Microsoft's many operating systems (OS) since the 90s have been an immense help to many people's lives, particularly those with jobs that centered on using computers. After all, Microsoft's Windows OS is the most prominent after Apple's Macintosh and Linux.
However, as with all great things, there is always the awkward and sometimes failed first attempt; the first OS from Microsoft isn't as impressive as you may think, even by the standards of the late 80s.
Here is a look at the first Windows OS and how it came to be:
Microsoft Windows 1.0 - A Quick Historical Summary
Microsoft Windows 1.0 is not what you could call an OS by today's standards. According to The Guardian, the original Windows 1 was Microsoft's first true attempt at a 16-bit graphical user interface (GUI).
It ran with the help of MS-DOS, which relied on command-line input, which, interestingly, still lives on in a similar program in the form of Windows' command prompt program, per Super User.
Microsoft presented Windows 1.0 to the public on Nov. 10, 1983, per the Windows Wiki. It was originally scheduled to be released in April 1984 but was moved to November 20, 1985, seventeen months later, according to Windows Computer Geeks.
Windows 1.0 was big enough to require two floppy disc drives and 192 KB of RAM. It would also be one of the first GUIs of the time, if not the first, to rely heavily on a mouse to point and click on tasks instead of typing commands through MS-DOS.
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A screenshot of the Reversi computer game Microsoft made to help people get used to using a computer mouse.
At this time, computer mice were not as widespread as they would be 10-15 years later with Windows 95, 97, and Windows XP. As such, Microsoft created an educational game called Reversi to help computer users get used to using the mouse as an input system.
This educational game is a helpful tool to get used to the mouse as Windows 1.0 has scroll bars and dialogue boxes, elements that require using a mouse. Interestingly, Windows 1.0 was the beginning of the end for typing commands through MS-DOS.
Additionally, the GUI came with the first iteration of the programs we came to love, such as Paint, Calculator, and Notepad. The beginnings of Microsoft Office also came with Windows 1.0 when Microsoft opened the GUI to further app development. It has a word processor, spreadsheet, database, and graphics software.
Critical Reception of Windows 1.0
As previously mentioned, all great things mostly start with an awkward and sometimes failed first attempt. For $99, according to ZDNET, people weren't as impressed as they should've been.
Many considered Windows 1.0 a rip-off of Apple's macOS, while some mentioned that the system requirements were too much for them. However, most agree that Windows 1 was too slow, canceling out the advantage provided by its multitasking.
Thankfully, Bill Gates and Microsft took the flak, put their heads down, and worked on improving the GUI. According to Computer History, version 3.0 and its later improvement, version 3.11, won people over.
These versions brought many features to the GUI, such as overlapping windows, Microsoft Word, and Excel, improved multitasking functionality, and TrueType for publishing and networking capabilities. These features were the foundation that would help make Microsoft into the tech giant it is today.
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