Windows has evolved significantly since its initial release in 1985. It launched with Windows 1.0 and saw greater success with Windows 3 and 95 which introduced innovations like the Start button. Windows 7 and 8 were major releases that improved performance and introduced new interfaces, with Windows 8 adding a touch-focused Metro interface alongside the traditional desktop. Key differences between Windows 7 and 8 include hardware requirements, interfaces, search functionality, apps/stores, security features, and cloud integration. While the Metro interface was a significant change, many performance improvements were made in Windows 8.