Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

History of Windows & it's Evolution to Windows 8

Name
Number
Course
Tutor
Date

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

2

It was during the 1970s that William H. Gates III and Paul Allen invented
Microsoft the parent company of Windows. This small invention formed from Microsoft
partnership would later change the way work is done. Microsoft began small but its ideas were
powerful enough to change the operation of each office and home. The current line of products
produced by Microsoft includes Windows operating system and Microsoft Office suite of
products (Jesse Russell, 2012).

It was during November of 1983 that Microsoft Corporation officially announced

Microsoft Windows operating system for IBM computers. The partnership between Microsoft
and IBM was for Microsoft to develop a new operating system software that would fill the gap
between computer hardware and software. The programs would provide graphical user interface
and multitasking environment for the later. The name of the new operating system became
Microsoft Disk Operating System MS-DOS. Microsoft received a go ahead to license the
operating system to other parties and by 1984, 200 licenses had been issued (Books H. , Articles
on Microsoft History, Including: Bill Gates, History of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Version
Number, Open Letter to Hobbyists, Apple Computer, Aug 22, 2011).

The first commercial Windows product was debuted in 1985. Windows 1.0 had extended
features of its predecessor and moved away from using the MS-DOS C commands to a mouse
point for navigation through the screens. This version contained drop down menus, scroll bars
and icons which made programs easy to learn and use. The user was able to switch between
programs without the need to quit and restart again. Windows 1.0 contained MS-DOS file

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

3

management, windows writer, notepad, calculator, clock, card file and calculator to be used in
day to day management of office activities.

By 1990, Microsoft had achieved a record $1 billion in annual sales to become the first
personal-computer company to hit that far. Windows is the most widely used operating system in
the world. It has released diverse versions of operating systems through the years. From
Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 200, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows
7 and the latest version in the market Windows 8 (Books L. , Microsoft History: History of
Microsoft Windows, Bill Gates, Microsoft Litigation, Open Letter to Hobbyists, History of
Internet Explorer, 2010).

This research paper is paying particular focus on the designing of these operating systems
and how it has impacted on the way people operate especially with computers. The paper will
undertake a critical and analytical review of components of each version including its command
shell and how the aspects has evolved to change the world. Windows 8 is the recent operating
system offering the same kernel, API, and developer tools on the same platform. This feature
puts Microsoft on a competitive edge over their competitors since it opens a massive opportunity
for the user to experiment with their products on multiple platforms such as Smart phones,
laptops and tablets (Wikipedia, 2011).

WINDOWS 3.0

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

4

Microsoft announced the introduction of Windows 3.0 in 1992. A little while after,
Windows 3.1 came to use in 1994. An unexpected performance of over 10 million copies in less
than two years put Microsoft back to the drawing board. The scale of success of virtual memory
improved graphics. This version had noticeable better performance, advanced graphics with 16
colors and improved icons. The operating system was compatible with all other previous
operating system. The OS run on an Intel 386 processor with a minimum requirement of 1MB
RAM. The development of Windows 3.1 was a stepping stone to getting users to the Windows
NT operating system. An uncommon version of Windows 3.1 was included in the Microsofts
MS-DOS based networking software Windows 3.1 for Workgroups. The regular Windows 3.1
did not come with any networking software but had the capability to run on top of any DOS
based network such as NOVEL Netware, Microsoft LAN Manager and DEC Patchworks.
Likewise, the Windows 3.1 runs on top of MS/PC-DOS meaning that the computer had the
option of launching automatically when turned on or can launch in DOS (Books L. , Microsoft
History: History of Microsoft Windows, Bill Gates, Microsoft Litigation, Open Letter to
Hobbyists, History of Internet Explorer, 2010).
A service pack updated the version to Windows 3.1.1. Windows 3.11 for groups
combined and integrated Windows 386-protected mode network system. The Program Manager
Shell is the default start mode for Windows 3.1. Like its predecessor, the Program Manager Shell
uses the multiple document interface style to show program groups. Each Program Group
displays a list of Program icons that point to installed programs. The Program Manager shell had
its weaknesses. A custom program group with just the application icons was not practical
especially when dealing with multiple computers. The weaknesses inspired the development of

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

5

other third party Window Shells such as Norton Desktop for Windows CPD and HP NewWave
(Mark E. Russinovich, 2012).

This version of Windows displayed the same window characteristics as the previous
versions. Minimized window appear as an icon on the desktop while a click on this icon displays
the applications system menu. A click on the system box located at the left upper corner would
display the application menu. Other features included minimize and maximize buttons on the
upper right hand corner, click bar on the title bar to maximize or minimize the window, and a
double click on the system box closed the application (Mark E. Russinovich, 2012).

The File Manager is responsible for moving, deleting and other file management
activities of the system.

The File Manager and the Program Manager were both MDI applications. Each file
window consist of an expandable folder tree on the left, directory of the files located in a
particular folder on the right and a list of the drives at the top. Both the File Manager and
Program Manager are icon based applications which meant to improve multitasking and replace
the DOS executive based program and file manager (Robert Cowart, 2006).

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

6

The memory modes in Windows 3.1 could run on three modes; standard, real and
Enhanced 386. It became the first OS to operate on three modes. The Maximum applications of
the Windows 3.0 run in the standard mode or the 386 enhanced modes. To alter the virtual
memory settings, Windows 3.0 ought to be rebooted in the Real memory mode to load its
required boot file Swapfile.exe.

Utilities found in the Windows 3.1 are;

Supported multimedia extensions and audio files with a bit depth rate of at least

44.1 MHz.

The font styles were pre-installed with an Abode type manger font system.

Minesweeper to replace Reversi. In Windows 3.0 Riversi had an embedded card

game solitaire.

Multimedia viewer to play video and audio files.

Integrated CD-ROM facility.

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

7

Internet Explorer 2.0, notepad and paint brush.

The success of MS-DOS based versions of windows results in the launch of new
terminologies. The 9x based technology incorporated different components. The later versions of
windows (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows ME) are based on 9x
technology.

WINDOWS NT 3.51 WORKSTATION

This version provided the highest degree of protection for vital business applications and
functions. It supported OpenGL graphics standard to allow high-end power applications for
software development, engineering, financial analysis, and business-critical tasks. Windows NT
3.1 became the first in the NT family and its architecture was designed from scratch. The prime
goal was to achieve portability to many processor architectures in addition to security and
stability. The file system used in windows is FAT 16.

Windows NT is a 32 bit operating system. Its success was limited by the lack of 32 bit
applications and the high system requirements. Its development was an extension of the OS/2
project by Microsoft and IBM. The first initiative was the development of OS on a non-86-

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

8

system to achieve porting. Microsoft promoted NT as a cutting-edge operating system that

included all the features of a workstation. It had a new API and new user and system
management tools. Just like other commercial OS NT has two modes of execution, user mode
and. In the user mode, OS/2 , DOS and POSIX will execute and export APIs, so that
applications can use them. NT controlled the applications and the hardware they run on.
Therefore without NTs permission, applications cannot directly access the hardware. The
components and the hardware lacked the integration platform to access each others memory nor
the memory associated with NT's kernel. The applications in the user mode had to call on the
kernel when they want to access hardware or allocate physical or logical resources (Books H. ,
Articles on Microsoft Windows, Including: Cleartype, History of Microsoft Windows, VBScript,
Windows XP, Windows 2000, DLL Hell, Windows 98, Windows , Aug 22, 2011).

Kernel on the other hand is made up of Executive subsystems which are responsible for
managing sub systems such as the Processor Manager, I/O Manager, Virtual Memory Manager
and Security Reference Manager. Its execution is in the privileged mode as it can directly access
memory and hardware. These features are synonymous with the VMS design features. NTs
native API is the API that user mode applications utilize to communicate with the kernel. The
system dynamically loads device drivers including the kernel components that interface NT TO
different peripherals. The VMS kernel and Executive subsystems became the integral part of
building NT's. The only difference between the NT and the VMS architecture is the threads of
execution in the NT processes. Other features such as the Input/output Manager and memory
managers are equally designed in the same manner. Microsoft might have succeeded in copying
many features in the NT version from another companys operating system. Windows NT

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

9

workstation gave way for Windows 95 previously codenamed Chicago. It is the successor of all
Microsoft operating systems. Windows 95 integrates graphical user interface support, a 32 bit
Transmission Control Protocol for built in internet support. Other features included dial-up
networking and plug and play capabilities that made it easier for to install software and hardware
than before.

An improvement of the Window 95 lead to Windows NT workstation 4.0. It incorporated

Windows 95 user interface features to give an improved networking support that is crucial for the
evolving internet community and intranet support. A further improvement in 1996 resulted in
Windows NT Server. It is contained in the 4.0 and 4.5 versions of the back office small business
server suite. It is principally a server system designed for small scale business server operations.
Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition is the precursor to the enterprise line designed for high
demand and high traffic networks. The maximum RAM limit for the NT version is 4 GB. The
security features and mostly flaws in the NT family is a paramount concern for Microsoft since it
could not be patched without significant alteration of the operating system. The fundamental
difference between Windows NT and later versions made it impossible to built software that
would fix the vulnerability without re-architecture a greater part of the operating system.

The bottom level of Window 95 contained a considerable number of Virtual Device

Drivers primarily responsible for the management of audio, video, network and display
components and devices. In summary, virtual machine worked as a kernel of the windows
operating system and its functions as; memory manager, events manager, interrupt handling,

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

10

scheduling of dreads, device drivers manager. Configuration Manager functions by checking the
status of the entire attached devices to the computer system and control the modification, activity
and availability status (Robert Cowart, 2006).

WINDOWS 98

Launched in 1998, this version is monolithic implying that it supports both 16-bit and 32bit versions. The introduction of the MS DOS boot loader launched later after the OS fixed bugs
present in the 98 edition. The system requirements include; a minimum RAM OF 16MB but the
recommended was 24MB. A DISC SPACE OF 500 MB and a Pentium processor. Others include
VGA OR LATER EVOLUTION MONITOR AND a Microsoft Mouse and CD drive or a DVD.

Scan Disk facility function to maintain the available file disk while disk defragmenter
was responsible for the counting of non valid file system fragmentation effects. In order to
restore the system registry, scan Reg is the ultimate tool for this purpose. A user related facility
for enabling/disabling the required services during the run time of the operating system.
Universal Serial Bus supports the system. Internet explorer 5.0 took the place of 4.0 versions.
The introduction of LAN features in this version enabled the communication of nodes using the
Network Address Transition terminologies. There were a number of bugs removed from the first
version of Windows 98. The cardinal observed feature in Windows 98 is the memory overflow
error which occurs when it goes on for 49 days.

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

11

WINDOWS 2000

It was designed to replace Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT Workshop 4.0.
Windows 200 added considerable improvements in reliability, ease of use, internet
interoperability and support for mobile computing. The four releases of Windows 200 included;
professional edition, server edition, advanced server edition, data centre server. It was launched
as a 64 bit version on February of 2000.

Windows 2000 is a preemptive, multitasking operating system that has advanced

networking and security features. It supports high performance computing by giving kernel
support for computers that have symmetric multiprocessor configurations. With the Windows
200 Server, Plug and Play and power management capabilities are availed by the ACPIcompliant server systems.

Hardware support features include;

Support Microsoft cluster server and a maximum of four nodes in the

Microsoft Cluster Service.

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

12

Support bus and device service such ad USB, HID and Fiber Channel.

Support for I2O architecture

Physical memory of more than 4GB

System Are Networking supports.

Support for Web-based Enterprise Management and WMI AS PART OF Zero

Administration Initiative reducing hardware ownership costs.

Microsoft Windows server has IA-64 system support unlike 32-bit versions of windows.
Windows 2000 is designed to operate on platforms with processors that use Intel Architecture
Instruction set. These include IA-32 platforms such as Intel Pentium, Intel Pentium with MMX
technology, Pentium Pro, Pentium II, III, II Xeon and III Xeon (Books L. , Os2:History of
Microsoft Windows, Os2, Jfs, High Performance File System, Cd, Echo, Disk Formatting, Team
Os2, Ecomstation, Chkdsk, 2011).

WINDOWS XP

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

13

It was launched in 2001 and took Microsoft millions of dollars. Microsoft wanted to put
an end to DOS and introduced a gaming platform Xbox. Window XP and Office XP are
continuously updated over the internet. The first system requirement for the XP OS was 64 MB
of RAM and a processor speed of 400MB. However later upgrades required 256MB of RAM and
a processor of 1.5 GHz to stay relevant in the Windows.net and Office.net. (Wikipedia, 2011)

Windows XP is the most reliable than any of the DOS BASED systems. There is a clear
separation between the operating system and the application programs in Windows XP. As a
result applications which could access the peripheral directly in the earlier versions could now go
through the operating system in order to get to the peripherals. Porting of applications such as
games is not possible in this OS.

The OS is a general purpose making it less efficient as compared to custom applications.

This calls for increased memory and faster processor. Later versions of XP required more than
266 MB of Random Access Memory and up to 1GB processor. XP is termed a real operating
system capable of working on a separated mode giving maximum benefits in terms of server
features for home and office use. The mirrored disk drive is fault tolerant. It replicates all the
data on the mirror drive to two other disk drives to provide backup in case of a crash. Moreover,
the operating system can detect a failing disk drive and automatically place a replacement order
over the internet.

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

14

A successor of Windows server 2000 was released in 2003 and christened Win2k3. After
approximately five years, Windows Vista was launched in 2007. Windows Vista had new
features including an updated GUI, and visual style called Aero. It also came with a new search
utility known as Windows search, a newer designed networking, as well as audio, display and
print features. Windows Vista incorporated the .NET Framework third version eliminating the
Windows API features for writing applications. Likewise, it aimed to improve communication
between devices on a home network.

Windows Aero is a graphical user interface feature introduced in XP to provide cleaner

and pleasing live thumbnails, live icons and animations. The Windows shell on the other hand
had provided a range of navigation, organization and search capabilities. Task panes found in
windows explorer are done away with and relevant task options are included on the toolbar.
Icons of some applications can be set up to 256 by 256 pixels. Other notable features include the
Windows Media Player 11, Windows Internet Explorer 7, Windows Sidebar, Windows Mail- a
replacement of the Outlook express with improved stability and security integrated features such
as Phishing Filter (Books L. , Microsoft History: History of Microsoft Windows, Bill Gates,
Microsoft Litigation, Open Letter to Hobbyists, History of Internet Explorer, 2010).

With the utilization of technologies such as Ready Boost and Ready Drive, system
performance is tremendously improved. This explains the improved battery life in notebook
computers. The technologies perform caching of the commonly used programs and analyze user

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

15

patterns to make intelligent decisions of what programs should be available in the system
memory at a given time.

WINDOWS 7

Windows 7 came to live in 2009 as a replacement for Window XP. The Edition was
designed for business, home and desktop use. The graphic features improved those of XP AND
implored the 3D. The super bar improved the architecture of the task bar with better coding
scheme for instant access. In addition to Windows Media player, the new revolutionary Windows
Movie Maker and Windows Photo Gallery updated the media segment (Books H. , Articles on
Microsoft History, Including: Bill Gates, History of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Version
Number, Open Letter to Hobbyists, Apple Computer, Aug 22, 2011).

The system adopted higher requirement specifications than those of XP. Windows 7 is a
64-bit and 32-bit architecture with 64-bit 1 GHz processor. The minimum RAM size required
2GB with a minimum 20 GB hard disc. The 32-bit architecture has a RAM requirement of 1GB.

Window 7 Enterprise has a number of features that minimizes cost for the business user.
Direct Access is one such feature. It functions in the same way as the VPN AND allows safe
connection to the corporate network from anywhere as long as there is an internet connection.

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

16

Like the Direct Access, Branch cache is another application in Windows 7 that can be utilized
together Windows server 2008 to improve the speed of extracting data from remote locations by
caching the information in the intranet or the internet the first time it is requested. Other
advancements include VDI, App locker, Federated search and Language Pack (Source
Wikipedia, 2010).

WINDOWS 8

Windows 8 was first released for manufacturing on August 2012 and is an extension of
the 6.2 version of the Windows NT Kernel. The new improvements on Windows 8 are geared
towards mobile platforms. It features a touch user interface and shell based Metro design
language with a new Start screen and dynamically updating applications in the form of tiles. The
start screen is a replacement of the start menu. Apart from this, it has a Window Store application
that acts as a store for free and commercial applications to be run on the OS.

Windows 8 has utilized advanced computing technologies such as USB 3.0, Cloud
computing, ARM architecture, near field communication and Advanced Format. Security
features include built-in antivirus capability, digital distribution process, and synchronization of
applications between multiple platforms.

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

17

The UEFI integration mechanism of the Hybrid Boot on start up works by allowing the
hibernation of Windows Kernel on shutdown to increase the boot speed. USB 3.0 allow for
speedy data transfer and power management while near field communication allows sharing of
information between devices.

According to (Robert Cowart, 2006) the improved security features include PIN and
picture passwords as well as antivirus advancements for Windows Defender. Sky Drive is a
cloud computing application allowing users to save files directly to the cloud. With improved
mobile broadband, the OS can detect the attachment of SIM cards and automatically configure
APN, tract and minimize bandwidth use on limited networks.

Windows 8 provide state of the art integration between the mouse, keyboard and the
touch screen and those with both. It provides a faster and fluid interface to switch between the
applications and navigate. The Start screen interface is for on-the-go information users who
require information such as weather focusing, e-mail, twitter and other features. The Start
Screens Desktop tile incorporates all the cumbersome menus for the work based user (Carpenter,
2011).

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

18

References
Books, H. (Aug 22, 2011). Articles on Microsoft History, Including: Bill Gates, History of
Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Version Number, Open Letter to Hobbyists, Apple
Computer. Hephaestus Books, .
Books, H. (Aug 22, 2011). Articles on Microsoft Windows, Including: Cleartype, History of
Microsoft Windows, VBScript, Windows XP, Windows 2000, DLL Hell, Windows 98,
Windows . Hephaestus Books, .
Books, L. (2010). Microsoft History: History of Microsoft Windows, Bill Gates, Microsoft
Litigation, Open Letter to Hobbyists, History of Internet Explorer. General Books.
Books, L. (2011). Os2:History of Microsoft Windows, Os2, Jfs, High Performance File System,
Cd, Echo, Disk Formatting, Team Os2, Ecomstation, Chkdsk. General Books.
Carpenter, T. (2011). Microsoft Windows Operating System Essentials. John Wiley & Sons.
Jesse Russell, R. C. (2012). History of Microsoft Word . Book on Demand.
Mark E. Russinovich, D. A. ( 2012). Windows Internals, Part 2, 6. Edition. O'Reilly Media, Inc. .
Robert Cowart, B. K. (2006). Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP Home. Que
Publishing.
Source Wikipedia, B. L. (2010). History of Software: History of Microsoft Windows, History of
Operating Systems, Punched Card, Software Crisis, History of Mac OS, Mosaic. General
Books LLC.
Wikipedia. (2011). History of Microsoft:. General Books LLC.

Running Head MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

19