Microsoft Windows

Windows is a tool for computers.

It helps people use a screen. It uses little boxes to show programs. These boxes look like windows.

One version was called Windows 1.0. It came out in 1985. Many people use Windows today. It is the most popular for desktop computers. It even has a special version for schools.

This tool helps us do work every day.

Windows is a tool for computers. We call this an operating system. It helps people use a screen to do work.

The name comes from how it works. It uses boxes on the screen to show programs. These boxes look like windows.

Microsoft made the first version in 1985. It was called Windows 1.0. It was not a full system yet. It sat on top of an older program called MS-DOS. Later, Windows 3.0 became very popular. It sold 2 million copies in six months.

Today, Windows is the most popular system for desktop computers. It has an 80% market share. Most people use Windows 11 now. Windows 11 has a 73% market share. There are many different kinds of Windows. Some are for homes. Some are for schools. Others are for big companies or servers.

Microsoft Windows is a famous tool for computers. We call this a graphical operating system. This system helps people use a screen to do many tasks.

It is grouped into different families for different jobs. Some versions are for personal computers at home. Other versions, called Windows Server, are for large servers. There is even Windows IoT for small, built-in computers. Windows is the most popular desktop system in the world. It holds about 80% of the market share.

Windows works by using a system of boxes on the screen. These boxes are called windows. The name comes from this windowing system.

In the early days, Windows 1.0 acted as a shell. This means it sat on top of an older program called MS-DOS. It helped people see programs as boxes instead of just text. Later versions became much more advanced. They used something called a kernel to manage the computer. The kernel is the core part that controls everything. Modern versions use the Windows NT kernel to keep things running smoothly. This allows many different programs to run at the same time.

Microsoft began working on this idea in 1981. They first called the project "Interface Manager." They announced the name Windows in November 1983. However, the first version did not arrive until November 20, 1985. This first version was Windows 1.0. It was not a huge success at first. It included simple tools like a Calculator and a Clock.

Later, Windows 2.0 came out in December 1987. This version was more popular because windows could overlap. Windows 3.0 was released in 1990. This version was a huge hit. It sold 2 million copies in just six months.

There are many important dates in the history of Windows. Windows 95 was released on August 24, 1995. This version was very important for regular users. It added the Start menu and the taskbar. Windows 98 followed on June 25, 1998. This version added support for things like USB devices. Windows Me was the last version based on MS-DOS. It was released in September 2000. Today, Windows 11 is the most used version for desktops. As of February 2026, it has a 73% market share.

These numbers show how much people rely on this software.

You can see how Windows connects to your daily life. If you use a computer at school, you might use the Education edition. If you work in a large office, you might use Enterprise. Many people buy computers that already have Windows installed. This is called bundling. It makes it easy to start using a new computer right away. Windows competes with other systems like macOS and Linux. It also competes with Android on tablets. Whether for work or play, Windows is a huge part of the digital world.

Microsoft Windows is a proprietary graphical operating system. An operating system is the core software that manages a computer's hardware and allows programs to run. Windows is a massive product line that serves many different sectors of the computing industry. It is divided into families for specific needs. For example, Windows for personal computers is for regular users. Windows Server is designed for server computers. Windows IoT is used for embedded systems, which are small computers built into other devices.

To understand how Windows works, we must look at its technical foundation. Most modern versions are based on the Windows NT architecture. The NT kernel is the most important part of this system. A kernel acts as the central brain that controls everything. It manages how the computer's memory is used and how different tasks are handled. This allows for multitasking, which means the computer can run many programs at the same time. In early versions, Windows used cooperative multitasking. This meant programs had to work together to share the processor. Modern versions use more advanced methods to ensure stability and speed.

Windows is organized into several distinct sub-families today. The first is the standard Windows family used for workstations and tablets. The latest version is Windows 11. The second family is Windows Server, which is used for large-scale computing. The latest version is Windows Server 2025. A third family is Windows IoT, which is used for embedded computers. The latest version is Windows 11 IoT Enterprise. There is also Windows PE. This is a lightweight, "live" version of the system. It is used for installing Windows on many computers at once or for troubleshooting problems.

The history of Windows began in 1981. Microsoft started working on a project called "Interface Manager." The name "Windows" was chosen because the system used graphical boxes to represent programs. In the industry, these boxes were called windows. Windows 1.0 was released on November 20, 1985. It was not a full operating system but a shell for MS-DOS. This meant it ran on top of an older, text-based system called MS-DOS. It included simple tools like a Calculator, Notepad, and Paint.

As time passed, the software became much more powerful. Windows 2.0 arrived in December 1987 and allowed windows to overlap. This change led to a legal dispute with Apple, but Microsoft eventually won in court. Windows 3.0 was released in 1990 and became a massive success. It sold 2 million copies in its first six months. This version improved how the computer managed memory. On August 24, 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95. This was a major turning point for users. It introduced the Start menu, the taskbar, and the Windows Explorer shell.

Windows has maintained a very large presence in the global market. It is currently the most popular desktop operating system in the world. It holds an 80% market share of the desktop market. As of February 2026, Windows 11 is the most common version used on desktops. It has a market share of 73%.

While Windows dominates desktops, it faces competition from other systems. For personal computers, its main rivals are macOS and Linux. For tablets, it competes with iPadOS and Android.

The Windows product line also includes several defunct families. Windows Mobile was used for phones and handheld devices. It was succeeded by Windows Phone, which was sold to smartphone manufacturers. Windows Phone was later succeeded by Windows 10 Mobile, but both are now defunct. Another older family was the Windows 9x series. This included Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me. Windows Me was the final version based on the MS-DOS foundation. After Windows XP, all consumer versions moved to the more stable Windows NT kernel.