Microsoft Windows
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"Windows" redirects here. For the part of a building, see Window. For other uses, see Windows (disambiguation).
 | This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (September 2010) |
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 The latest Windows release, Windows 7, showing the desktop and Start menu | |
| Company / developer | Microsoft |
| Programmed in | C, C++, Assembly[1] |
| OS family | MS-DOS/Windows 9x-based, Windows CE, Windows NT |
| Working state | Publicly released |
| Source model | Closed source / Shared source |
| Initial release | November 20, 1985 (as Windows 1.0) |
| Latest stable release | Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 NT 6.1 Build 7600 (7600.16385.090713-1255) (October 22, 2009) [+/−] |
| Latest unstable release | Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 RC NT 6.1 Build 7601 (7601.17105.100929-1730) (September 29, 2010) [+/−] |
| Marketing target | Personal computing |
| Available language(s) | Multilingual |
| Update method | Windows Update |
| Supported platforms | IA-32, x86-64, Itanium |
| Kernel type | Hybrid |
| Default user interface | Graphical (Windows Explorer) |
| License | MS-EULA |
| Official website | Official Website |
Contents[hide] |
Versions
See also: List of Microsoft Windows versions
The term Windows collectively describes any or all of several generations of Microsoft operating system products. These products are generally categorized as follows:Early versions
Windows 2.0 was released in October 1987 and featured several improvements to the user interface and memory management.[6] Windows 2.0 allowed application windows to overlap each other and also introduced more sophisticated keyboard-shortcuts. It could also make use of expanded memory.
Windows 2.1 was released in two different flavors: Windows/386 employed the 386 virtual 8086 mode to multitask several DOS programs, and the paged memory model to emulate expanded memory using available extended memory. Windows/286 (which, despite its name, would run on the 8086) still ran in real mode, but could make use of the high memory area.
The early versions of Windows were often thought of as simply graphical user interfaces, mostly because they ran on top of MS-DOS and used it for file system services.[7] However, even the earliest 16-bit Windows versions already assumed many typical operating system functions; notably, having their own executable file format and providing their own device drivers (timer, graphics, printer, mouse, keyboard and sound) for applications. Unlike MS-DOS, Windows allowed users to execute multiple graphical applications at the same time, through cooperative multitasking. Windows implemented an elaborate, segment-based, software virtual memory scheme, which allowed it to run applications larger than available memory: code segments and resources were swapped in and thrown away when memory became scarce, and data segments moved in memory when a given application had relinquished processor control.
| Source | Net Market Share[8] | W3Counter[9] | W3Schools[10] | StatOwl[11] | StatCounter[12] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | October 2010 | October 2010 | October 2010 | October 2010 | October 2010 |
| All versions | 90.71% | 80.99% | 87% | 87.68% | 92.18% |
| Windows XP | 58.92% | 44.17% | 48.9% | 44.9% | 53% |
| Windows 7 | 18.33% | 20.79% | 26.8% | 20.78% | 22.71% |
| Windows Vista | 12.93% | 14.73% | 9.9% | 20.18% | 16.47% |
| Windows Server 2003 | — | 1.07% | 1.1% | 1.52% | — |
| Windows 2000 | 0.39% | 0.23% | 0.3% | 0.3% | — |
| Windows 98 | 0.11% | — | — | — | — |
| Windows Me | 0.03% | — | — | — | — |
Windows 3.0 and 3.1
Main articles: Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1x
Windows 95, 98, and Me
Microsoft's next release was Windows 98 in June 1998. Microsoft released a second version of Windows 98 in May 1999, named Windows 98 Second Edition (often shortened to Windows 98 SE).
In September 2000, Microsoft released Windows Me (Me standing for Millennium Edition), which updated the core from Windows 98 but adopted some aspects of Windows 2000 and removed the "boot in DOS mode" option. It also added a new feature called System Restore, allowing the user to set the computer's settings back to an earlier date.
Windows NT family
Main article: Windows NT
The NT family of Windows systems was fashioned and marketed for higher reliability business use. The first release was NT 3.1 (1993), numbered "3.1" to match the consumer Windows version, which was followed by NT 3.5 (1994), NT 3.51 (1995), NT 4.0 (1996), and Windows 2000 (2000). 2000 is the last NT-based Windows release which does not include Microsoft Product Activation. NT 4.0 was the first in this line to implement the "Windows 95" user interface (and the first to include Windows 95’s built-in 32-bit runtimes).Microsoft then moved to combine their consumer and business operating systems with Windows XP, coming in both home and professional versions (and later niche market versions for tablet PCs and media centers); they also diverged release schedules for server operating systems. Windows Server 2003, released a year and a half after Windows XP, brought Windows Server up to date with MS Windows XP. After a lengthy development process, Windows Vista was released toward the end of 2006, and its server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 was released in early 2008. On July 22, 2009, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 were released as RTM (release to manufacturing). Windows 7 was released on October 22, 2009.
64-bit operating systems
Windows NT included support for several different platforms before the x86-based personal computer became dominant in the professional world. Versions of NT from 3.1 to 4.0 variously supported PowerPC, DEC Alpha and MIPS R4000, some of which were 64-bit processors, although the operating system treated them as 32-bit processors.With the introduction of the Intel Itanium architecture (also known as IA-64), Microsoft released new versions of Windows to support it. Itanium versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 were released at the same time as their mainstream x86 (32-bit) counterparts. On April 25, 2005, Microsoft released Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and Windows Server 2003 x64 Editions to support the x86-64 (or x64 in Microsoft terminology) architecture. Microsoft dropped support for the Itanium version of Windows XP in 2005. Windows Vista is the first end-user version of Windows that Microsoft has released simultaneously in x86 and x64 editions. Windows Vista does not support the Itanium architecture. The modern 64-bit Windows family comprises AMD64/Intel64 versions of Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008, in both Itanium and x64 editions. Windows Server 2008 R2 drops the 32-bit version, although Windows 7 does not.
Windows CE
Main articles: Windows CE and Windows Phone 7
Windows CE (officially known as Windows Embedded Compact), is an edition of Windows that runs on minimalistic computers, like satellite navigation systems and some mobile phones. Windows Embedded Compact is based on its own dedicated kernel, dubbed Windows CE kernel. Microsoft licenses Windows CE to OEMs and device makers. The OEMs and device makers can modify and create their own user interfaces and experiences, while Windows CE provides the technical foundation to do so.Windows CE was used in the Dreamcast along with Sega's own proprietary OS for the console. Windows CE is the core from which Windows Mobile is derived. Microsoft's latest mobile OS, Windows Phone 7, is based on components from both Windows CE 6.0 R3 and the upcoming Windows CE 7.0.
Windows Embedded Compact is not to be confused with Windows XP Embedded or Windows NT 4.0 Embedded, modular editions of Windows based on Windows NT kernel.
Future of Windows
Windows 8, the successor to Windows 7, is currently in development. Microsoft has posted a blog in Dutch at 22-Oct-2010 hinted that Windows 8 will be released after 2 years[13][14].History
Main article: History of Microsoft Windows
The first version of Microsoft Windows, version 1.0, released in November 1985, lacked a degree of functionality and achieved little popularity, and was to compete with Apple’s own operating system.[citation needed] Windows 1.0 is not a complete operating system; rather, it extends MS-DOS. Microsoft Windows version 2.0 was released in November, 1987 and was slightly more popular than its predecessor. Windows 2.03 (release date January 1988) had changed the OS from tiled windows to overlapping windows. The result of this change led to Apple Computer filing a suit against Microsoft alleging infringement on Apple's copyrights.[15][16]
Microsoft Windows 3.0, released in 1990, was the first Microsoft Windows version to achieve broad commercial success, selling 2 million copies in the first six months.[17][18] It featured improvements to the user interface and to multitasking capabilities. It received a facelift in Windows 3.1, made generally available on March 1, 1992. Windows 3.1 support ended on December 31, 2001.[19]
In July 1993, Microsoft released Windows NT based on a new kernel. NT was considered to be the professional OS and was the first Windows version to utilize preemptive multitasking.[citation needed]. Windows NT would later be retooled to also function as a home operating system, with Windows XP.
On August 24, 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95, a new, and major, consumer version that made further changes to the user interface, and also used preemptive multitasking. Windows 95 was designed to replace not only Windows 3.1, but also Windows for Workgroups, and MS-DOS. It was also the first Windows operating system to use Plug and Play capabilities. The changes Windows 95 brought to the desktop were revolutionary, as opposed to evolutionary, such as those in Windows 98 and Windows Me. Mainstream support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2000 and extended support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2001.[20]
The next in the consumer line was Microsoft Windows 98 released on June 25, 1998. It was followed with the release of Windows 98 Second Edition (98SE) in 1999. Mainstream support for Windows 98 ended on June 30, 2002 and extended support for Windows 98 ended on July 11, 2006.[21]
As part of its "professional" line, Microsoft released Windows 2000 in February 2000. During 2004 part of the Source Code for Windows 2000 was leaked onto the internet. This was bad for Microsoft as the same kernel used in Windows 2000 was used in Windows XP. The consumer version following Windows 98 was Windows Me (Windows Millennium Edition). Released in September 2000, Windows Me implemented a number of new technologies for Microsoft: most notably publicized was "Universal Plug and Play". Windows Me was heavily criticized due to slowness, freezes and hardware problems.
In October 2001, Microsoft released Windows XP, a version built on the Windows NT kernel that also retained the consumer-oriented usability of Windows 95 and its successors. This new version was widely praised in computer magazines.[22] It shipped in two distinct editions, "Home" and "Professional", the former lacking many of the superior security and networking features of the Professional edition. Additionally, the first "Media Center" edition was released in 2002,[23] with an emphasis on support for DVD and TV functionality including program recording and a remote control. Mainstream support for Windows XP ended on April 14, 2009. Extended support will continue until April 8, 2014.[24]
In April 2003, Windows Server 2003 was introduced, replacing the Windows 2000 line of server products with a number of new features and a strong focus on security; this was followed in December 2005 by Windows Server 2003 R2.
On January 30, 2007 Microsoft released Windows Vista. It contains a number of new features, from a redesigned shell and user interface to significant technical changes, with a particular focus on security features. It is available in a number of different editions, and has been subject to some criticism.
Timeline of releases
Main article: Timeline of Microsoft Windows
| [show]Timeline of releases |
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Windows timeline [show]
Security
Consumer versions of Windows were originally designed for ease-of-use on a single-user PC without a network connection, and did not have security features built in from the outset.[32] However, Windows NT and its successors are designed for security (including on a network) and multi-user PCs, but were not initially designed with Internet security in mind as much, since, when it was first developed in the early 1990s, Internet use was less prevalent.[33]These design issues combined with programming errors (e.g. buffer overflows) and the popularity of Windows means that it is a frequent target of computer worm and virus writers. In June 2005, Bruce Schneier’s Counterpane Internet Security reported that it had seen over 1,000 new viruses and worms in the previous six months.[34] In 2005, Kaspersky Lab found around 11,000 malicious programs—viruses, Trojans, back-doors, and exploits written for Windows.[35]
Microsoft releases security patches through its Windows Update service approximately once a month (usually the second Tuesday of the month), although critical updates are made available at shorter intervals when necessary.[36] In versions of Windows after and including Windows 2000 SP3 and Windows XP, updates can be automatically downloaded and installed if the user selects to do so. As a result, Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, as well as Service Pack 1 for Windows Server 2003, were installed by users more quickly than it otherwise might have been.[37]
While the Windows 9x series offered the option of having profiles for multiple users, they had no concept of access privileges, and did not allow concurrent access; and so were not true multi-user operating systems. In addition, they implemented only partial memory protection. They were accordingly widely criticised for lack of security.
The Windows NT series of operating systems, by contrast, are true multi-user, and implement absolute memory protection. However, a lot of the advantages of being a true multi-user operating system were nullified by the fact that, prior to Windows Vista, the first user account created during the setup process was an administrator account, which was also the default for new accounts. Though Windows XP did have limited accounts, the majority of home users did not change to an account type with fewer rights – partially due to the number of programs which unnecessarily required administrator rights – and so most home users ran as administrator all the time.
Windows Vista changes this[38] by introducing a privilege elevation system called User Account Control. When logging in as a standard user, a logon session is created and a token containing only the most basic privileges is assigned. In this way, the new logon session is incapable of making changes that would affect the entire system. When logging in as a user in the Administrators group, two separate tokens are assigned. The first token contains all privileges typically awarded to an administrator, and the second is a restricted token similar to what a standard user would receive. User applications, including the Windows Shell, are then started with the restricted token, resulting in a reduced privilege environment even under an Administrator account. When an application requests higher privileges or "Run as administrator" is clicked, UAC will prompt for confirmation and, if consent is given (including administrator credentials if the account requesting the elevation is not a member of the administrators group), start the process using the unrestricted token.[39]
File permissions
All Windows versions from Windows NT 3 have been based on a file system permission system referred to as AGLP (Accounts, Global, Local, Permissions) AGDLP which in essence where file permissions are applied to the file/folder in the form of a 'local group' which then has other 'global groups' as members. These global groups then hold other groups or users depending on different Windows versions used. This system varies from other vendor products such as Linux and NetWare due to the 'static' allocation of permission being applied directory to the file or folder. However using this process of AGLP/AGDLP/AGUDLP allows a small number of static permissions to be applied and allows for easy changes to the account groups without reapplying the file permissions on the files and folders.Windows Defender
On January 6, 2005, Microsoft released a Beta version of Microsoft AntiSpyware, based upon the previously released Giant AntiSpyware. On February 14, 2006, Microsoft AntiSpyware became Windows Defender with the release of Beta 2. Windows Defender is a freeware program designed to protect against spyware and other unwanted software. Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users who have genuine copies of Microsoft Windows can freely download the program from Microsoft's web site, and Windows Defender ships as part of Windows Vista and 7.[40]Third-party analysis
In an article based on a report by Symantec,[41] internetnews.com has described Microsoft Windows as having the "fewest number of patches and the shortest average patch development time of the five operating systems it monitored in the last six months of 2006."[42]A study conducted by Kevin Mitnick and marketing communications firm Avantgarde in 2004 found that an unprotected and unpatched Windows XP system with Service Pack 1 lasted only 4 minutes on the Internet before it was compromised, and an unprotected and also unpatched Windows Server 2003 system was compromised after being connected to the internet for 8 hours.[43] However, it is important to note that this study does not apply to Windows XP systems running the Service Pack 2 update (released in late 2004), which vastly improved the security of Windows XP.[citation needed] The computer that was running Windows XP Service Pack 2 was not compromised. The AOL National Cyber Security Alliance Online Safety Study of October 2004 determined that 80% of Windows users were infected by at least one spyware/adware product.[44] Much documentation is available describing how to increase the security of Microsoft Windows products. Typical suggestions include deploying Microsoft Windows behind a hardware or software firewall, running anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and installing patches as they become available through Windows Update.[45]
Emulation software
Emulation allows the use of some Windows applications without using Microsoft Windows. These include:- Wine — a free and open source software implementation of the Windows API, allowing one to run many Windows applications on x86-based platforms, including Linux and Mac OS X. Wine developers refer to it as a "compatibility layer";[46] and make use of Windows-style APIs to emulate the Windows environment.
- CrossOver — A Wine package with licensed fonts. Its developers are regular contributors to Wine, and focus on Wine running officially supported applications.
- Cedega — TransGaming Technologies' proprietary fork of Wine, designed specifically for running games written for Microsoft Windows under Linux. A version of Cedega known as Cider is used by some video game publishers to allow Windows games to run on Mac OS X. Since wine was licensed under the LGPL Cedega has been unable to port the improvements made to wine to their proprietary codebase.
- Darwine — A bundling of Wine to the PowerPC Macs running OS X by running wine on top of QEMU. Intel Macs use the same Wine as other *NIX x86 systems.
- ReactOS — An open-source OS that is intended to run the same software as Windows, originally designed to simulate Windows NT 4.0, now aiming at Windows XP and Vista/7 compatibility. It has been in the development stage since 1996.
See also
General:
- Architecture of the Windows NT operating system line
- List of Microsoft Windows components
- Criticism of Microsoft Windows
- Comparison of operating systems
- Comparison of Windows and Linux
- Comparison of Windows versions
- List of operating systems
- Market share of operating systems
- Wintel
References
- ^ Microsoft Windows System Overview
- ^ "The Unusual History of Microsoft Windows". http://inventors.about.com/od/mstartinventions/a/Windows.htm?rd=1. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ "Global Web Stats". W3Counter, Awio Web Services. September 2009. http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ "Operating System Market Share". Net Applications. October 2009. http://marketshare.hitslink.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=8. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
- ^ "Top 5 Operating Systems on Oct 09". StatCounter. October 2009. http://gs.statcounter.com/#os-ww-monthly-200910-200910-bar. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
- ^ a b Petzold
- ^ "Windows Evolution". Soft32.com News. http://news.soft32.com/windows-evolution_1629.html.
- ^ "Operating System Market Share". Net Market Share. October 2010. http://marketshare.hitslink.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcal=1&qpcal=1&qptimeframe=M&qpsp=141. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ "Global Web Stats". W3Counter. October 2010. http://w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2010&month=10. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ "OS Platform Statistics". W3Schools. October 2010. http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Operating System Version Usage". StatOwl. October 2010. http://statowl.com/operating_system_market_share_by_os_version.php?1=1&timeframe=last_6&interval=month&chart_id=4&fltr_br=&fltr_os=&fltr_se=&fltr_cn=&limit%5B%5D=windows&limit%5B%5D=mac&limit%5B%5D=linux&timeframe=last_month. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "StatCounter Global Stats". StatCounter. October 2010. http://gs.statcounter.com/#os-ww-monthly-201010-201010-bar. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
- ^ CNET: Microsoft says Windows 8 roughly two years away Retrieved at 25-Oct-2010.
- ^ Microsoft blog in Dutch: Eerste verjaardag Windows 7 Retrieved at 25-Oct-2010.
- ^ "The Apple vs. Microsoft GUI Lawsuit". 2006. http://lowendmac.com/orchard/06/apple-vs-microsoft.html. Retrieved 2008-03-12
- ^ "Apple Computer, Inc. v. MicroSoft Corp., 35 F.3d 1435 (9th Cir. 1994)". http://home.earthlink.net/~mjohnsen/Technology/Lawsuits/appvsms.html. Retrieved 2008-03-12
- ^ "Chronology of Personal Computer Software". http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/compsoft/soft1991.htm.
- ^ "Microsoft Company". http://www.thocp.net/companies/microsoft/microsoft_company.htm.
- ^ Windows 3.1 Standard Edition Support Lifecycle
- ^ Windows 95 Support Lifecycle
- ^ Windows 98 Standard Edition Support Lifecycle
- ^ Your top Windows XP questions answered! (Part One)
- ^ Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: A Look at Freestyle and Mira
- ^ Windows XP Professional Lifecycle Support
- ^ "Windows 95 Support Lifecycle". Microsoft. 2001. http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=7864. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
- ^ "Windows NT Embedded 4.0 Support Lifecycle". Microsoft. 2005. http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3185. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
- ^ "Windows 98 Standard Edition Support Lifecycle". Microsoft. 2006. http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=6513. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
- ^ "Windows 98 Second Edition Support Lifecycle". Microsoft. 2006. http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=6898. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
- ^ "Windows 2000 Professional Edition Support Lifecycle". Microsoft. May 4, 2005. http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3071. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
- ^ "Windows 98 Second Edition Support Lifecycle". Microsoft. 2006. http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=6519. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
- ^ "Microsoft Delivers New Wave of Technologies to Help Businesses Thrive in Today’s Economy". Microsoft. 2009-05-11. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/May09/05-11TechEd09PR.mspx?rss_fdn=Press%20Releases. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
- ^ Multi-user memory protection was not introduced until Windows NT and XP, and a computer's default user was an administrator until Windows Vista. Source: UAC msdn
- ^ "Telephones and Internet Users by Country, 1990 and 2005". Information Please Database. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0883396.html. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
- ^ Schneier, Bruce (2005-06-15). "Crypto-Gram Newsletter". Counterpane Internet Security, Inc.. http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0506.html. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ Patrizio, Andy (April 2006). "Linux Malware On The Rise". http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3601946. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ Naraine, Ryan (2005-06-08). "Microsoft's Security Response Center: How Little Patches Are Made". eWeek. http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/Microsofts-Security-Response-Center-How-Little-Patches-Are-Made/. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ Foley, John (2004-10-20). "Windows XP SP2 Distribution Surpasses 100 Million". InformationWeek. http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=50900297. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ Microsoft describes in detail the steps taken to combat this in a TechNet bulletin. [1]
- ^ Kenny Kerr (2006-09-29). "Windows Vista for Developers – Part 4 – User Account Control". http://weblogs.asp.net/kennykerr/archive/2006/09/29/Windows-Vista-for-Developers-_1320_-Part-4-_1320_-User-Account-Control.aspx. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
- ^ "Windows Vista: Features". MicroSoft. http://www.Microsoft.com/Windowsvista/features/foreveryone/security.mspx. Retrieved 2006-07-20.
- ^ "Symantec 11th Internet Security Threat Report, Trends for July–December 6". http://www.symantec.com/business/theme.jsp?themeid=threatreport.
- ^ "Report Says Windows Gets The Fastest Repairs". http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3667201.
- ^ "Automated "Bots" Overtake PCs Without Firewalls Within 4 Minutes". Avant Garde. http://www.avantgarde.com/ttln113004.html.
- ^ "Safety Study" (PDF). Stay Safe Online. Archived from the original on 2005-11-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20051102045804/http://www.staysafeonline.info/pdf/safety_study_v04.pdf.
- ^ 5 Steps to Securing Your Windows XP Home Computer
- ^ "Wine". http://www.winehq.org/.
External links
 | Wikibooks has a book on the topic of |
- Official Microsoft Windows Website
- Microsoft Developer Network
- Windows Client Developer Resources
- Microsoft Windows History Timeline
- Pearson Education, InformIT – History of Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Windows 7 for Government
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