Windows 1.0 facts for kids
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|
| Developer | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| OS family | Microsoft Windows |
| Released to manufacturing |
November 6, 1985 |
| Latest release | 1.01 / November 20, 1985 |
| Repository |
|
| Support status | |
| Unsupported as of December 31, 2001 | |
Windows 1.0 was a special computer program developed by Microsoft. It was the very first version of the Microsoft Windows family. It came out on November 20, 1985.
Windows 1.0 was an "operating environment" that added a graphical user interface (GUI) to computers. This meant you could see and click on pictures and icons instead of just typing commands. It ran on top of another program called MS-DOS. Windows 1.0 let you run several programs at once, like a simple form of multitasking. Bill Gates, who started Microsoft, led the team that created it. He got the idea after seeing a similar program called Visi On.
Even though many people were excited about Windows 1.0 at first, some critics didn't like it much. They felt it relied too much on using a mouse, which wasn't common back then. They also thought it was hard for new users to learn and sometimes ran slowly on less powerful computers. But even with these issues, Windows 1.0 was super important. It was the start of the Windows operating system that many people use today! Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 1.0 on December 31, 2001.
Contents
History of Windows 1.0
Microsoft started working on a graphical user interface (GUI) in 1981. This was after Bill Gates saw a program called Visi On at a computer show in 1982. This program let users control their computer with pictures, not just text.
Microsoft first showed Windows to the public on November 10, 1983. They said it needed two floppy disk drives and 192 KB of computer memory (RAM). Windows was different because it could run many programs at the same time in separate "tiled windows." This meant the programs appeared side-by-side on the screen.
Many computer companies, like Compaq and Zenith, promised to support Windows. Software companies also planned to make programs for it. People were excited because Windows seemed easy to use and didn't need a super powerful computer.
Bill Gates believed Windows was the future of Microsoft. He said that only programs that used Windows would be successful in the long run. By 1984, there was a "War of the Windows" as other companies like IBM and Digital Research also made their own graphical programs. Microsoft kept working on Windows, and in November 1987, they released Windows 2.0, which took over from Windows 1.0. Microsoft supported Windows 1.0 for 16 years, which is a very long time for a computer program!
Windows 1.01
Version 1.01 was the first version of Windows 1.0 that people could buy. It was released on November 20, 1985.
Windows 1.02
Version 1.02 came out in May 1986. This version was made for people in different countries around the world.
Windows 1.03
Released in August 1986, version 1.03 added new features. It included special drivers for European keyboards and more options for screens and printers.
Windows 1.04
Version 1.04 was released in April 1987. It added support for the new IBM PS/2 computers. However, it didn't support the special mice or graphics modes that came with those new computers.
Related pages
- MS-DOS
- Comparison of file managers
- DESQview
- System 1
| Preceded by ' |
DOS-Based Microsoft Windows | Succeeded by Windows 2.0 |
Images for kids
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Microsoft Notepad in Windows 1.01, showing its "about" window and a text file.
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Windows 1.01 could run several programs at once, like the MS-DOS Executive and Calculator shown here.
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The MS-DOS Executive, which was the file manager in Windows 1.04.
See also
In Spanish: Windows 1.0 para niños
