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Windows

The term "Windows" in the context of computing refers to a line of proprietary graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft.

History and Development

The first version of Windows, Windows 1.0, was released on November 20, 1985, as a graphical operating system shell for MS-DOS. It was designed to compete with Apple's graphical user interface (GUI) and introduced features like Calculator, Calendar, and Paint, although it did not allow overlapping windows and was not a complete operating system itself2.

Over the years, Windows evolved significantly. Windows 2.0, released in December 1987, introduced overlapping windows and improved user interface and memory management. Subsequent versions, such as Windows 3.0, released in 1990, marked significant milestones in the popularity and functionality of the operating system2.

Versions and Families

Windows is categorized into several families and subfamilies:

Windows for Consumer and Corporate Workstations: This includes versions like Windows 11, the latest consumer and enterprise operating system.
Windows Server: Designed for server environments, the latest version is Windows Server 2025.
Windows IoT: For embedded systems2.

Current Versions

The most recent versions include:

Windows 11: Released for consumer PCs and tablets, with an Enterprise version for corporations.
Windows Server 2025: For server environments.
Some editions of Windows 10 are still supported, along with older versions like Windows Server 2016 and later, with extended support available for earlier versions like Windows Server 20082.

Features and Updates

Windows 11 includes several new features such as an updated Snipping Tool with OCR capabilities, a built-in screen recording tool, File Explorer with tabs, and native support for .7z and .rar formats. It also offers improved multitasking and AI-powered tools3.

Recent updates, such as the Patch Tuesday 2025 updates, have addressed various issues but also introduced some new problems, particularly for enterprise users using certain software like Citrix Session Recording Agent3.

Market and Usage

Windows remains the most popular desktop operating system, holding a 70% market share as of March 2023. However, when including mobile operating systems, it is not the most used, with Android dominating the mobile market2.