colors.

Versions 2.0x used the real-mode memory model, which limited you to a maximum of 1 megabyte of memory. In such a configuration, it could be run in another multitasker such as DESQview, which used 286 protected mode. These could be loaded from MS-DOS, running Windows at the same time as the program, and closing it when exiting them. There Windows still used Intel's 8088 microprocessor, so it was limited to 1 megabyte of RAM; however, many people managed to get it to work under multitasking systems like DesqView..

Windows 3.0

The first definitively popular version of Windows was Windows 3.0, released in May 1990. It benefited from the improved graphics capabilities for PCs of this era, and also from the 80386 microprocessor, this would allow it to run older MS-DOS-based applications in multitasking mode, thanks to the introduction of virtual memory.

The Windows 3.0 user interface finally looked like a serious competitor to the Macintosh computer user interface. PCs had improved graphics at this time, due to VGA video cards and protected/enhanced mode allowed Windows applications to use more memory in a more straightforward manner than their DOS counterparts. Windows 3.0 can run in true, standard, or 386 enhanced modes, and is compatible with any Intel processor from the 8086/8088 through the 80286 and 80386. This was the first version to run Windows programs in protected mode.

Windows 3.0 received two updates: A few months after the introduction, Windows 3.0a was released as a maintenance release, fixing bugs and improving stability. A multimedia version, Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions 1.0, was released in October 1991. It was bundled with "upgrade kits", comprising a CD-ROM drive and sound card, such as Sound Blaster Pro. This version was the forerunner of the multimedia features available in Windows 3.1 and later.

Windows 3.1 and NT

In response to the release of the OS/2 2.0 operating system by IBM, Microsoft developed Windows 3.1, which included several minor enhancements to Windows 3.0 (such as scalable TrueType fonts), but mainly consisted of multimedia support. Later, Microsoft released Windows 3.11, known as Windows for Workgroups, which included improved drivers and protocols for network communications and support for peer-to-peer networks.

For its part, Microsoft continued to develop Windows NT. To do this, they recruited Dave Cutler, one of the chief VMS analysts at DEC (now part of Compaq, bought by HP in 2005) to make NT more competitive.

Cutler had been developing a successor to VMS at DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) called Mica, and when DEC abandoned the project it took its expertise and some engineers to Microsoft. DEC also thought they took the Mica code to Microsoft and sued. Microsoft eventually paid $150 million and agreed to support DEC's Alpha microprocessor in Windows NT.

As a completely new operating system, Windows NT suffered from compatibility issues with existing hardware and software. It also required a lot of resources, most of which were only available on large and expensive computers, so many users were unable to upgrade to Windows NT as a result. The NT graphical interface was still based on that of Windows 3.1 which was inferior to that of OS/2.

Windows NT 3.1

Windows NT 3.1, named to make it look like a continuation of Windows 3.1, was introduced in beta to developers at the July 1992 Professional Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, United States. Microsoft announced at the conference its intention to develop a successor to Windows NT and its operating system codenamed Chicago (which had not yet been released). This successor was to unify both into one and its code name was Cairo.

Older versions of Windows NT were distributed on floppy disks and required a lot of hardware resources (in addition to supporting relatively little hardware), so they didn't become very widespread until Windows NT 4.0 and especially Windows 2000. For the first time once supported the NTFS file system or files.

Windows NT 3.5/3.51

The graphical interface of these operating systems was the same as its predecessors, Windows NT 3.1 and Windows 3.1, with the Program Manager. On the other hand, Microsoft distributed an add-on called NewShell, whose full name is Kernel Technology Preview Update, which was nothing more than a Beta version of the new graphical interface of Windows 95 and NT 4.0, with the start button and menu, but for Windows NT 3.5x. Its main function was for Windows users to evaluate the new graphical interface, which was to be introduced in Windows 95 and NT 4.0, but it gave Windows NT 3.5x the new graphical interface.... In addition Microsoft Released Microsoft Office Outlook and A new version of Word called WordPress.

OS/2

It is an IBM operating system that tried to succeed MS-DOS as the operating system for computers. It was developed jointly between Microsoft and IBM initially, until the former decided to go its own way with Windows 3.0 and IBM took charge of OS/2 alone.

OS/2.1

During the second half of the 1970s, IBM and Microsoft had been jointly developing OS/2 as a successor to DOS, to take full advantage of the capabilities of the Intel 80286 processor. OS/2 used Available Memory hardware addressing on the Intel 80286 to be able to use up to 16 megabytes of memory. Many of the DOS programs were limited to 640 KiB of memory by contrast. OS/2 1.x also had support for virtual memory and multitasking.

IBM later added, in version 1.1 of OS/2, a graphical system called Presentation Manager (PM). Although it was superior to Windows in many aspects, its API (Application Interface Program) was incompatible with the one used by the latter's programs. Among other things, Layout Manager placed the X,Y coordinate axis at the bottom left of the screen as the Cartesian coordinates, while Windows placed the 0,0 point at the top left corner of the screen. the screen like other window-based computer systems.

In the early 1990s, tensions amplified in the relationship between IBM and Microsoft. They cooperated with each other in the development of their operating systems for computers, and each had access to the other's code. Microsoft wanted to develop Windows further, while IBM wanted future work to be based on OS/2. In an attempt to resolve these differences, IBM and Microsoft agreed that IBM would develop OS/2 2.0 to replace OS/2 1.3 and Windows 3.0, while Microsoft would develop a new operating system, OS/2 3.0, to succeed OS/2 2.0. later.

Then this deal was dropped and the relationship between IBM and Microsoft ended. IBM continued to develop OS/2 2.0 while Microsoft renamed the unreleased OS/2 3.0 Windows NT. Both companies retained the rights to use the OS/2 and Windows technology developed until the termination date of the agreement.

OS/2 2.0

IBM released OS/2 2.0 in 1992. This version was a major improvement over OS/2 1.3. Incorporated a new object-oriented windowing system called Job Core as a replacement for the Layout Manager, a new filesystem, HPFS, to replace the filesystem DOS FAT also used in Windows and took full advantage of the 32-bit capabilities of the Intel 80386 processor. It was also able to run DOS and Windows programs now that IBM had retained the rights to use the DOS and Windows code as a result of the break.

OS/2 3.0 and 4.0

IBM continued to sell OS/2, producing later versions as OS/2 3.0 (also called Warp) and 4.0 (Merlin). Also, with the advent of Windows 95, OS/2 began to lose market share. Although OS/2 still ran Windows 3.0 applications, it did not have support for the new applications that Windows 95 required. Unlike Windows 3.0, IBM did not have access to the Windows 95 source code; And he also didn't have the time or resources to emulate the work of Microsoft programmers with Windows 95; however, OS/2 3.0 (Warp) appeared on the market before Windows 95 (which was delayed from its initial release date); As improvements, it incorporated a reduction in hardware requirements (it went from asking for 8 MiB of RAM from its predecessor OS/2 2.1 to asking for only 4 mebibytes), and as a great addition, it incorporated the so-called Bonus Pack, a set of applications for office, communications and others, which saved having to buy additional software as in the case of Windows. All of this, together with a large advertising campaign and a very low price (the equivalent of about €59.40 compared to €100 for Windows) caused many people to try it instead of waiting for the arrival of Windows 95. The subsequent abandonment by IBM caused it to be relegated, although it is still being used, less and less, in banking sectors due to its high stability.

Windows 95

Microsoft adopted Windows 95 as the product name for Chicago when it was released in August 1995. Chicago was aimed at incorporating a new graphical interface that would compete with that of OS/2. Although it shared a lot of code with Windows 3.x and even with MS-DOS, it also tried to introduce 32-bit architecture and support preemptive multitasking, like OS/2 or Windows NT itself. However, only a part of Chicago began to use 32-bit architecture; most continued to use a 16-bit architecture, Microsoft arguing that a full conversion would delay the release of Chicago greatly and be outright expensive.

Microsoft developed a new API to replace the 16-bit Windows API, it was called Win32; Microsoft has since renamed the old 16-bit API Win16. It was developed in three versions: one for Windows NT, another for Chicago, and another called Win32s, which was a subset of Win32 that could be used on Windows 3.1 systems; Likewise, Microsoft tried to ensure some degree of compatibility between Chicago and Windows NT, even though the two systems had radically different architectures.

Windows 95 had two big advantages for the average consumer. On the one hand, although its interface still ran on top of MS-DOS, it had a built-in installation that made it appear as a single operating system (you no longer needed to buy MS-DOS and install Windows on top of it) and on the other, it introduced a protected-mode subsystem that was specially written to 80386 or higher processors, which would prevent new Win32 applications from damaging the memory area of other Win32 applications. In this respect, Windows 95 was closer to Windows NT, but at the same time, since it shared Windows 3.x code, applications could still completely hang the system if they grabbed the Win16 application area.

It also had as a novelty the inclusion of support for Plug & Play. Windows 95 became the first great worldwide success of those from Redmond. The evolution of the Internet and the power of the equipment, each time more capable, gave rise to a binomial in which Intel and Microsoft dominated the world scene with solvency. Manufacturers began to turn to this version when it came to releasing their device drivers and, although with some problems due to unavoidable incompatibilities, the version's success was absolute.

Later, a version with compatibility for USB (1.0) was released, which allowed it to run on computers with few hardware features. This version has been launched on the market in October 1998

Windows NT 4.0

Windows NT 4.0 introduced several cutting-edge technology components and support for different platforms such as MIPS, ALPHA, Intel and others. The different versions such as Workstation, Server, Terminal server, Advancer server, allowed us to adapt it to various needs. The use of components such as sound cards, modems and others had to be specifically designed for this operating system.

Windows 98

On June 25, 1998 Windows 98 arrived. It included new hardware drivers and the FAT32 file system (also supported by Windows 95 Operating Services Release 2 and Operating Services Release 2.5) which supported partitions larger than 2 GiB allowed by Windows 95. It also gave support to new technologies such as DVD, FireWire, USB or AGP. Also new was the integration of Internet Explorer in all areas of the system.

But the main difference between Windows 98 and Windows 95 was that its kernel had been modified to allow the use of Windows NT drivers in Windows 9x and vice versa. This was achieved with the migration of part of the Windows NT kernel to Windows 98, although it continued to maintain its MS-DOS/Windows Graphical User Interface architecture. This allowed for lower production costs, since Windows NT and Windows 98 were now able to use almost identical drivers.

Windows 98 Second Edition

Windows 98 Second Edition was released on May 5, 1999. Its most notable feature was the ability to share an Internet connection among multiple computers over a single phone line. It also eliminated most of the errors produced by Internet Explorer on the system. It is the most stable of all of them, and it is still being used in many teams, improving two important things:

1) The serious license prompt error that can simply be ignored by the installation when files with the CAB extension are copied to the hard drive of the computer in the first version of this operating system

2) File extensions and applications are fixed for optimization and better virtual memory management, thus reducing the famous Blue Screen error messages.

Windows Millennium Edition (ME)

In 2000 Microsoft introduced Windows ME, which was a copy of Windows 98 with more applications added. Windows ME was a quick year-long project to fill the gap between Windows 98 and the newer Windows XP, and that was very noticeable in the lack of stability of this version. In theory, Windows 2000 was going to be the unification between the two families of Windows, the business and the home, but due to delays this small advance was released. In this version the start of the system was accelerated and officially it was no longer possible to distinguish between MS-DOS and the graphical environment (although patches appeared that allowed them to be separated again as was done in previous versions). It included some small user enhancements, such as fonts and keyboard layouts including the newly appeared Euro symbol.

This version did not bring a 16-bit process unit and focused solely on compatibility with new 32-bit hardware. As a result, it only worked correctly with new computers that had it installed because 16-bit hardware there was more complex to configure if installed on top of an older computer (through a software update) or it didn't work at all.

It should be noted that this operating system was not very popular due to its continuous errors and many disadvantages of use. These drawbacks meant that, except on rare occasions, its users quickly returned to using Windows 98, or jumped to Windows XP.

Windows 2000

In this same year, Windows 2000 was released, a substitute name for Windows NT 5.0, new and very useful for system administrators and with a large number of network services and most importantly: it supported Plug&Play devices that came being a problem with Windows NT.

The Windows 2000 family consisted of several versions of the system: one for workstations (Windows 2000 Professional) and several for servers (Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server).

Windows 2000 incorporated important technological innovations for Microsoft environments, both in new services and the reinforcement of existing ones. Some of the features it has are:

Storage:

• Support for FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS.
• Files (EFS).
• Indexing service.
• Distributed file system (DFS).
• New backup system (ASR).
• Bug tolerance system (RAID) with dynamic disks (software).

Communications:

• Remote access services (RAS, VPN, RADIUS and Routing).
• New version of IIS with support for HTTP/1.1.
• Active Directory.
• Balanced load (clustering)
• Networked installation services (RIS).
• Native services of Terminal Server.

These advances mark a before and after in the history of Microsoft.

Windows XP

The union of the Windows NT and Windows 9x families was achieved with Windows XP, released in 2001 in its Home and Professional editions. Windows XP uses the core of Windows NT 5.1 and incorporates a new interface and boasts more multimedia capabilities. It also has other innovations such as improved multitasking, support for wireless networks and remote assistance. It can be added that immediately after launching the latest Service Pack (SP3), Microsoft designed a system aimed at businesses and corporations, called Microsoft Windows XP Corporate Edition, something similar to Windows XP Professional, only designed especially for businesses. In the multimedia section, XP gives a breakthrough with the Media Center version (2002~05). This version offers an easy access interface with everything related to multimedia (TV, photos, DVD player, Internet and others.).

It is available in several editions:

• Windows XP Home Edition
  • Windows XP Home Edition N, as before, but without a default installation of Windows Media Player, as mandated by the European Union
• Windows XP Professional, business and advanced users
  • Windows XP Professional N, as before, but without a default installation of Windows Media Player, as mandated by the European Union
• Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE), launched in October 2002 for desktop and laptop computers with an emphasis on home entertainment
  • Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003
  • Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004
  • Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, released on 12 October 2004.
• Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, for tablet PCs
  • Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005
• Windows XP Embedded, for embedded systems
• Windows XP Starter Edition, for new computer users in developing countries
• Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, released on April 25, 2005 for home systems and work station using 64-bit processors based on x86-64 instruction set developed by AMD as AMD64; Intel calls its Intel 64 version
• Windows XP 64-bit Edition is an Intel Itanium processor line version; it maintains 32-bit compatibility only through a software emulator. It is approximately similar to Windows XP Professional in functions. It was discontinued in September 2005, when the last provider of Itanium workstations stopped sending Itanium systems marketed as "Working Stations".
  • Windows XP 64-bit Edition 2003, based on Windows NT 5.2.

Windows Server 2003

Successor of the Microsoft server family to Windows 2000 Server. It is the version of Windows for servers released by Microsoft in 2003. It is based on the Windows XP kernel, to which a series of services have been added, and some of its features have been blocked (to improve performance, or simply because they will not be used).

Windows Server 2003 is available in six editions:

• Web Edition (32-bit)
• Standard Edition (32 and 64-bit)
• Enterprise Edition (32 and 64-bit)
• Datacenter Edition (32 and 64-bit)
• Small Business Server (32-bit)
• Storage Server (Only the OEM channel)

Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs

In July 2006, Microsoft released a thin client version of Windows XP Service Pack 2, called Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (WinFLP). It is only available to Software Assurance customers. WinFLP's goal is to give businesses a viable upgrade option from older computers running Windows 95, 98, and ME that would be supported with patches and updates in the coming years. Most user applications will typically run on a remote computer using Terminal Services or Citrix.

Although it is visually similar to Windows XP, it has some differences that are:

• WinFLP uses the Windows XP icons as it is based on it, but this icon scheme is not adapted to display in 16-bit colors; so if the color mode is this, the icon of the recycling bin will be Windows 2000 and the others will be the same but with a noticeable lack of color regarding the highest modes in quality.
• No wallpapers.
• There's only one screen protector, the one with the Windows logo. The others, such as 3D Tuberries, are not available.
• Some applications considered as accessories (Paint) and games are not available.
• The XP welcome screen and the quick switch between users are disabled by default and the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination is required to unlock. To activate the first two, it is necessary to deactivate the offline files, while the process to deactivate the key combination is the same of XP.
• The administrator password is mandatory and cannot be exceeded during installation, although it can be removed after installing the system.

Windows Home Server

Windows Home Server (codenamed Q, Quattro) is a server product based on Windows Server 2003, designed for consumer use. The system was announced on January 7, 2007 by Bill Gates. Windows Home Server can be configured and controlled through a console program that can be installed on a client PC. Features such as shared media, local and remote drive backup, and file mirroring are listed as features.

Windows Vista

Windows Vista was released on January 30, 2007 on the Windows NT 6.0 kernel. It is worth noting the continuous delays in the delivery dates of the operating system. Initially, its release to the market was announced at the beginning-mid of 2006; later and due to problems during the development process, its output was delayed until the end of 2006. The last delay moved the date to the end of January 2007. These continuous delays have led Microsoft to take various measures to minimize the extra expenses derived of the delays.

It should also be noted that Windows Vista brings a new graphical interface called Windows Aero, which is an evolution of the graphical interface called Luna of Windows XP. Windows Vista included many new applications and features in the control panel, settings, and pre-installed programs on the system. This involved a considerable increase in requirements, requiring a 1 GHz processor and at least 1 GB of RAM for proper operation.

It is available in the following editions:

• Starter (only available in emerging markets)
• Home Basic
• Home Premium
• Business
• Enterprise (only available for big business and corporate)
• Ultimate (combina Home Premium and Business)

With the exception of the Starter Edition, the editions are available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

Windows Server 2008

This is the name of Microsoft's server operating system. It is the successor to Windows Server 2003. Like Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 is based on the Windows NT 6.0 kernel. A second version, called Windows Server 2008 R2, has already been released.

Windows Server 2008 has 10 editions:

• Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows HPC Server 2008
• Windows Web Server 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows Storage Server 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows Small Business Server 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems
• Windows Server 2008 Foundation Server

Windows 7

Windows 7 is the successor to Windows Vista, to the core Windows NT 6.1, and was planned for a three-year development period. It was previously known by the code names Blackcomb and Vienna. It was released on October 22, 2009.

Some of the features of Windows 7: faster boot, Device Stage, Windows PowerShell, less annoying user account control, Multi-touch window, better management, HomeGroup networking, better power management for notebooks and changes to the Aero interface, highlighting a new, larger taskbar. Features included with Windows Vista and not in Windows 7 include the Sidebar (although the gadgets are still kept) and several programs that have been removed in favor of porting to Windows Live.

Windows 7 is in 6 of a total of 7 editions:

• Starter (available worldwide, with only new PCs)
• Home Basic (only available in emerging markets)
• Home Premium
• Professional
• Enterprise (available for business customers only volume-license)
• Ultimate (available for retail market with limited availability to OEMs)
• Embedded Standard (only in embedded systems)

Microsoft is focused on selling Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional. All editions except Starter Edition are available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions

Windows 8

Windows 8 is the successor to Windows 7, it was designed in such a way that all Microsoft platforms can run on it (Personal Computer (PC) or laptops, cell phones, tablets and tablets.)

Windows Developer Preview version of Windows 8 was released for download in September 2011 to the general public on the official Microsoft website. It was released to the general public on October 26, 2012.

It has the HTML5 and JavaScript languages, and contains the Internet Explorer 10 browser (only compatible with Windows 8 and Windows 7 SP1).

In November 2009, a software development cycle slide shown by Microsoft at the Professional Developers Conference 2009 hinted that the next version of Windows (known by the temporary code name "Windows 8") is scheduled to be released around 2012. The development of this version of Windows has not been detailed to the public, although job postings by Microsoft have mentioned improved functionality for file access at the enterprise branch level.

A draft document about the key software support cycle for Microsoft, including proposals for future projects, was revealed on the blog of a recently-departed Microsoft employee. According to information, Microsoft plans to start support for the so-called "Windows 8" on July 1, 2011. It is also specified that support for a hypothetical "Windows Server 2012" will start on July 2, 2012.

Windows 8, built on Windows NT 6.2 core, features a new interface known as Modern UI (formerly Metro), a Start Screen with new apps, a redesigned Windows Explorer, a task manager with more options, and the Windows Defender application as an antivirus. In other respects it is very similar to Windows 7. The Start button on the desktop is gone in this version and to replace it they put a large full screen menu.

Windows 8.1

On October 17, 2013, Windows 8.1 was released, a major system update (core Windows NT 6.3) with performance improvements, apps, and a Start Screen button. This version included certain Updates with graphics, interface, performance and speed improvements. It can be upgraded for free from the Windows 8 Store.

It is available in the following editions:

• Windows 8/8.1 (standard edition)
• Windows 8/8.1 Pro
• Windows 8/8.1 Pro WMC (includes Windows Media Center)
• Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise
• Windows 8/8.1 Embedded Standard/Industry (designed for embedded systems)
• Windows RT (designed for ARM architecture equipment)

Windows 10

Windows 10 is the name of the successor to Windows 8. It was introduced on September 30, 2014 in San Francisco and includes the return of the Start menu, a completely revamped task system and changes to the command prompt, among other things. It is built on the Windows NT 6x Core and will definitely unite Windows Phone, Windows RT and Windows into a single system. In addition, all devices will have a single Windows Store.

Members of the Microsoft Insider program have been able to test beta versions of it since October 2014 and the RTM version (build 10240) has been available since mid-July 2015. It finally went on sale on July 29, 2015 It has the Windows NT 10.0 kernel.

Windows 10 includes graphical enhancements, customization, and many apps. It introduces a new browser (Microsoft Edge) and a personal voice assistant: Cortana. This is a service operating system with several major updates, so a new version in the Windows NT family was not contemplated.

As of late 2021, Windows 10 had received twelve massive updates since its first release. Among the novelties added are the synchronization with mobile devices and contacts in Skype, virtual reality visualization, a new version of Paint called Paint 3D, an application history, a new clipping application and changes in the interface, incorporating light modes and dark for apps, the taskbar and the Start Menu, as well as performance and stability improvements.

Windows 10 is available in 7 editions:

• Home
• Pro
• Enterprise
• Education
• IoT Core
• Mobile
• Mobile Enterprise
• Ultimate
• LTSB Enterprise
• LTSC Enterprise

For common users, the Home and Pro versions are marketed, while the other versions can be purchased through other types of purchase.

Windows 11

Windows 11 is the name of the most current version of the Microsoft Windows operating system. It was announced on June 24, 2021 in a live video conference with a duration of approximately 45 minutes that began at 3:00 p.m. (GMT), where the main topics were the interface, application management, optimization for video games and the redesign of the Microsoft Store. Windows 11 was released on October 5, 2021, more than six years after the release of its predecessor. It is possible to upgrade for free with a Windows 10 license. Despite being a new version, it maintains the Windows NT 10.0 kernel from its predecessor.

The system incorporates a revamped interface called "Mica", which includes translucent backgrounds, rounded edges and color combinations. The taskbar and the Start Menu were redesigned and for the first time it is possible to place the icons in the center of the bar. The MSN widget panel, the Microsoft Store and the file explorer, among other applications, were also redesigned. However, some features and programs like Cortana, Internet Explorer, and Paint 3D were removed. It is expected that it will soon include compatibility with Android applications. It is worth noting the increase in requirements compared to its predecessors, requiring a minimum of 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of free space and a TPM 2.0 security chip, in addition to losing official compatibility with the 7th generation Intel Core processors, 1st generation AMD Ryzen and earlier. Added to this, it is the first version of Windows that only supports 64-bit processors.

Windows 11 is available in the following editions:

• Home
• Home N.
• Pro
• Pro N.
• Pro Education
• Pro Education N.
• Pro for Workstations
• Pro for Workstations N.
• Education
• Education N
• Enterprise
• Mixed Reality
• S.
• SE.
• Game Edition
• Game Edition N.
• RTM.

As with its predecessor Windows 10, the Home and Pro versions are marketed for common users.

Cancelled versions

There are also several canceled versions, and they are:

• Windows Cairo: In the 1991 PDC, Microsoft announced a new version of Windows that was named in Cairo key, which began to be developed the following year until 1995, that the project was cancelled, and its features were soon moved to other projects. Its core was 4.0 and would soon also be built on it Windows NT 4.0.
• Windows Nashville: This was to be the successor of Windows 95 and the second system of the 9x line, its core was 4.10 and was developed during 1995. His exit to the market was planned for 1996 and very soon, like Cairo, his development was cancelled and his features were also moved to projects like Memphis (Windows 98).
• Windows Neptune: It was to be the first version of Windows NT for consumers and was developed between 1998 and 1999 and its output was planned for 2001. However, in January 2000, it was cancelled and merged with the Odyssey project to form Whistler, which would end up being Windows XP.
• Windows Odyssey: He was to be the successor to Windows 2000 and was developed along with Neptune, being also canceled and merged to give Whistler life.
• Windows Triton: It was going to be a minor update for Neptune and it was planned to leave for 2001. It was canceled in the same way and according to antimonopoly documents it was already being developed before Whistler appeared.
• Windows Longhorn: In 2002, it began to be developed as a minor update for Windows XP. However, little by little the project became much more ambitious and over time they were adding many more features, leaving aside the stability tests and returning the very unstable compilations. For this reason, Microsoft decided to reboot development in mid-August 2004 and cancel the Longhorn output as such, giving life to Windows Vista.
• Windows Blackcomb: He was going to be Whistler's successor (Windows XP) at the beginning, and he was going to introduce many new features. However, they decided to move several of them to Longhorn and when the development of this was restarted, Blackcomb became known as Vienna and it was just like Windows 7.

Others

• Windows CE
• Xenix