Bill Gates and Paul Allen started Microsoft in 1975. Microsoft launched Windows 1.0 in 1985, marking the beginning of the GUI era. Through several versions, Windows gained functionality and popularity, transitioning to a 32-bit OS with Windows NT 3.1 in 1993. In 1995, Windows 95 was released, bringing the Start menu and Internet connectivity to mainstream users. Subsequent versions refined the OS and added features for consumers and businesses.

3. *On November 10, 1983, Bill Gates started Microsoft with Paul
Allen
* Microsoft announced Microsoft Windows, an extension of the
MS-DOS operating system that would provide a graphical
operating environment for PC users.
* With Windows, the graphical user interface (GUI) era at
Microsoft had begun.

4. * Microsoft shipped out the first copy of Windows 1.0 on
November 20, 1985
* This 16-bit OS that cost less than 1MB in overall is
Microsoft’s very first operating system that allows multi
tasking with graphical user interface on PC platform that runs
on MS-DOS 5.0..
* Windows 1.0 only required a minimum of 256 kilobytes (KB),
two double-sided floppy disk drives, and a graphics adapter
card.

5. * The first version of Microsoft Windows included a simple
graphics painting program called 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
* 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

7. *Microsoft Windows version 2 came out on 9 December
1987, and proved slightly more popular than its
predecessor
* Microsoft's new graphical applications, Excel and Word
for Windows. They could be run from MS-DOS, executing
Windows for the duration of their activity, and closing
down Windows upon exit.
*Control Panel made its first appearance in Windows 2.0.

9. * The third major release of the Windows platform from Microsoft
offered improved performance, advanced graphics with 16
colors, and full support of the more powerful Intel 386 processor.
* Windows 3.0, which offered a wide range of useful features and
capabilities, including:
 Program Manager, File Manager, and Print Manager
 An improved set of Windows icons.
 A completely rewritten application development environment

11. * Windows NT was the first Windows operating system to combine
support for high-end, client/server business applications with the
industry's leading personal productivity applications.
* Windows NT 3.1 was a 32-bit operating system .
* New features included a preemptive multitasking scheduler for
Windows–based applications, domain server security.
* support for multiple processor architectures, and the NTFS file
system
* Windows NT was originally called “Portable Systems”

12. * Windows 95 was the successor to the three existing general-purpose
desktop operating systems from Microsoft—Windows 3.1, Windows
for Workgroups, and MS-DOS
* The 32-bit operating system also offered enhanced multimedia
capabilities, more powerful features for mobile computing, and
integrated networking
* Windows 95 featured the first appearance of the Start
menu, taskbar, and minimize, maximize, and close buttons on each
window
* Windows 95, with built-in Internet support and dial-up
networking, marked the coming of the Internet Age

14. * Windows 98 was the upgrade from Windows 95. Described as an
operating system that "Works Better, Plays Better," Windows 98
was the first version of Windows designed specifically for
consumers.
* Other features are replacement of Internet Explorer 4.0 with
Internet Explorer 5.0. Also included is Internet Connection
Sharing, which allows multiple computers on a LAN to share a
single Internet connection through NAT.
* Windows 98 was the first Windows system that supported DVD
discs and universal serial bus (USB) devices
* Windows 98 was the last version based on MS-DOS

16. *Windows 2000 Professional was also designed to replace
Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT Workstation
4.0 on all business desktops and laptops.
*Among other improvements, Windows 2000 Professional
simplified hardware installation by adding support for a
wide variety of new Plug and Play hardware, including
advanced networking and wireless products, USB
devices, IEEE 1394 devices, and infrared devices.

17. *Designed for home computer users, Windows Me offered
consumers numerous music, video, and home networking
enhancements and reliability improvements.
*Windows Movie Maker provided users with the tools to
digitally edit, save, and share home videos. And with
Microsoft Windows Media Player 7 technologies, users
could find, organize, and play digital media easily.
*Windows Me was the last Microsoft operating system to
be based on the Windows 95 code base

18. * Between the original launch of Windows and the release of Windows XP,
about one billion PCs were shipped worldwide
* Windows XP was compiled from 45 million lines of code
* Windows XP is heavily based on the Windows NT and 2000 core
* The "XP" in Windows XP stands for "experience," symbolizing the
innovative experiences that Windows can offer to personal computer
users.
* Windows XP introduced several new features to the Windows line,
including:
* Fast user switching
* Remote Desktop Functionality.
* Support for most DSL modems as well as networking over FireWire,
and Bluetooth

19. * More than 1.5 million devices were compatible with Windows
Vista at launch
* Vista had the longest startup/logon music ever.
* Seven years in the making, the OS, released on Jan. 30, 2007 to
consumers and Nov. 30, 2006 to business users
* Windows Vista intended to have enhanced security by
introducing a new restricted user mode called User Account
Control, replacing the "administrator-by-default" philosophy of
Windows XP
* Vista also features new graphics features, the Windows Aero GUI
, new applications.
*a revised and more secure version of Internet Explorer, a new
version of Windows Media player, and a large number of
underlying architectural changes.

21. * The next version of Windows is already in beta and is likely to ship in
2009.
* Windows 7 is the next major release after Windows Vista and was
planned for a three-year development timeframe
* Some features of Windows 7 are faster boot-up, Device Stage, Windows
PowerShell, improved window management, home group networking,
multiple thumbnails for combined taskbar buttons, and better power
management for notebooks.
* Windows sold 240 million in 2010 which means that Microsoft sold
more than 6 lakhs Windows 7 copies per day, 27,397 copies per hour,
and 7.6 copies each second
* Windows 7 has largest users share among all other OS about 41.35%

22. * Theoperating system was released to manufacturing on
August 1, 2012, and was released for general availability on
October 26, 2012
* Windows 8 introduces a new touch-friendly shell and user
interface based on Microsoft's "Metro" design
language, featuring a new Start screen with a grid of
dynamically updating tiles that represent applications
* Windows 8 is available in 109 different languages.
* Windows 8 works with files of up to 16 exbibytes , which
equates to 687 million Blu-Rays
* Estimates
suggest roughly 4.5 billion people will use
Windows 8 in the future.