#15 Windows – From Overlay to Dominance (1985–2001)
Episode fifteen of the series tells the story of how Microsoft Windows evolved from a simple graphical add-on for MS-DOS into a global standard that transformed the way people worked with personal computers. Here we follow the system’s development from version 1.0, through the breakthrough “threes,” to the NT family and the era of Windows 2000. 1. Windows 1.0–3.x – the Birth of the “Windows” Windows 1.0 was released on November 20, 1985 as a graphical shell on top of MS-DOS. Windows 2.0 (1987): Windows 3.0 (May 1990): Windows 3.1/3.11 (1992–93): Microsoft Windows For Workgroups 3.11, Public Domain 2. Windows 95/98/ME – Market Dominance and a New Interface Windows 95 (August 1995): Windows 98 — better stability, USB support, FAT32, improved Internet integration (Active Desktop, IE4+). Windows ME (Millennium Edition, 2000): Microsoft Windows 95, Hohho56oy, Fair use 3. Windows NT, 2000 – from Desktop to Server Rooms Windows NT 3.1 (1993): Windows NT 4.0 (1996): Windows 2000: Version Years Key Features Windows 1.x/2.x 1985–1990 DOS shell, windows, mouse Windows 3.x 1990–1993 VGA GUI, multitasking, applications Windows 9x 1995–2000 32-bit GUI, Plug & Play, USB Windows NT/2000 1993–2001 Stability, security, networking 4. Impact on the Market and Users 5. Legacy Windows defined the model of graphical work on the PC, popularized the mouse, keyboard shortcuts and the GUI as the foundation of productivity.To this day, later versions — XP, 7, 10, 11 — remain direct descendants of concepts introduced back in the 3.x era and Windows 95.
