Microsoft Windows: creation history and interesting facts. The history of the creation of Windows Interesting facts about operating systems
Even a person far from IT technologies has heard about Microsoft Windows. According to figures from July 2017, Windows is installed on 35.7% of all computers in the world. The corporation itself ranks first in the world in terms of software distribution and coverage of the Internet technology market segment. The company did not come to such indicators immediately and, of course, its path was not a well-trodden path, since Microsoft Windows is a kind of pioneer among the OS and it was this company that had to "stuff" more than a dozen bumps before universal recognition.
A brief excursion into history
Microsoft itself has been officially operating on the market since 1975. On the this moment it is one of the largest in the world and is engaged in the implementation of software not only for PCs, but also for other computing equipment, including set-top boxes, PDAs, and its own line of smartphones.
Windows is the main brainchild of the corporation, an operating system with a priority of the graphic component in the management process, which is also not without curiosities in its history of formation. The first issue took place on November 20, 1985.
Microsoft Monopoly Scandals
There are many scandals in the history of Microsoft, Windows, Office, the essence of which is the corporation's claims to monopoly within the segment. No need to look too far, the latest "showdown" between Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft over the position of browsers in Windows 10 is a clear confirmation that the company does not lose ambition in conquering the entire market as a whole.
In addition, on November 10, 2016, the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia registered a lawsuit from Kaspersky Lab about Microsoft's monopoly behavior in the context of the services provided in the field of anti-virus software. In Microsoft Windows 10 in earlier versions, it is quite difficult to disable the built-in antivirus. He even considers some programs from other developers to be spyware and removes it.
Operating system MS-DOS
Despite the fact that the "first attempt at writing" Microsoft Windows, namely the MS-DOS disk operating system, was not received very well on the market, the project as a whole was recognized as a success. This version of the software was produced in the period in the 80s and early 90s, was modeled on the basis of the x86 system and differed by a significant number of "holes" in the code. Also, few people know, but the truly first OS from Microsoft is XENIX, it was developed under UNIX, but the project was closed for some reason. MS-DOS is considered to be a "dirty" UNIX version of the original, and was unconfirmedly rumored to have been released in an incredible rush.
Windows 95-98
The first version of the OS, controlled by means of a graphical manipulator, and not a text line, was introduced in 1995. Excluding the NT OS version, this software is considered the corporation's first serious commercial success in the field of Internet technologies. The OS was intended primarily for the retail, home customer segment, not the business sector. In addition, this particular version of Microsoft Windows has become a landmark for the company as a whole. Replacing Windows 3.0, the OS came out under its own brand with the famous "windows".
Windows 95 is the last version of the original OS that can be installed using floppy disks. To be more precise, we are talking about 13 floppy disks and the minimum version of the software. The famous singer and showman Bob Rivers devoted an entire musical composition to this version of the OS, in which he tried to describe how much he was tired of constant crashes. Despite some skepticism, Windows 95 turned out to be competitive, and the 98th version of the OS only strengthened the position of the software.
Windows 2000
If the previous OS was a hybrid for 16-bit and 32-bit systems, then Win2k was a real breakthrough on an already beaten field. This project was supposed to be the "swan song" of the NT project inside Microsoft Windows, but came out under its own brand name. There was support for installing software and drivers via a USB port, as well as wireless technologies.
In general, according to reviews, Windows 2000 is one of the most successful ideas of the corporation and is extremely stable. Few people know, but it was this version that became the first with the introduction of File Protection from the company.
Windows XP
With the exception of the not-so-new Millennium Edition, which was introduced in 2000, Windows XP has become Microsoft's trump card, which gave it user loyalty. An interesting fact is that the development of the OS was carried out for 600 days, 5734 people were employed in the project, and this is a record number for the corporation at that time. Several innovations have appeared in the OS, for example, "Start" has been divided into two columns, and the integrated software has acquired new "skins" and innovations.
On the eve of the first OS teasers before the public, the corporation's marketing department came up with a slogan that was supposed to embody the speed of Windows XP. It sounded like Prepare to Fly (translation - "Prepare to fly"), but it was replaced due to an unpleasant analogy to the events of September 11, 2001. Later, the familiar Yes You Can appeared (translation - "Yes, you can").
Windows Vista
According to the position of users, this is the first failure of the corporation. Replacing the classic interface with a new one, moreover, rather inconvenient, has become one of the key disadvantages of this version of the OS, which was released on January 30, 2007. The OS turned out to be extremely "heavy", exceeding the size of the XP version by almost 1.4 times. In addition, the sold circulation hardly paid back the costs of the corporation. The bet on the home segment and PC exclusives did not work, leaving the company behind its competitors.
This is the first version of the OS from the company, which has an integrated sidebar that complements the control panel. Also here it became possible to add a transparency effect to the design of Windows Aero. Some adherents of the original version of the OS have claimed that Windows has created a graphically improved but technically degraded Windows XP.
Windows 7
In 2009, Windows 7 saw the light, becoming the second major success of the corporation in the global market. The graphical component of the system has become better, themes that looked like a crude development in Windows Vista have become one of the most requested tools and an occasion for art among users. The integrated Windows Search has been improved, made more complete, and expanded functionality. Technically, Windows 7 has become more perfect. The corporation did not provide stunning innovations, but the OS became much more stable in operation. It is no longer supported by the company, but is still popular.
Microsoft Office for Windows 7 is considered one of the most convenient text editors in the entire line. The program has acquired many useful features and is also in demand. Microsoft visual Windows 7 has also been improved and received a more user-friendly interface.
Windows 8
The G8 appeared in a public format in 2012. "Tiles" were not appreciated by everyone, but the benefit of innovations did not end there. A task manager appeared, synchronization of parameters, as well as the first commercial attempts of the corporation inside its own software. By the way, an interesting incident is connected with the popularization of the Windows Store. Valve criticized Windows 8 on the eve of the presentation of the latter due to the fact that they feared for the position of Steam against the backdrop of the internal Microsoft store. This was one of the first accusations of the company in the monopolization of the software segment.
Windows 10
The current version of Windows was introduced in 2015 and remains the most controversial. Microsoft was accused of forcibly distributing the OS among licensed users, infringing on the rights of other software developers, creating a distortion in the market, promoting their own projects within an already promoted brand and commercializing the process as a whole. It will suffice to mention that the OS was updated by itself, completely ignoring the user's attempts to cancel the process. Microsoft Office for Windows 10 was not available at all in the company's business package for a brief period.
Other software
Incidents occurred with other software from Microsoft. Microsoft Office Window 7 remains one of the company's most successful third-party projects, but Office, released in 2010, has gained a following of its own. For example, it was this version that acquired a convenient interface for integrating visual content within a document. Also, Microsoft Windows 2010, namely the Office package, received more convenient documentation management tools, creating screenshots and sending papers by mail. And, for example, Excel was created at all as software for the Macintosh.
As you can see, the history of the formation of Microsoft is rich in all sorts of incidents and "interesting things". It is impossible to cover them all, since the corporation has been moving towards its positions for more than three decades. However, given the current trend, commercial motives within the company can cross out the hard-earned audience and simply throw the company back.
Warning: using Windows 10 may not be safe for your privacy!
The researchers armed themselves with network monitors, debugging tools and other professional tools and looked inside the new OS to understand what Windows was stealing from the user's computer.
1. All printed text
It doesn't matter which application you are using. Keystrokes are intercepted at the operating system level, the data is collected in packets and sent every 30 minutes to Microsoft servers.
Formal explanation from Microsoft: needed to improve the predictive input system (accelerated typing).
2. Geolocation data
And the names of Wi-Fi networks nearby. Accumulated and transmitted every 30 minutes. They allow you to track the physical movements of the user with an accuracy of several meters.
Explanation from Microsoft: the data is needed for search engine Bing so it can provide more relevant answers.
What this means to the user: Microsoft knows your home address. If you have a Windows 10 mobile device, Microsoft knows all the places you go.
3. Microphone recording
The microphone in Windows 10 is always on. At first, it was suggested that this was necessary for the Cortana service (voice assistant) to work, but a little later it became known that disabling Cortana did not solve the problem. Recordings of the user's voice can accumulate, some of them are sent to Microsoft servers.
4. Telemetry
A fantastic feature in terms of its potential insecurity, which is not even hidden by the developer company. Telemetry is the transmission of data to Microsoft about the state of your computer and your activity. Literally everything is collected: what programs are installed, what programs are running, the amount of memory used, application logs, fragments of RAM, and so on.
Considering that anything can be in RAM - from confidential data to credit card numbers - such transfer to other people's servers is a potential vulnerability.
5. Fight against piracy
Windows 10 looks at the names of user files and checks against a constantly updated list of pirated new items. If matches are found, user directory listings are sent to Microsoft. In fact, the computer informs on its own owner.
Recall that data on anti-piracy activity in Windows 10 has been known for a long time. But it was assumed that the emphasis would be on the fight against counterfeit games. Now it becomes clear that the main goal is to deprive users of the opportunity to download pirated copies of American films and series from torrents.
6. Portrait for memory
Some users have noticed that after the first activation of Windows 10, the webcam turns on for a short period. Research confirms this - 35 MB of data is transferred to Microsoft immediately after activating and turning on the built-in camera. Presumably, the data is tied to the user's Microsoft account.
Time is rapidly running forward, and the Windows 7 operating system is still very popular, today this system has occupied more than half of the market for modern systems. Therefore, this article focuses on the most interesting features of Windows 7.
1. Using the function to customize the ClearType text, you can achieve an improved, high-quality text image on a computer monitor, as this function already has a built-in font setting. To open the tool with which it is possible to configure ClearType, you must press start, and enter “cleartype” into the search engine system, then press enter on the keyboard. Next, you need to do everything as the ClearType configuration system indicates.
2. In Windows 7, after opening the "start" button, the items are shortcuts, which means that when you open the "control panel" link, the window of the same name opens. There is a way to do this in a different, convenient way. You need to press the "start" key with the mouse, press the settings key in the settings system, then find the "control panel", select the method - display everything as a menu, then the control panel utilities are shown in the "start" system, this speeds up access to them.
3. By pressing and holding the Shift button on the desktop on the keyboard, you must press the button on the right side of the mouse on the file and in the context menu, there will be functions that complement it.
4. When you press the button on the right side of the mouse on the included program in the task system, while pressing the Shift button and holding it in this position, you can open the menu that was used in earlier versions of Windows, and not the one used in the Windows operating system 7.
6. Using Windows 7, it is possible to change the name of all several files at once. Performing this action, we select the necessary files, by pressing the F2 button we set the name of the first file document, after which all the selected files will have the same name, as well as a sequence number.
7. For Windows 7 users who work with two monitors, it is possible to use the desired keyboard connection: the Windows key plus the Shift key plus the left arrow key and the Windows key plus the Shift key plus the right pointing arrow key, thanks to such combinations it is possible to move from one monitor to another.
8. In the Windows 7 operating system, there are resources for setting different volumes for various programs. For example, Opera works, in which an open window with any kind of animated Flash player with sound, plus the Media Player window is open, by clicking on the speaker button and the mixer link in the system, it is possible to adjust the sound or the overall sound volume from the window.
9. If you decide to leave somewhere for a few minutes, but do not want to turn off the computer, or you decide to instantly limit the viewing of your actions on the monitor, use the Win-L combination, and using this connection, the desktop on your monitor will be blocked .
10. Place shortcuts to the programs you use most often in the task system. From this point on, all the necessary programs for work can be quickly launched.
An amazing feature of man lies in the herd mentality. At certain points in time, that part of the brain that is responsible for the mind is turned off and copying the behavior of others is turned on. Of course, you all understood, we are talking about the fact that you are all diligently paying one well-known American corporation with money, time and nerves, ask the question “why?”. Yes, of course, most of you, following the tradition laid down during Perestroika, use Windows. Moreover, the majority of this majority will not be able to explain on closer examination why they do it. Linux is much more convenient and stable than Windows, it's just that Microsoft marketers managed to drive something else into the heads of others. Meanwhile, the author of this blog uses Linux Fedora, and the blog itself (web server) also runs on Linux Gentoo. Let's talk more interesting facts about Linux:
1. The first Linux was written in 1991 by Finnish student Linus Torvalds. Now this operating system is being created by many hundreds of thousands of developers around the world, including full-time developers of such well-known corporations as IBM, Intel, Google, Samsung, Oracle, Hitachi, LG Electronics, NEC, Sony, Panasonic, Qualcomm. For comparison, Microsoft has about 80,000 developers and they released their first iconic Windows 95 ... Guess what year ...
2. Linux can be found on over 87% of systems and ~500 of the world's best supercomputers. Most smartphones and smartwatches run Linux-modified Android, your router most likely runs Linux as well.
3. The Linux kernel is written in C.
4. Now the share of code written by Linus Torvalds in the kernel is less than 2%, however, it is Linus who is the main developer and decides whether to include the code in the kernel and release the next version.
5. The Linux kernel version 1.0.0 was released with 176,250 lines of code. The Linux kernel currently consists of over 10 million lines of code.
6. An asteroid (Torvalds) and its satellite (Linus) were named after Linus Torvalds.
7. Linux is the most portable operating system, able to run both in hours and in a supercluster consisting of several floors of servers.
8. The official mascot of the Linux operating system is a penguin named Tux. According to legend, the penguin pecked Linus at the zoo, after which they struck up a friendship.
9. At first, Torvalds wanted to name his offspring Freax (a hybrid of the words free, freak and the letter X, denoting belonging to Unix systems), but the system administrator, who allocated him a place on the server for distributing the operating system, named the directory Linux.
10. Linux principles are taken from Unix systems and tested by their long history.
11. When people talk about Linux to the uninitiated, they imagine something complicated from a hacker movie, while many handy graphical tools appeared on Linux long before Microsoft could. A lot of things in Windows are done so inconveniently and clumsily that Linux users who have to use Windows swear a lot.
12. After Windows 8 came out, many users switched to Linux as it was more familiar than the Windows hack.
13. The Linux operating system has nothing to do with the medical product called "Linex"
14. "Vanilla kernel" (vanilla kernel) is not ice cream, but an unmodified version of the Linux kernel.
15. There are many different games for Linux, of various genres.
16. Linux can be updated while you are working on it. It does not force updates and reboots.
17. Linux can run Windows programs, but not vice versa.
18. The Linux code is open, you can always see what exactly works on your computer. Windows collects your data and sends it to someone...
19. Linux is run by the community, the situation is excluded, as in the case of Windows 8, when everyone spat on the final result. Even if you are in the minority, it will be possible to install a different graphical environment.
20. Linux does not have a single shell like Windows does. A lot of them. Look at the pictures by the keywords Gnome, KDE, XFCE, Unity, choose the one you like.
21. Linux can run on older and weaker computers as well. Look at LUbuntu or Puppy Linux. Puppy can even run on 256MB of RAM!
22. The absence of viruses in Linux is not a myth. More precisely, there are viruses, but most of them work on the principle of Brute force, i.e. they are not capable of more than sorting out passwords to your computer.
23. With Linux, you don't have to surf the internet to download a program. Programs are selected in a convenient application store (as in Google Play). Windows is just starting to try to implement this.
24. On Linux, programs don't store their settings in an ever-blooming registry. For this reason, it does not need to be reinstalled once a year, and settings can be transferred from a computer to another by simple copying.
25. The Linux community is so large that you will find a place to ask your question if things don't work out. In any language.
21ЀvvIsn't it great to learn about a new shortcut in the city or discover a cool feature of a new gadget? Windows 7 is full of unexpected features. Let's take a look at a few small but amazing improvements in Windows 7 that you might not know about.
1. Complex mathematical calculations 
The Calculator has several new dynamic features. Click View to view them. The unit conversion feature converts degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit, kilometers to miles, meters to feet, grams to ounces, joules to Btu, and many other units. With new calculation sheets, you can quickly perform day-to-day calculations such as fuel economy and car rental payments. Programming and statistical functions modes allow you to handle the most intricate tasks.
2. Sending information to technical support 
The next time you need to describe a complex problem with your computer to a friend or technical support professional, try using the Troubleshooting Activity Recorder. You can record a series of screenshots, add notes, and email them directly to your assistant.
3. Move the taskbar 
Did you know that the taskbar can be moved to the top, right, or left of the screen?
The taskbar usually appears at the bottom edge of the desktop, but you can move it to the top or sides of the desktop. You must unpin the taskbar before moving it. 
Click an empty spot on the taskbar and, while holding down the mouse button, drag the taskbar to one of the four desktop borders. Once the taskbar is in the desired location, release the mouse button.
4. Clock setting 
Do your friends, family and colleagues live in different time zones around the world?
Add a clock to your taskbar to keep track of the time in their region. You can also add the Clock gadget to your desktop to keep track of the time in their region. You can also add the Clock gadget to your desktop. In addition, you can choose from eight different clock designs. Learn more about adding and personalizing gadgets. 
5. Create and share topics 
Love variety? In Windows 7, you can design, save, and quickly change the themes of your computer (desktop background, window border color, sounds, and splash screen). You can also create new themes, such as using your favorite photos for your desktop background, and easily share them with friends and family.
6. Drag and Drop Files from Jump Lists 
The Jump List feature provides a list of quick access to frequently used or recently opened files. Simply hover your mouse over the right arrow next to programs on the start menu, or left-click a program on the taskbar. With Jump Lists, you can open files and programs with just a few clicks. You can also drag and drop items from Jump Lists into open folders or emails.
7. File Preview
Another great time-saving tool is the view panel for files in a folder or library. With its help, you can view the contents of files without opening them in the program. You can open the view panel in a window by pressing the keyboard shortcut ALT+P. This area will display thumbnails of photos, PDFs, and other items when you click on them. Learn more about using files and folders, including the Preview panel.
8. Reduce eye strain with ClearType 
ClearType is a software tool that improves the readability of text on an LCD screen. If the text seems fuzzy, use ClearType. During the eye test, several screens will need to be viewed to achieve the clearest possible text display.
9. Easy note setting 
Now notes on the desktop can be made even more convenient. You can format the text and change its color and size, collapse and scroll through several notes. If you have a tablet or touch screen, you can use multiple input methods (stylus and touch) in a single note.
10. Introduction to the new version of Paint 
This classic has been improved in Windows 7 with new brush effects such as watercolor, pencil, and calligraphy. Now in the Paint program you will see a handy ribbon for all the useful functions that are used most often. And on the touch screen, you can draw with your fingers, including creating individual strokes with two fingers at the same time.
11. Quick data search on the computer 
Windows Search - the most fast way find and open the files you want on your computer, including documents, e-mails, music, photos, and other files. To use Windows Search, click the Start button, enter one or more keywords in the search field, and browse the search results, which appear almost instantly.
Isn't it great to learn about a new shortcut in the city or discover a cool feature of a new gadget? Windows 7 is full of unexpected features. Let's take a look at a few small but amazing improvements in Windows 7 that you might not know about.
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