Windows OS

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tarun basu
6 min read5 views
Windows OS

🧩 1. Basic Information

Field β€”>Description
OS Name β€”>Microsoft Windows
Developer β€”>Microsoft Corporation
First Released β€”>November 20, 1985 (Windows 1.0)
Latest Version β€”>Windows 11 (2021), Windows 12 (upcoming)
License Type β€”>Commercial (proprietary)
Supported Platforms β€”>x86, x64, ARM64
Still Active? β€”>βœ… Yes

βš™οΈ 2. Kernel & Architecture

Kernel Type: Hybrid Kernel

Based On: MS-DOS (earlier versions), Windows NT (modern versions)

Architecture Support: x86, x64, IA-64, ARM64

Boot System: BIOS/UEFI, secure boot, dual-boot support

🌟 3. Key Features

Intuitive GUI (Start Menu, Taskbar, File Explorer)

Multitasking & multi-user login

Gaming optimized (DirectX support)

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Microsoft Store & wide app support

Cortana (voice assistant), Action Center, Widgets

BitLocker encryption, Defender Antivirus

Virtual desktops, touch support, Snap Layouts

Full integration with Microsoft Office & Azure

πŸ“ˆ 4. Version History & Important Milestones βœ…

Version β€”>Year β€”>Milestone / Impact
Windows 1.0 β€”>1985 β€”>First GUI overlay on MS-DOS, tiled windows
Windows 3.0/3.1 β€”>1990–92 β€”>Big commercial success; File Manager, TrueType font support
Windows 95 β€”>1995 β€”>Start Menu, Taskbar, 32-bit support, Plug and Play
Windows 98 β€”>1998 β€”>Internet Explorer, FAT32, better USB support
Windows ME β€”>2000 β€”>Multimedia-focused; unstable; last DOS- based Windows
Windows 2000 β€”>2000 β€”>Based on NT kernel; improved file system & security
Windows XP β€”>2001 β€”>Huge success; unified home & business, long support till 2014
Windows Vista β€”>2007 β€”>Aero UI, UAC, high system requirements
Windows 7 β€”>2009 β€”>Reliable, fast, most loved OS; long lifespan
Windows 8 / 8.1 β€”>2012–13 β€”>Touch-first UI; removed then restored Start button
Windows 10 β€”>2015 β€”>Rolling updates, WSL, Cortana, integrated with cloud
Windows 11 β€”>2021 β€”>New UI, centered Start Menu, Android apps support
Windows 12 (expected) β€”>2024–25 β€”>AI-first, cloud-native, modular update architecture

🎯 5. Target Audience & Use Cases

General Users: Home, students, small businesses

Enterprise: Server environments (via Windows Server)

Developers: Especially .NET, Visual Studio, WSL users

Gamers: Best-in-class support with DirectX 12 Ultimate

Educational Sector, Government, Creative Professionals

βœ… 6. Pros & Cons

Pros β€”>Cons
User-friendly interface β€”>Requires frequent updates
Excellent gaming & app compatibility β€”>Some privacy concerns in newer versions
Strong enterprise support (Active Directory, etc.) β€”>Paid license
Best support for productivity tools β€”>Slower on older hardware (esp. Win 11)

🎨 7. UI Demo & Visuals

Boot screen animation (Windows 95 β†’ 11)

Evolution of the Start Menu & Taskbar

Windows Explorer, Settings app, Widgets panel

Demo of Snap Layouts, Virtual Desktops

App installs via Microsoft Store

Optional: gaming experience, WSL terminal, Edge browser

πŸ“¦ 8. Ecosystem & App Support

Microsoft Store + traditional .exe installers

Preinstalled apps: Edge, Calculator, Paint, Notepad

Compatible with major apps (Adobe, AutoCAD, Steam, Zoom, etc.)

Cloud: Microsoft 365, OneDrive integration

Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA in Win 11)

Windows Server for data centers, enterprises

πŸ” 9. Security & Updates

Windows Defender Antivirus (built-in)

BitLocker encryption

User Account Control (UAC)

Secure Boot & TPM 2.0 (in Win 11)

Monthly security patches + Feature updates (2x/year)

SmartScreen, ransomware protection, Windows Hello (face/fingerprint login)

🌍 10. Community, License & Development

Proprietary software (requires license or OEM pre-install)

Huge global user base & active communities

Developer tools: Visual Studio, WinUI, UWP, WSL

Enterprise tools: Group Policy Editor, Active Directory

Windows Insider Program (for early access & feedback)

🎁 BONUS: Full Version History Table (Windows)

Version Name β€”>Release Date β€”>End of Life (EOL) β€”>Notes
Windows 1.0 β€”>1985-11-20 β€”>2001 β€”>First graphical shell
Windows 2.0 β€”>1987-12-09 β€”>2001 β€”>Overlapping windows support
Windows 3.0 β€”>1990-05-22 β€”>2001 β€”>Major commercial success
Windows 3.1 β€”>1992-04-06 β€”>2001 β€”>TrueType fonts, multimedia
Windows 95 β€”>1995-08-24 β€”>2001 β€”>Start Menu introduced
Windows 98 β€”>1998-06-25 β€”>2006-07-11 β€”>Better USB, IE integration
Windows ME β€”>2000-09-14 β€”>2006-07-11 β€”>Last DOS-based version
Windows 2000 β€”>2000-02-17 β€”>2010-07-13 β€”>First NT-based consumer OS
Windows XP β€”>2001-10-25 β€”>2014-04-08 β€”>Most popular version; stable & fast
Windows Vista β€”>2007-01-30 β€”>2017-04-11 β€”>Introduced Aero, UAC
Windows 7 β€”>2009-10-22 β€”>2020-01-14 β€”>Very stable and widely loved
Windows 8 β€”>2012-10-26 β€”>2016-01-12 (mainstream) β€”>Metro UI, Start menu removed
Windows 8.1 β€”>2013-10-17 β€”>2023-01-10 β€”>Start button returned
Windows 10 β€”>2015-07-29 β€”>2025-10-14 (expected) β€”>Rolling updates, Cortana, WSL
Windows 11 β€”>2021-10-05 β€”>Ongoing β€”>New design, WSA, improved performance
Windows 12 (rumored) β€”>2024–25 (TBD) β€”>TBD β€”>Cloud-AI focus, modular system, faster updates

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