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Assignment 1 Date: 25/07/18

CASE STUDY OF WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEMS

Microsoft Windows is a group of several graphical operating system families, all of which
are developed, marketed, and sold by Microsoft. Microsoft introduced an operating
environment named Windows on November 20, 1985, as a graphical operating system
shell for MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal computer (PC) market with over
90% market share, overtaking Mac OS, which had been introduced in 1984.
The various versions of Windows are listed below:

1. WINDOWS 1.0

Windows 1.0 was released on November 20, 1985, as the first version of
the Microsoft Windows line.
 It is a graphical personal computer operating environment developed
by Microsoft.
 Microsoft had worked with Apple Computer to develop applications for
Apple's January 1984 original Macintosh, the first mass-produced personal
computer with a graphical user interface (GUI) that enabled users to see user
friendly icons on screen.
 It runs as a graphical, 16-bit multi-tasking shell on top of an existing MS-
DOS installation.
 It provides an environment which can run graphical programs designed for
Windows, as well as existing MS-DOS software.

2. WINDOWS 2.0

Windows 2.0 is a 16-bit Microsoft Windows GUI-based operating environment that

was released on December 9, 1987 and is the successor to Windows 1.0
 Windows 2.0 allowed application windows to overlap each other, unlike its
predecessor Windows 1.0, which could display only tiled windows.
 Windows 2.0 also introduced more sophisticated keyboard-shortcuts and the
terminology of "Minimize" and "Maximize", as opposed to "Iconize" and
"Zoom" in Windows 1.0.
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 Windows 2.0 was also the first Windows version to integrate the control panel.
 The big claim to fame for Windows 2.0, however, was that it came bundled
with Microsoft's Word and Excel applications. Word and Excel were graphical
apps competing against the text-based interfaces
 New features in Windows 2.0 included VGA graphics (although in 16 colours
only). It was also the last version of Windows that did not require a hard disk.
With the improved speed, reliability and usability, computers now started becoming a
part of daily life for some workers. Desktop icons and use of keyboard shortcuts
helped to speed up the work.

3. WINDOWS 3.x

Windows 3.0, a graphical environment, is the third major release of Microsoft

Windows, and was released on May 22, 1990.
 Microsoft released this short-life version of Windows, Windows 3.0.
 It came with a lot of improvement, but also with lack of multimedia and
network features, which made Windows 3.0 be replaced quickly by Windows
3.1.
 The three mode of Windows 3.0, real mode for 8086 CPU, standard mode for
80286 CPU and enhanced mode for 80386 CPU fits different levels of
computers.
Windows 3.1, released on April 6, 1992, introduced a TrueType font system (and a
set of highly legible fonts), which effectively made Windows a viable desktop
publishing platform for the first time.
 The improvement of the appearance of the interface in Windows 3.1 was big.
 True colour display ability makes it much fancier than its early versions and
also makes it ready for photo editing.
 Windows 3.1 dropped real mode support and required a minimum of a 286 PC
with 1 MB of RAM to run. The effect of this was to increase system stability
over the crash-prone Windows 3.0.
 Some older features were removed, like CGA graphics support (although
Windows 3.0's CGA driver still worked on 3.1) and compatibility with real-
mode Windows 2.x applications.
Windows 3.11 was released on November 8, 1993. It did not add many feature
improvements over Windows 3.1, other than a few much-needed LAN and business
network improvements; it primarily contained dramatic bug fixes.
On November 22, 1993, Microsoft released a Simplified Chinese version of Windows
for the Chinese market. A year later, an update was released, which identified itself
as Windows 3.2. Thus, Windows 3.2 is an updated version of the Chinese version of
Windows 3.1
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4. WINDOWS 95

Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented operating system developed by Microsoft. It was

released on August 24, 1995.
 Windows 95 merged Microsoft's formerly separate MS DOS and Windows
product.
 It featured significant improvements over its predecessor, Windows 3.1, most
notably in the graphical user interface (GUI) and in its simplified "plug-and-
play" features.
 There were also major changes made to the core components of the operating
system, such as moving from a mainly co-operatively multitasked 16-
bit architecture to a 32-bit pre-emptive multitasking architecture.
 Accompanied by an extensive marketing campaign, Windows 95 introduced
numerous functions and features that were featured in later Windows versions,
such as the taskbar, the "Start" button and the way the user navigates.
Microsoft ended support for Windows 95 on December 31, 2001.

5. WINDOWS 98

Windows 98 is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major

release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems and the successor to Windows
95. It was released to manufacturing on May 15, 1998 and to retail on June 25, 1998.
 Like its predecessor, Windows 98 is a hybrid 16-bit and 32-bit product based
on MS-DOS.
 Larger disk partitions (separations) were allowed.
 Internet Explorer (a web browser) was made part of the GUI (what the user
sees) and file manager.
 Windows 98 brought with it IE 4, Outlook Express, Windows Address Book,
Microsoft Chat and NetShow Player, which was replaced by Windows Media
Player 6.2 in Windows 98 Second Edition in 1999.
 Windows 98 introduced the back and forward navigation buttons and the
address bar in Windows Explorer, among other things.
 One of the biggest changes was the introduction of the Windows Driver Model
for computer components and accessories – one driver to support all future
versions of Windows.
 USB support was much improved in Windows 98 and led to its widespread
adoption, including USB hubs and USB mice.
Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 98 and 98 SE on June 30, 2002,
and extended support on July 11, 2006.

6. WINDOWS ME
Windows Millennium Edition or Windows ME is a graphical operating
system from Microsoft released to manufacturing in June 2000, and launched in
September 2000. It was the last operating system released in the Windows 9x series.
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 Windows ME was the successor to Windows 98 and was targeted specifically

at home PC users.
 It included Internet Explorer 5.5, Windows Media Player 7, and the
new Windows Movie Maker software, which provided basic video editing and
was designed to be easy to use for home users.
 Microsoft also updated the graphical user interface, shell features,
and Windows Explorer in Windows ME.
 Windows ME could be upgraded to Internet Explorer 6 SP1 (but not to SP2
(SV1) or Internet Explorer 7), Outlook Express 6 SP1 and Windows Media
Player 9 Series.
 Microsoft .NET Framework up to and including version 2.0 is supported;
however, versions 2.0 SP1, 3.x, and greater are not.
 Office XP was the last version of Microsoft Office to be compatible with
Windows ME.

7. WINDOWS NT
Windows NT is a family of operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first
version of which was released in July 1993. It is a processor-
independent, multiprocessing, multi-user operating system.
 It was intended to complement consumer versions of Windows that were based
on MS-DOS (including Windows 1.0 through Windows 3.1x).
 Gradually, the Windows NT family was expanded into Microsoft's general-
purpose operating system product line for all personal computers, deprecating
the Windows 9x family.
 NT was the first purely 32-bit version of Windows, whereas its consumer-oriented
counterparts, Windows 3.1x and Windows 9x, were 16-bit/32-bit hybrids.
 It is a multi-architecture operating system.
 Initially, it supported several instruction set architectures, including IA-
32, MIPS, DEC Alpha, PowerPC and later Itanium.
 The latest versions support x86 (more specifically IA-32 and x64) and ARM.

8. WINDOWS 2000

Windows 2000 (codenamed NT 5.0) is an operating system for use on

both client and server computers. It was produced by Microsoft and released to
manufacturing on December 15, 1999, and launched to retail on February 17, 2000.
It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the last version of Microsoft Windows
to display the "Windows NT" designation.
 Windows 2000 introduces NTFS 3.0
 Encrypting File System, as well as basic and dynamic disk storage.
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 Support for people with disabilities was improved over Windows NT 4.0 with
a number of new assistive technologies, and Microsoft increased support for
different languages and locale information.
 The Windows 2000 Server family has additional features including the ability
to provide Active Directory services.
 Microsoft marketed Windows 2000 as the most secure Windows version ever
at the time; however, it became the target of a number of high-profile virus
attacks such as Code Red and Nimda.
For ten years after its release, it continued to receive patches for
security vulnerabilities nearly every month until reaching the end of its lifecycle on
July 13, 2010.

9. WINDOWS XP

Windows XP (codenamed Whistler) is a personal computer operating system that

was produced by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It
was released to manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and broadly released for retail
sale on October 25, 2001.
 Development of Windows XP began in the late 1990s as "Neptune", an
operating system built on the Windows NT kernel which was intended
specifically for mainstream consumer use.
 An updated version of Windows 2000 was also originally planned for the
business market; however, in January 2000, both projects were shelved in
favour of a single OS codenamed "Whistler", which would serve as a single
OS platform for both consumer and business markets.
 Windows XP was the first consumer edition of Windows not to be based
on MS-DOS.
 Upon its release, Windows XP received generally positive reviews, with
critics noting increased performance and stability (especially in comparison
to Windows ME).
 A more intuitive user interface, improved hardware support, and expanded
multimedia capabilities.
Extended support for Windows XP ended on April 8, 2014, after which the operating
system ceased receiving further support or security updates to most users. As of
May 2018, 2.98% of Windows PCs run Windows XP,and therefore XP represents
2.5% of the overall desktop operating system market share.

10. WINDOWS VISTA

Windows Vista is an operating system by Microsoft for use on personal computers,

including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs and media
centre PCs. Development was completed on 8 November 2006, and over the
following three months, it was released in stages to computer hardware and software
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manufacturers, business customers and retail channels. On 30 January 2007, it

was released worldwide.
 New features of Windows Vista include an updated graphical user
interface and visual style dubbed Aero.
 A new search component called Windows Search, redesigned networking,
audio, print and display sub-systems, and new multimedia tools such
as Windows DVD Maker.
 Vista aimed to increase the level of communication between machines on
a home network, using peer-to-peer technology to simplify sharing files and
media between computers and devices.
 Windows Vista offered an advancement in reliability, security, ease of
deployment, performance and manageability over Windows XP.
 New in this version was capabilities to detect hardware problems before they
occur, security features to protect against the latest generation of threats, faster
start-up time and low power consumption of the new sleep state.
 Windows Vista is noticeably more responsive than Windows XP on identical
hardware. Windows Vista simplifies and centralizes desktop configuration
management, reducing the cost of keeping systems updated.
Microsoft stopped providing extended support for Windows Vista on 11 April 2017.

11. WINDOWS 7

Windows 7 (codenamed Vienna, formerly Blackcomb) is a personal

computer operating system developed by Microsoft. Windows 7 was released to
manufacturing on July 22, 2009 and became generally available on October 22, 2009,
less than three years after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista.
 Windows 7 was primarily intended to be an incremental upgrade to the
operating system, intended to address Windows Vista's poor critical reception
while maintaining hardware and software compatibility.
 Windows 7 continued improvements on Windows Aero (the user
interface introduced in Windows Vista) with the addition of a
redesigned taskbar that allows applications to be "pinned" to it, and new
window management features.
 Other new features were added to the operating system, including libraries,
the new file sharing system Home Group, and support for multi touch input.
 A new "Action Centre" interface was also added to provide an overview of
system security and maintenance information, and tweaks were made to
the User Account Control system to make it less intrusive.
 Windows 7 also shipped with updated versions of several stock applications,
including Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player, and Windows Media
Centre.

12. WINDOWS 8
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Windows 8 is a personal computer operating system developed by Microsoft as part

of the Windows NT family of operating systems. Development of Windows 8 started
before the release of its predecessor, Windows 7, in 2009.
It was announced at CES 2011, and followed by the release of three pre-
release versions from September 2011 to May 2012. The operating system
was released to manufacturing on August 1, 2012, and was released for general
availability on October 26, 2012.
 Windows 8 introduced major changes to the operating system's platform and user
interface to improve its user experience on tablets, where Windows was now
competing with mobile operating systems, including Android and iOS.
 In particular, these changes included a touch-optimized Windows shell based on
Microsoft's "Metro" design language, the Start screen (which displays programs
and dynamically updated content on a grid of tiles), a new platform for
developing "apps" with an emphasis on touchscreen input, integration with online
services (including the ability to synchronize apps and settings between devices),
and Windows Store, an online store for downloading and purchasing new
software.
 Windows 8 added support for USB 3.0, Advanced Format hard drives, near field
communications, and cloud computing.
 Additional security features were introduced, such as built-in antivirus software,
integration with Microsoft SmartScreen phishing filtering service and support
for UEFI Secure Boot on supported devices with UEFI firmware, to
prevent malware from infecting the boot process.
Although reaction towards its performance improvements, security enhancements, and
improved support for touchscreen devices was positive, the new user interface of the
operating system was widely criticized for being potentially confusing and difficult to
learn, especially when used with a keyboard and mouse instead of a touchscreen.

13. WINDOWS 8.1

Windows 8.1 (codenamed Blue) is a computer operating system released by

Microsoft. First unveiled and released as a public beta in June 2013, it was released to
manufacturing on August 27, 2013, and reached general availability on October 17,
2013, almost a year after the retail release of its predecessor.
 Windows 8.1 is available free of charge for retail copies of Windows 8
and Windows RT users via the Windows Store.
 Windows 8.1 aims to address complaints of Windows 8 users and reviewers
on launch.
 Visible enhancements include an improved Start screen, additional snap
views, additional bundled apps, tighter OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive)
integration, Internet Explorer 11, a Bing-powered unified search system,
 Restoration of a visible Start button on the taskbar, and the ability to restore
the previous behaviour of opening the user's desktop on login instead of the
Start screen.
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 Windows 8.1 also added support for such emerging technologies as high-
resolution displays, 3D printing, Wi-Fi Direct, and Miracast streaming, as well
as the ReFS file system.
Windows 8.1 received better positive reception than Windows 8, with critics praising
the expanded functionality available to apps in comparison to 8, its OneDrive
integration, along with its user interface tweaks and the addition of expanded tutorials
for operating the Windows 8 interface.
Despite these improvements, Windows 8.1 was still criticized for not addressing all
digressions of Windows 8 (such as a poor level of integration between Metro-style
apps and the desktop interface), and the potential privacy implications of the
expanded use of online services.

14. WINDOWS 10
Windows 10 is a computer operating system by Microsoft as part of
its Windows family of operating systems. It was known as Threshold when it was
being developed and announced at a press event on 30 September 2014. It came out
for PCs on July 29, 2015.
 Windows 10 is designed to provide a common, "universal" user
interface between desktop, laptop, and all-in-one PCs, tablet
computers, smartphones, and embedded systems.
 The Windows user interface was revised to handle transitions between a
mouse-oriented interface and a touchscreen-optimized interface based on
available input devices—particularly on 2-in-1 PCs
 Both interfaces include an updated Start menu which incorporates elements
of Windows 7's traditional Start menu with the tiles of Windows 8.
 The first release of Windows 10 also introduces a virtual desktop system, a
window and desktop management feature called Task View, the Microsoft
Edge web browser, support for fingerprint and face recognition login, new
security features for enterprise environments, and DirectX 12 and WDDM 2.0
to improve the operating system's graphics capabilities for games.
Critics praised Microsoft's decision to provide a desktop-oriented interface in line
with previous versions of Windows, contrasting the tablet-oriented approach of 8.
Critics also praised the improvements to Windows 10's bundled software over
Windows 8.1.