The Windows UI has been around for over 27 years, and there have been many changes during that time. Whenever a change in UI came, it was probably big. Whenever there was a change in UI, there are users two sets of users emerge, those who dig it, and the ones who don’t.
Today we are going look back at Windows UI changes over the years with a set of images. A picture is worth a thousand words they say, or a million dollars if you’re a celebrity of some sorts.
Microsoft Windows 1.0 is a 16-bit graphical operating environment, developed by Microsoft Corporation and released on November 20, 1985.It was Microsoft’s first attempt to implement a multi-tasking graphical user interface-based operating environment on the PC platform. Windows 1.0 was the first version of Windows launched.
Windows 3.0, a graphical environment, is the third major release of Microsoft Windows, and was released on May 22, 1990. It became the first widely successful version of Windows and a rival to Apple Macintosh and the Commodore Amiga on the GUI front. It was followed by Windows 3.1. Windows 3.0 originated in 1989 when a group of Microsoft programmers independently decided to develop a protected mode Windows as an experiment. They cobbled together a rough prototype and presented it to company executives, who were impressed enough to approve it as an official project.
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company’s previous Windows products. In the marketplace, Windows 95 was a major success, and within a year or two of its release had become the most successful operating system ever produced.
Windows 98 is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major release in theWindows 9x line of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on May 15, 1998 and to retail on June 25, 1998. Windows 98 is the successor to Windows 95. Windows 98 was succeeded by Windows 98 Second Edition on May 5, 1999, then byWindows Me (Millennium Edition) on September 14, 2000. Microsoft support for Windows 98 ended on July 11, 2006.
Windows 2000 was released on December 15, 1999. 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.
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base. The name “XP” is short for “eXPerience”,highlighting the enhanced user experience. According to web analytics data generated by W3Schools, from September 2003 to July 2011, Windows XP was the most widely used operating system for accessing the w3schools website, which they claim is consistent with statistics from other websites. As of June 2012, Windows XP market share is at 26.2% after having peaked at 76.1% in January 2007.
Windows Vista contained many changes and new features, including an updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Aero, a redesigned search function, multimedia tools including Windows DVD Maker, and redesigned networking, audio, print, and display sub-systems. 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. On January 30, 2007, it was released worldwide.
Windows 7 is the current release of Microsoft Windows, a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, netbooks, tablet PCs, and media center PCs.Windows 7 was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009, and reached general retail availability worldwide on October 22, 2009. Three years after Windows Vista, Windows 7 came along and suddenly took the bad taste of Vista out of the mouth of many. The Aero UI stayed around, but features like Aero snap , Aero peek , taskbar grouping, bigger icons on taskbar, and multitouch support for touchscreen devices, made Windows 7 what it is today.
Windows 8 is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and businessdesktops, laptops, tablets, and home theater PCs. It is part of the Windows NT family of operating systems and succeeds Windows 7. Windows 8 is slated for general availability on October 26, 2012.Windows 8 is built based on Metro design language and introduces a new form of “Windows 8-style software”, which may only be obtained through Windows Store. Windows 8 also features a new start screen, Internet Explorer 10, native support for USB 3.0, a new Windows Defender that combat malware, Windows To Go, and support for UEFI SecureBoot.
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