Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a popular operating system software for computers. Windows is made by the Microsoft company. Almost 90% of desktop and laptop computers have Windows installed (included). The newest version of Windows is Windows 8.1, though Windows 10 is currently being developed and will come out later in 2015.
Most newly bought personal computers have Windows 8 or Windows 7 installed. Some cheaper computers have older versions of Windows included.
In November 20, 1985 "Microsoft Windows version 1.0" went on sale. Windows 8.1 went on sale in August, 2013.
Windows makes it easier to run programs (applications) than DOS did. It also helps people keep their files safe and in order.
Some programs are included with Windows. Some examples are:
- Wordpad - to write simple documents
- Photo viewer - to look at pictures
- Paint - to make simple drawings
- Internet Explorer Web browser - to use the Internet to look at web pages and download files.
- Windows Media Player - to listen to music and watch videos.
Many new applications are available that are not included with Windows. Some popular applications are games, word processors (to write letters) or add-on programs like Adobe Flash Player (to watch video clips and play games on websites). Adding new applications to Windows is called "installing". Applications can be bought on a CD or DVD. Applications can also be downloaded from the Internet, sometimes for free.
Popular Windows versions[change | change source]
| Release date | Product name | Notes | Last IE |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 1990 | Windows 3.xxx | Unsupported (help for problems no longer given by Microsoft) | 5.x |
| July 27, 1993 | Windows NT | Unsupported | 5.x |
| August 24, 1995 | Windows 9x | Unsupported | 6 |
| November 17, 1996 | Windows CE | Unsupported | 6 |
| February 17, 2000 | Windows 20xx | Unsupported[1] | 10 |
| September 14, 2000 | Windows Me | Unsupported | 6 |
| October 25, 2001 | Windows XP | Unsupported | 8 |
| November 30, 2006 (volume licensing) January 30, 2007 (retail) |
Windows Vista | Current. Version Changed to NT 6.0.6001 with SP1 (February 4 08) | 9 |
| July 2007 | Windows Home Server 20xx | Current | 8 |
| February 2008 | Windows Server 2008 | Current | 9 |
| October 22, 2009 | Windows 7.x | Current | 11 |
| October 26, 2012 | Windows 8.x | Current | 10 |
| August 26, 2012 | Windows RT 8.x | Current | 11 |
| Late 2015 | Windows 10 | In Development |
Criticism[change | change source]
Many users complain that Windows operating systems cause them problems. Some people think that their computers become slower because of Windows. Many people also complain about security problems. As Windows is the most popular operating system, most computer viruses are written to infect computers running Windows.[source?]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Microsoft Support Lifecycle". Microsoft. May 4, 2005. http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3071. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
Other websites[change | change source]
- The Microsoft Windows website
- The Windows Team Blog — Official blog of the Windows Team at Microsoft
- Windows for Beginners - a site that explains Windows for beginners
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| Common Operating systems |
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| Linux • Mac OS • Microsoft Windows • Solaris • UNIX • BSD |
