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Windows turns 35: a visual history - From Windows 1.0 to Windows 10 (Flashback: Nov 20, 1985)
The Verge ^ | Nov 20, 2020 | Tom Warren

Posted on 11/20/2020 8:31:22 PM PST by dayglored

The PC revolution started off life 35 years ago this week. Microsoft launched its first version of Windows on November 20th, 1985, to succeed MS-DOS. It was a huge milestone that paved the way for the modern versions of Windows we use today. While Windows 10 doesn’t look anything like Windows 1.0, it still has many of its original fundamentals like scroll bars, drop-down menus, icons, dialog boxes, and apps like Notepad and MS paint.

Windows 1.0 also set the stage for the mouse. If you used MS-DOS then you could only type in commands, but with Windows 1.0 you picked up a mouse and moved windows around by pointing and clicking. Alongside the original Macintosh, the mouse completely changed the way consumers interacted with computers. At the time, many complained that Windows 1.0 focused far too much on mouse interaction instead of keyboard commands. Microsoft’s first version of Windows might not have been well received, but it kick-started a battle between Apple, IBM, and Microsoft to provide computing to the masses.

[LOTS of pics and text and whatnot at the link...]

(Excerpt) Read more at theverge.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: microsoft; windows; windowspinglist
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LONG article with tons of photos and descriptive text. Actually pretty good, and quite interesting, if you are interested in anything having to do with Windows and how we got to where we are.
1 posted on 11/20/2020 8:31:22 PM PST by dayglored
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To: Abby4116; afraidfortherepublic; aft_lizard; AF_Blue; AppyPappy; arnoldc1; ATOMIC_PUNK; bajabaja; ...
Windows History in Pictures ... PING!

You can find all the Windows Ping list threads with FR search: just search on keyword "windowspinglist".

2 posted on 11/20/2020 8:32:08 PM PST by dayglored ("Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."`)
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To: dayglored

Bill Gates is such a dreamboat in this picture.


3 posted on 11/20/2020 8:38:56 PM PST by bigdaddy45
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To: dayglored

Why do I picture Clippy jumping up and down yelling “Don’t forget about me, don’t forget about me!”


4 posted on 11/20/2020 8:39:24 PM PST by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: dayglored

I remember having fun editing my autoexec.bat


5 posted on 11/20/2020 8:39:52 PM PST by GreatRoad ('In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act' )
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To: dayglored

Did they roll in PARC and Apple?


6 posted on 11/20/2020 8:40:09 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: dayglored

I came on the computing scene around windows 9 - it was kind of a nightmare- what with drivers being a pain to install, to peripherals not working- and using dialup at i think it was 28K (Does that sound right?) to try to diagnose computer problems-

My neighbour was way before windows 9 but not sure what version- i remembered him saying how much ‘better 9 was’ lol- He died a few years ago- before windows 10 got established- -


7 posted on 11/20/2020 8:40:18 PM PST by Bob434
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To: dayglored; Gamecock; SaveFerris; PROCON
George and Lloyd almost put him out of business.


8 posted on 11/20/2020 8:45:58 PM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: Bob434

There never was a “Windows 9”. You have Windows 7, 8, Vista, 10.

You may be remember either Windows 95 or Windows 98/98se if you are talking about dialup modems.


9 posted on 11/20/2020 8:49:46 PM PST by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
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To: dayglored

remember when you got to choose if and when to update your windows version?


10 posted on 11/20/2020 8:50:36 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

I remember when I went full-in with Linux about 5 years ago.


11 posted on 11/20/2020 8:53:59 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: GreatRoad

autoexec.bat and config.sys

That’s where the magic happened.


12 posted on 11/20/2020 8:56:56 PM PST by Prince Caspian
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To: Dr. Sivana

Yes dang it- 95- memory not what it used to be- then 98 came along with soem pretty good improvments but still kinda tricky-


13 posted on 11/20/2020 8:58:16 PM PST by Bob434
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To: Secret Agent Man

Hell yeah — you had to work at it to get it upgraded.


14 posted on 11/20/2020 8:59:12 PM PST by dayglored ("Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."`)
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To: Still Thinking

A whole separate history article could be written about Clippy.


15 posted on 11/20/2020 8:59:53 PM PST by dayglored ("Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."`)
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To: Dr. Sivana

What was the one before 95 if you remember? My friend had a set of floppy drives with the operating system on them-


16 posted on 11/20/2020 9:00:04 PM PST by Bob434
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To: bigdaddy45
Bill Gates was still a rich, single nerd, hadn’t met Melinda yet.

OTOH, Steve Ballmer was his over-the-top self from the very beginning, as that famous sales clip demonstrates.

17 posted on 11/20/2020 9:02:01 PM PST by dayglored ("Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."`)
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To: Bob434

Before Win95 was Win3.11 (Windows for Workgroups), the first with an attempt at networking.


18 posted on 11/20/2020 9:03:29 PM PST by dayglored ("Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."`)
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To: bigdaddy45

Oh that brings back memories . I had a 286 with MS DOS . It was given to me cause the company that bought it couldn’t figure how to use it . It was a nice upgrade to my Tandy lol My sister was in college at the time and when the 386 came out she bought one and could not figure out how to use and she gave it to me . I put Windows 3 on it and it could barely run it . When the 486 came out I bought one right away 3.1 on it and it was awesome at the time . It’s come so far .


19 posted on 11/20/2020 9:03:38 PM PST by Lera (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
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To: dayglored

The picture of Windows 1.0 from 1985

it says Disk Free Space 30024K

What? They had 30 megabyte hard drives back then?


20 posted on 11/20/2020 9:04:02 PM PST by qam1 (There's been a huge party. All plates and the bottles are empty, all that's left is the bill to pay)
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