What Is Microsoft Windows?

Contributor

By G. K. Bayne
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (1 Ratings)

Microsoft Windows was first created as a graphical interface extension of the DOS operating system. Over the years, it has gone through a series of upgrades, updates and new versions, with Vista being one of the incarnations. Microsoft Windows is the top-selling operating system for both business and home computers and applications.

History

The first version of Windows was introduced in 1985 with a new version introduced approximately every two years. Version 3 of Windows for Workgroups was the first version to be utilized in many business offices and the first that developers outside of the Microsoft Corporation were to embrace for writing their own applications.

Significance

Windows revolutionized the way people used a computer. No longer did the user have to understand complex DOS commands; the graphical interface, along with a mouse, allowed people to point and click to open applications and perform complicated tasks. Windows was first introduced in the United States; versions of the software are now available written in languages of almost every country of the world.

Function

Microsoft Windows performs as an operating system. While graphical in nature, the system tells the computer how to work. From basic tasks of opening a program application to complex tasks like number crunching in a spreadsheet, the operating system informs the computer how to handle each task or command.

Time Frame

The first version of Windows was introduced in November 1985 and is still the market share leader for operating systems of both business and personal computers. With the introduction of Windows 95, most business and home computers began to fully embrace the operating system because of the ease of use.

Misconceptions

Many people think that a "PC" is a computer running Windows. Actually, the term PC stands for any personal computer, and this would include those machines running MAC or LINUX operating systems as well. Microsoft has been both praised and condemned for their ability to corner the market on the Windows operating system and the way they have integrated some applications, such as Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, into the system.

Warning

Microsoft no longer supports many older versions of Windows, such as the 9X series. Support for Windows 2000 expires in 2010 with XP set to fall to the wayside in 2014. While these programs may still work, Microsoft will not be releasing any new updates or patches for retired operating system programs. Microsoft Windows is also the operating system most prone to viruses and hacker attacks, according to a study done by Stay Safe Online.