The history of the creation of windows 7. The history of the development of Windows

Among all the system programs that computer users have to deal with, operating systems occupy a special place.
An operating system is a program that runs immediately after the computer is turned on and allows the user to control the computer.

The operating system (OS) controls the computer, runs programs, provides data protection, and performs various service functions at the request of the user and programs. Each program uses the services of the OS, and therefore can only run under the control of the OS that provides the services for it. Thus, the choice of OS is very important, as it determines what programs you can run on your computer. The choice of OS also depends on the performance of your work, the level of data protection, the necessary hardware, etc. However, the choice of operating system also depends on the technical characteristics (configuration) of the computer. The more modern the operating system, the more it not only provides more features and is more visual, but also the more requirements it places on the computer (processor clock speed, RAM and disk memory, the presence and capacity of additional cards and devices). We have figured out what operating systems are and their features in general; now it’s time to begin a more detailed, specific examination of the variety of operating systems, which usually begins with a consideration of a brief history of appearance and development.

Multics operating system
So, it all started back in 1965... For four years, American Telegraph & Telephone Bell Labs, together with General Electric and a group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, created the Os Multics project (also called MAC - not to be confused with MacOS). The goal of the project was to create a multi-user interactive operating system that would provide a large number of users with convenient and powerful means of accessing computing resources. This OS was based on the principles of multi-level protection. Virtual memory had a segment-page organization, where each segment was associated with an access level. In order for any program to call a program or access data located in a certain segment, it was required that the execution level of this program be not lower than the access level of the corresponding segment. Also for the first time, Multics implemented a fully centralized file system. That is, even if the files are located on different physical devices, logically they seem to be present on the same disk. The directory does not indicate the file itself, but only a link to its physical location. If suddenly the file is not there, the smart system asks you to insert the appropriate device. In addition, Multics had a large amount of virtual memory, which made it possible to image files from external memory to virtual memory. Alas, all attempts to create a relatively friendly interface in the system failed. A lot of money was invested, but the result was somewhat different than what the guys from Bell Labs wanted. The project was closed. By the way, Ken Thompson and Denis Ritchie were listed as participants in the project. Despite the fact that the project was closed, it was the Multics OS that is believed to have given rise to the Unix OS.

Unix operating system
It is believed that... a computer game is particularly to blame for the emergence of Unix. The fact is that Ken Thompson (see photo on the left) for some unknown reason created the “Space Travel” toy. He wrote it in 1969 on a Honeywell-635 computer, which was used to develop Multics. But the trick is that neither the aforementioned Honeywell nor the General Electric-645 available in the laboratory were suitable for the toy. And Ken had to find another computer - an 18-bit PDP-7 computer. Ken and the guys were developing a new file system to make their life and work easier. Well, I decided to try my invention on a brand new car. I tried it. The entire patent department at Bell Labs rejoiced. This seemed not enough to Thompson and he began to improve it, including such functions as inodes, a process and memory management subsystem that ensures the use of the system by two users in TimeSharing mode (time sharing) and a simple command interpreter. Ken even developed several utilities for the system. Actually , Ken’s employees still remembered how they suffered over the Multics OS, so in honor of old achievements, one of them - Brian Kernighan - decided to call it by a similar name - UNICS After some time, the name was shortened to UNIX (read the same way, just write the extra letter in real. Programmers have always been lazy). The OS was written in assembly language.

Here we come to what is known in the world as the “First Edition of UNIX”. In November 1971, the first release of a full-fledged Unix document was published. In accordance with this, the OS was called the “First Edition of UNIX”. The second edition came out quite quickly - in less than a year. The third edition was no different. Unless it forced Denis Ritchie (see photo on the left) to “sit down with dictionaries”, as a result of which he wrote his own language, now known as C. It was in it that the 4th edition of UNIX was written in 1973. In July 1974, version 5 of UNIX was released. The sixth edition of UNIX (aka UNIX V6), released in 1975, was the first commercially distributed Unix. Most of it was written in S.
Later, the RAM and virtual memory management subsystem was completely rewritten, and at the same time the interface of external device drivers was changed. All this made the system easily portable to other architectures and was called the “Seventh Edition” (aka UNIX version 7). When the “six” arrived at Berkeley University in 1976, local Unix gurus arose there. One of them was Bill Joy.
Having gathered his programmer friends, Billy began developing his own system on the UNIX kernel. Having crammed in a bunch of his own functions (including the Pascal compiler) in addition to the main functions, he called this whole hodgepodge Distribution (BSD 1.0). The second version of BSD was almost no different from the first. The third version of BSD was based on the port of UNIX Version 7 to the VAX family of computers, which gave the 32/V system, which formed the basis of BSD 3.x. Well, and most importantly, a TCP/IP protocol stack was developed; development was funded by the US Department of Security.
The first commercial system was called UNIX SYSTEM III and it was released in 1982. This OS combined the best qualities of UNIX Version 7.
Then Unix developed something like this:
First, companies emerged to commercially port UNIX to other platforms. The well-known Microsoft Corporation also had a hand in this, together with the Santa Cruz Operation, which produced a UNIX variation called XENIX.
Second, Bell Labs created a Unix development group and announced that all subsequent commercial versions of UNIX (starting with System V) would be compatible with the previous ones.
By 1984, the second release of UNIX System V was released, which introduced: the ability to lock files and records, copy shared pages of RAM when attempting to write (copy-on-write), page replacement of RAM, etc. At this time, UNIX OS was installed on more than 100 thousand computers.
In 1987, the third release of UNIX System V was released. Four and a half million users of this epic operating system were registered... By the way, as for Linux, it arose only in 1990, and the first official version of the OS was released only in October 1991. Like BSD, Linux was distributed with source code so that any user could customize it the way he wanted. Almost EVERYTHING was customized, which Windows 9x, for example, cannot afford.

Operating system DOS
There have always been DOSes. The first - from IBM, in the 1960s, they were very limited in functionality. Normal ones, which have survived to our times and enjoyed relative fame, trace their accounts with QDOS...
This shorter story than the development of UNIX began in 1980 at Seattle Computer Products. Originally called QDOS, the OS was modified and, renamed MS-DOS by the end of the year, was sold to our beloved Microsoft. The IBM Corporation commissioned Microsoft to work on the OS for the new Blue Giant computer models - IBM-RS. At the end of 1981, the first version of the new OS was released - PC-DOS 1.0. The problem with the operating system was that it had to be configured anew for each specific machine. PC-DOS was taken up by IBM itself, and Microsoft got its own modification, called MS-DOS. In 1982, PC-DOS and MS-DOS version 1.1 appeared simultaneously with some added and expanded capabilities. By 1983, version 2.0, which introduced support for hard drives, as well as an improved file administration system. The third version of MS-DOS, released in 1984, gave only some improvements. Subsequent versions were aimed at managing basic and virtual memory until version 6.22. which appeared terribly cut down 7.0, part of some of the Windows 9x. Microsoft did not deal with DOS anymore.
Meanwhile, MS-DOS did not die. The latest version included almost everything that MS-DOS 6.22 could, plus such functions as backup and recovery tools for damaged data, anti-virus control tools built into the system, synchronization of files on two computers, etc. Another DOS was this a thing like PTS-DOS produced by one of the Russian physics laboratories. Its latest version is listed as 6.65. But the most unusual is DR-OrenDos 7.02. Initially, this OC was developed by Digital Research, but then for some reason they abandoned it and sold it to Novell. Nowell built his networking stuff into it and sold it further - to the company CALDERA, which supplemented DR-DOS with Internet access tools and now distributes it for free.

Operating system OS/2
It all started with OC VM (Virtual Machine), which was released in 1972. The product released at that time was called VM/370 and was designed to support a server for a certain number of users. This OS, which has long celebrated its 25th anniversary, from the history of which one can study the development of IBM technologies in the field of server operating systems and network solutions, is a reliable and powerful basis for organizing a corporate information and computing system focused on the multi-user environment of a large modern company. VM/ESA makes very efficient use of the hardware and is somewhat less demanding on computer resources than OS/390, making it a good choice for use as a platform for an enterprise system, a large organization's information server, or an Internet server. Later, IBM organized a joint project between Microsoft and IBM, aimed at creating an operating system free of flaws. The first version, 0S/2, was released at the end of 1987. It was able to use the advanced computing capabilities of the processor and had the means to communicate with large IBM machines. In 1993, IBM released 0S/2 2.1, a fully 32-bit system that had the ability to run applications built for Windows, had high performance, and supported a large number of peripheral devices. In 1994, 0S/2 WARP 3 was released. This implementation, in addition to further improving performance and reducing hardware resource requirements, introduced support for working on the Internet. Now, of the latest versions, only 0S/2 Warp4, capable of working with 64-bit processors, should be noted. In addition, it provides a fairly comprehensive means of interacting with the Internet, allowing 0S/2 to run not only client programs, but also act as a Web server. Starting from the third version, IBM supplies localized versions of 0S/2 for Russia. Having gone through a rather long and complex path, this OS for personal computers today has such features as real multitasking, thoughtful and reliable memory management and process management subsystems, built-in network support and additional network server functions, a powerful REXX programming language designed to solve system administration tasks. The listed features allow you to use 0S/2 as an operating system for powerful workstations or network servers.

Windows operating system
Windows was probably the first operating system that no one ordered for Bill Gates (see photo on the left), and he undertook to develop it at his own peril and risk. What's so special about it? Firstly, the graphical interface. At that time, only the notorious Mac 0S had this. Secondly, multitasking. In general, Windows 1.0 was released in November 1985. The main platform was the 286th vehicle.
Exactly two years later, in November 1987, Windows 2.0 was released, and a year and a half later 2.10 was released. There was nothing special about them. And finally, the revolution! May 1990, Windows 3.0 was released. What was there: DOS applications ran in a separate window on full screen, and Soru-Paste worked to exchange data with DOS applications, and Windows itself worked in several memory modes: in real (base 640 KB), in protected and expanded. At the same time, it was possible to run applications whose size exceeds the size of physical memory. There was also dynamic data exchange (DDE). A couple of years later, version 3.1 was released, which no longer had problems with base memory. A newfangled feature has also been introduced that supports True Type fonts. Normal operation in the local network is ensured. Drag&Drop appeared (moving files and directories with the mouse). Version 3.11 improved network support and introduced a few more minor features. At the same time, Windows NT 3.5 was released, which at that time was a collection of basic network gadgets taken from 0S/2.

In June 1995, the entire computer community was excited by Microsoft's announcement of the release in August of a new operating system, significantly different from Windows 3.11.
August 24 is the official release date of Windows 95 (other names: Windows 4.0, Windows Chicago). Now it was not just an operating environment - it was a full-fledged operating system. The 32-bit kernel allowed for improved access to files and network functions. 32-bit applications were better protected from each other's errors, and there was support for multi-user mode on one computer with one system. Many differences in the interface, a lot of settings and improvements.
A little later, a new Windows NT was released with the same interface as the 95th. It was supplied in two versions: as a server and as a workstation. Windows NT 4.x systems were reliable, but not so much because Microsoft had a conscience, but because NT was written by programmers who had once worked on VAX/VMS.
In 1996, Windows-95 OSR2 (this stands for Open Service Release) was released. The distribution included Internet Explorer 3.0 and some ancient version of Outlook (then simply called Exchange). The main functions include FAT32 support, an improved hardware and driver initializer. Some settings (including video) can be changed without rebooting. There was also built-in DOS 7.10 with FAT32 support.
The year is 1998. Windows 98 was released with built-in Internet Explorer 4.0 and Outlook. The so-called Active Desktop appeared. Improved support for universal drivers and DirectX. Built-in support for multiple monitors. Optionally, it was possible to add a wonderful utility for converting hard drives from FAT16 to FAT32. The built-in DOS dates back to the same 7.10.
A year later, Windows 98 Special Edition was released. With optimized kernel. Internet Explorer reached version 5.0, which, by and large, was not much different from 4.x. Integration with the World Wide Web, consisting of the delivery of several weak utilities such as FrontPage and Web Publisher. DOS was still the same - 7.10.
Year 2000. The full version of Windows Millenium is released. Internet Explorer became version 5.5, DOS seems to have died, but smart people claim that it existed, but was called 8.0. DOS applications are simply ignored. The interface has been improved with graphical features and acceleration of everything that can move (including the mouse cursor), plus a couple of network functions. Well, quite recently, one might say, in our time, the OS came out Windows Vista and Windows server 2008.

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Hello dear readers, Denis Trishkin is with you.
I try to share with you interesting information related to Windows operating system tools. Today I wanted to tell you directly about the shell itself. From the article you can find out how the history of the creation of Windows began, as well as its rapid evolution. I think this will be interesting to everyone.

Windows is an operating system from Microsoft, which has undoubtedly become one of the key factors in the development of not only computer technology, but also of all humanity. It is due to it that millions of people around the world use laptops and desktop machines.

Windows is installed on almost 90% of all computers in the world, while its closest rival, Mac OS, boasts only 9%.

Windows 1.0

So where did it all start? In short, the first version of Windows was a graphical add-on for MS-DOS. It was developed to simplify the command line. And many users at first could not understand such changes.

It is generally accepted that the history of Windows began in November 1985. It was then that the first version with index 1.0 saw the world. It had a small set of different programs that helped expand the available capabilities in DOS. In addition, as planned by the creators, it was supposed to simplify the work of users.

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Next stages of development( )

Windows 2.0

After some time, an updated version appeared - 2.0.

But it was not accepted by clients at all, and completely passed by the computer world.

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Windows 3.0

Five years after the release, in 1990, modification 3.0 was released, which was positively received by many users, and therefore was installed on a large number of machines. Its popularity was explained by several key factors:

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The interface allowed people to work with information not using special commands that had to be entered on a line, but using intuitive actions on familiar objects, expressed graphically.

So, for example, to delete a folder, you just had to drag it to the trash.

Ability to work simultaneously with several applications.

The simplicity and convenience of writing programs for this OS led to their widespread appearance.

Work with various peripheral equipment is better organized.

The revised version (3.1) has improved security and enabled support for multimedia devices. And in 3.11, support for computer networks already appeared.

Windows NT

Along with the first developments, Microsoft began creating a version of Windows NT. Its main objectives were to ensure efficient network operation and high security. At the same time, the interface was absolutely no different from model 3.0. And by 1992, NT 3.1 was released to the world, and a little later – 3.5.

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First global success( )

Windows 95

Windows 95 can easily be called a real breakthrough in the computer industry. It appeared in 1995. The operating system marked a new stage in the development of the history of the company and all computers in the world in general. Compared to its predecessor, the interface has changed noticeably.

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Most programs worked faster. It provided for automatic installation of new devices - this helped eliminate possible conflicts between them. Well, most importantly, developers began to take the first steps to support the Internet, which was just emerging. The interface of this version became the main one for all future modifications.

The very next year, the company pleased with the updated server system NT 4.0, which received the same interface as Win 95. In addition, it significantly improved security tools and improved interaction between users.

Operating systems of the 00s( )

Windows 98

Microsoft decided not to stop there and continued to work. The result was Windows 98, released in the same year. Compared to its predecessor, the new product has received a significantly redesigned structure.

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In addition to all the advantages of the previous OS, it was decided to introduce full-fledged tools for working with the Internet, as well as support for modern protocols for the functioning of the network. In addition, it became possible to display information on several monitors at once.

Windows Millennium and 2000

The next significant event was the release of the “axes” with the indices 2000 and Me (Millenium). They were presented almost simultaneously. The first was developed based on NT. This gave it high reliability and data security. Two versions have appeared: Server - for servers, and Professional - for user computers.

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The OS called Windows Me in fact became an extension of 98. At the same time, it received improved support for working with multimedia information. It is believed that the product turned out to be the most unfinished in the entire history of the corporation and even a failure. It was characterized by constant freezes, unstable operation and frequent crashes.

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Breakthrough( )

Windows XP

After many improvements, Windows XP was released a year later. The operating system was based on the NT kernel. That is why it clearly stood out among its predecessors due to its efficiency and high stability of operation. Support for many programs has appeared, additional functions have been added. But the most important achievement can be safely called the redesigned attractive interface. It has become softer and more rounded.

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This product is considered to be a success in the history of the corporation. Even at the end of 2008, it was used on almost 70% of all computers in the world. Even though by this time there were already new OSes.

After this, three major updates were introduced in addition, the last of which was released in the spring of 2008. Each of them was aimed at expanding capabilities and eliminating errors. They also helped to “close” inaccuracies in the security system. XP can rightfully be called the longest-lived in the entire history of Microsoft.

Windows Server 2003

In 2003, the corporation presented the OS index Server 2003, which replaced 2000. After that, the R2 update was released. The system is said to have “set a new bar” in terms of performance and reliability. It has long been considered one of the most popular and successful server products from the Redmond company.

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New approach( )

Windows Vista

Even before the release of XP, the company was actively working on another project. Its code name was Windows Longhorn. Before release, it was decided to change it to Vista.

The OS was released in 2007. The productive and reliable kernel of Server 2003 was taken as the basis. The developers added new functions, and most importantly, changed the interface, which many did not like.

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But despite all this, the product received a lot of negative reviews due to insufficient support for most third-party programs and poor performance in general. It was even called a “failure.”

Just imagine, many users were happy with XP running great (compared to previous versions), and suddenly a system appears that requires much more resources. Old machines simply could not “pull” the new software. In addition, the company simply could not implement normal compatibility with many device drivers.

Windows was originally developed as a graphical add-on to the MS-DOS operating system. The first personal computers from IBM were controlled by the MS-DOS operating system developed by Microsoft. This system was a fairly effective computer management tool, but difficult to master, requiring certain knowledge, and therefore needed to be simplified.

When IBM ordered software for the first personal computer from Microsoft, Gates resorted to a trick - he bought a ready-made QDOS system for 50 thousand dollars, renamed it MS-DOS, and sold it to IBM.

This was well understood at Microsoft, which set itself the global task of providing any user with a convenient personal computer. Therefore, in the period from 1981 to 1983. the company was actively working on creating the first version of an innovative operating system at that time, codenamed Interface Manager.

Windows 1.0

The emergence of a new platform, which in its final version became known as windows, was officially announced in 1983. Many skeptics did not appreciate the convenience and far-reaching prospects of the new operating system and called it a “bogus software product.” As you know, the further history of product development showed that the criticism was completely in vain. These statements did not seriously affect the plans of Microsoft, which, two years after the official presentation of Windows to the general public, released its new software product called Windows 1.0 to the market.

The new operating system freed users from the mandatory attribute of MS-DOS - entering commands through which control was carried out. Windows 1.0 was controlled by simply moving the mouse and clicking on desired parts of the screen. In addition, Microsoft contained many innovative functions for that period of time. Scroll bars, drop-down menus, icons, dialog boxes, the ability to switch between programs without restarting each of them, the new platform was equipped with all these convenient features for the average user. Windows 1.0 also included several additional programs to help the user with daily tasks. The appearance of a system with a convenient graphical control interface was a real breakthrough in the development of software for personal computers.

Windows 98 was the last version of the MS‑DOS-based system.

Windows 1.0 was a graphical add-on to the MS-DOS operating system, but it was it that became the platform on which an independent system was subsequently developed, which received exactly the same name.

Introduction

A modern operating system is a complex set of software that provides the user not only with standardized input/output of information and program management, but also simplifies working with the computer. The software interface of operating systems allows you to reduce the size of a specific program and simplify its work with all components of the computer system.

It is known that operating systems acquired their modern appearance during the development of the third generation of computers, that is, from the mid-60s to 1980. At this time, a significant increase in processor efficiency was achieved through the implementation of multitasking.

The Windows operating system is the most common operating system, and for most users it is the most suitable due to its simplicity, good interface, acceptable performance and a huge number of application programs for it.

Windows systems have come a difficult path from primitive graphical shells to completely modern operating systems. Microsoft began developing an interface manager (Interface Manager, later Microsoft Windows) in September 1981. Although the first prototypes were based on the so-called Multiplan and Word-like menus, in 1982 the interface elements were successfully changed to pull-down menus and dialog boxes.

The purpose of this work is to briefly review the history of the development of Microsoft Windows operating systems.

1. Brief history of the development of Windows operating systems

Currently, the most widely used graphical operating systems are the Windows family of Microsoft Corporation. In 2005, the Windows family celebrated its twentieth anniversary.

They are constantly being improved, so each new version has additional features.

The first version of this operating system is Windows 1.0was released in November 1985. Windows 1.0 could do very little and was more of a graphical shell for MS-DOS, but this system allowed the user to run several programs ramm at the same time. The main inconvenience when working with Windows 1.0 was that open windows could not overlap each other (to increase the size of one window, you had to reduce the size of the one next to it). In addition, too few programs were written for Windows 1.0, so the system was not widely used.

Windows 3.1(1992), Windows for Workgroups 3.11(1993) are graphical operating shells that were popular in the past, running under the MS DOS operating system and using the built-in functions and procedures of this OS at the lower level. These are object-oriented applications based on a hierarchically organized window system.

Windows NT(1993) is a multi-user and scalable network operating system for personal computers that supports a client-server architecture and includes its own security system. It can interact with various operating systems from both Microsoft and other companies (for example, MacOS or UNIX) installed on single-processor and multiprocessor computers built on the basis of CISC or RISC technologies.

Windows 95is a multitasking and multi-threaded 32-bit operating system with a graphical interface. The system fully supports 16-bit applications created for MS DOS. This is an integrated multimedia environment for exchanging text, graphics, audio and other information.

Windows 98was a logical development of Windows 95 towards greater computer performance without adding new hardware to it. The system includes a number of programs, the combined use of which increases computer performance and allows more efficient use of Internet web resources through the use of new multimedia capabilities of operating systems.

Windows 2000is a next-generation network operating system equipped with advanced multi-processing tools and effective information security. The implemented function of working with files in offline mode allows you to select network files into folders for subsequent work with them, without connecting to the network, which provides additional opportunities for mobile users.

This is the operating system which has a number of additional features and advantages compared to the previous version of Windows 98. The system has expanded multimedia capabilities and improved means of accessing the Internet. The OS also supports the latest types of hardware and has a significantly improved help system.

Windows XP(2001) was a step by Microsoft Corporation towards the integration of the Windows ME user OS and Windows 2000 OS networks. As a result of such integration of their strengths, one of the best operating systems was obtained, which acquired a new user interface that significantly simplifies the use of a personal computer for for various purposes, including for managing local networks. Two different versions of this OS have been developed: for home users (Windows XP Home Edition) and corporate users (Windows XP Professional).

Windows Vista(2007) is the latest operating system (has kernel version 6.0). Unlike previous versions, Vista is supplied on DVD media due to its increased complexity and new “sophisticated” interface (Aero). In addition, each disc contains all five of its modifications: Home Basic, Home Premium, Enterprise and Ultimat.

In the next chapter we will look at each operating system in more detail.

2. Characteristics of Windows operating systems

Windows NT -It is Microsoft's first networked, multi-threaded graphics operating system to include tamper protection. The OS itself operates in privileged mode (kernel mode), while protected subsystems and application programs operate in non-privileged (user) mode. In kernel mode, all system areas are accessible and all machine commands are allowed to execute. In user mode, some commands are prohibited and system memory areas are inaccessible.

The Windows NT network operating system is implemented on the basis of a client-server architecture, when each of the application programs accesses the service functions of the system through calls to local procedures. The system services these requests and returns the results of their requests to clients.

Windows NT fully supports 16-bit programs (designed for DOS) that run as separate processes in virtual machines in shared memory space.

.2 Operating system Windows 95

Windows 95-This is Microsoft's first full-fledged graphical operating system that does not require the presence of any other OS (for example, MS DOS) on the computer. This OS provides the ability to work with e-mail and network files, provides support for external devices, sound and video equipment, and laptop computers.

Plug & Play included with Windows 95 (Plug and Play) greatly simplifies the process of changing and configuring PC hardware. The system contains drivers for most of the most well-known hardware, automatically installs and configures them. In addition, the user has visual control over the operation of the personal computer. In Windows 95, searching for documents has been greatly simplified. If earlier, in order to find a lost file, you needed to know its location and name, now it is enough to remember only a few words contained in it, and the OS itself will find files containing such words.

.3 Operating system Windows 98

Windows 98represents the second generation of user operating systems from Microsoft Corporation.

Active Desktop (active desktop) - a new OS component that allows you to view any web pages as “wallpaper” directly on the Windows desktop. At the same time, they can be automatically updated according to a schedule. The display settings have also been optimized; it is now possible to change screen resolutions and color depths without rebooting.

The standard components of Windows 98 include the TV Viewer application, which allows you to view television channels if you have the appropriate hardware (TV Tuner). A computer running TV Viewer can receive cable and satellite TV programs, as well as work with data distributed over the Internet.

For mobile computer users, Windows 98 includes support for special PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) expansion cards, which allow you to connect additional devices to your laptop.

2.4 Windows 2000 operating system

Windows 2000 -a hybrid operating system that combines the advantages of two families: Windows NT and Windows 98. Their equal support provides Windows 2000 with the ability to interact with earlier versions of Windows.

Windows 2000 eliminates forced system reboots in most cases. It is now possible to adapt the main Start menu to the user's work habits, displaying frequently used applications.

Windows 2000 has major security improvements. The security system includes components to verify the user who gains access to any objects (shared files and printers) and the actions that he can perform on these objects. The system prevents the overwriting and deletion of essential system files, thereby maintaining system functionality.

IP Security (IPSec) support helps protect data transmitted over the network. IPSec is an essential part of Virtual Private Network (VPN) security, allowing organizations to securely transmit data over the Internet. Support for dynamic HTNL and XNL (eXtended Markup Language) gives developers greater flexibility while reducing development time.

.5 Windows ME operating system

Windows ME (Millennium Edition)is a significantly improved version of the Windows 98 operating system in terms of adding entertainment, multimedia and networking capabilities.

Windows ME allows you to work with digital photos: upload pictures from digital cameras and scanners, edit them without using third-party programs, create slide movies and screensavers from your photos.

Windows ME supports the latest types of equipment: five-button mouse, broadband modems with USB interface, etc.

Windows ME has improved the Internet Sharing setup tool.

.6 Operating system Windows XP

Windows XP(eXPerience -experience) is Microsoft's latest operating system for users, which was released back on October 25, 2001.

The new operating system is based on the kernel used in Windows 2000 and Windows NT, which has a number of advantages:

Efficient and flexible operating system technology that takes advantage of multitasking, fault tolerance, and system memory protection to prevent and resolve operational problems and maintain system stability;

the ability to restore the work done by the user in many cases where the program crashed before the corresponding document was saved;

System memory protection helps prevent programs written with errors from affecting the stability of the computer;

When installing new software, in most cases you will not need to restart Windows XP, as was necessary in earlier versions of Windows.

The operating system was developed in three versions that meet almost any needs of personal computer users used at work or at home.

Windows XP Home Editionis the best platform for working with digital multimedia materials and the best choice for home computer users and computer game enthusiasts.

Windows XP Professionalhas almost all the advantages of Windows XP Home Edition. It also includes additional features for remote access, security, performance and management, and multilingual support, making it an excellent operating system for organizations with mixed language environments and for users who want to get the most out of their computer.

Windows XP 64-bit Editionfor specialized technical workstations whose users require the highest levels of performance and scalability.

.7 Windows Vista operating system

The final (6000th) build of the new Windows Vista operating system reached the end consumer on January 30, 2007. Unlike previous versions, it is supplied on DVD media for two reasons:

increased complexity and sophisticated interface of the new operating system;

Each disk contains all its modifications (from Home Basic to Ultimate for 32- and 64-bit processors).

Microsoft has developed five versions of the Windows Vista operating system for different market segments:

Home Basicis positioned as an operating system “for housewives”. Maximum supported memory is limited to 8 GB, and does not support multiprocessing, multi-core, or the new GUI Aero.In addition, some utilities and options related to system and network maintenance that are not particularly important in a household are missing.

Home Premium- a more advanced version in which these limitations are partially eliminated. It still does not fully support two cores, but it allows you to “see” memory up to 16 GB in order for the interface to feel good Aero.

Business- a version for installation at the workplace, similar to Home Basic, but with expanded support for network capabilities and the presence of special service functions (file system encryption, backup, etc.). This is a junior version of the operating system with support for multi-cores and RAM up to 128 GB. A newfangled interface has been introduced Aero.

Ultimate- the most complete version, eliminating any compromise both in functionality and price.

2.8 Operating system Windows 7

windows operating system microsoft

Windows 7- the latest operating system of the Windows NT family to date, following Windows Vista. In the Windows NT line, the system is version 6.1, which was released in its final form on October 22, 2009.

Windows 7 includes some developments that were excluded from Windows Vista. 7 has support for multitouch monitors. 7 contains many improvements, as a result of which working on a computer has become even faster, more convenient and more efficient. Efficient ways to find and manage files, such as Jump Lists and previews in the enhanced taskbar, improve your speed.

An additional advantage of Windows 7 is closer integration with driver manufacturers. Most of them are detected automatically, while in 90% of cases, backward compatibility with Windows Vista drivers is maintained. 7 supports internal folder aliases. For example, the Program Files folder in some localized versions of Windows was translated and displayed with the translated name, but remained in English at the file system level.

With Windows 7, you can run many of the applications previously used in Windows XP in a special Windows XP compatibility mode, and you can easily restore data using backups that are automatically created on your home or corporate network. With a variety of different entertainment features, Windows 7 is a great choice for home and work.

Windows 8 (Windows NT 6.2) is expected to appear in 2012.

The minimum hardware requirements for all operating systems of the Windows family are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 - Hardware requirements of operating systems of the Windows family

Windows versionMinimum requirementsCPURAN, MBHDD, MBAdditionalWindows 95Intel 386DX8 (16)30…70CD-ROM, VGA Windows NTIntel 48616 (32)100CD-ROM, VGA Windows 98Intel 486 / 66MHz16 (32)110…300CD-ROM, VGA Windows 2000Pentium / 133MHz32 (64)650CD/DVD-ROM, VGA Windows MEPentium / 150MHz32 (64)200…500CD/DVD-ROM, VGA Windows XPCeleron /233MHz64(128)1500CD/DVD-ROM,SVGA Windows VistaPentium III / 800MHz512 (1024)15000DVD-ROM, SVGA

Windows Ready Boostallows you to use a flash drive as an additional source of RAM, which should provide higher system performance.

Windows Super Fetchdeals with efficient memory management, which allows you to quickly access data.

Conclusion

So, in this work we examined the most important stages of creating operating systems of the Windows family.

An operating system is a set of programs that allow you to manage the resources (RAM, hard drive, processor, peripherals) of a computer. Without an operating system, it is impossible to run any application program, for example, a text editor. Therefore, the OS is the base for which various applications are developed. It is the most common operating system, and for most users it is the most suitable due to its simplicity, good interface, acceptable performance and a huge number of application programs for it.

The Windows OS is designed in a very logical and uniform way, with almost all programs using the same basic operations, which are always performed in the same way.

Microsoft operating systems can be divided into groups:

MS-DOS and MS-DOS+Windows 3.1;

T.N. consumer versions of Windows (Windows 95/98/Me);

Bibliography

1.Konkov K.A. Fundamentals of organizing Microsoft Windows operating systems / K.A. Konkov. - M.: Publishing house "Intuit", 2005. - 536 p.

2.Levin A. Self-instruction manual for working on a computer / A. Levin. - SPb:. Publishing house "Peter", 2002. - 655 p.

3.Leontiev V. Great Encyclopedia of Computer and Internet / V. Leontiev. - M.: Olma Media Group, 2006. - 1084 p.

4.Ugrinovich N. Computer science and information technologies. 10-11th grade / N. Ugrinovich. - M.: Publishing house “BINOM. Laboratory of knowledge", 2002. - 512 p.

.Khlebnikov A.A. Computer science. Textbook / A.A. Khlebnikov. - Rostov n/d.: Phoenix, 2007. - 571 p.

Windows: Start

The ancient history of the most popular operating system in the world

2015 is an anniversary year for Microsoft. Firstly, this week the tenth version of Windows is officially released (round number!). Secondly, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Windows 1.0. In this regard, we decided to go back to the roots and remember where it all began.

1. Beginning

Microsoft founders Paul Allen and Bill Gates

In the winter of 1975, Paul Allen, a 22-year-old programmer for the Honeywell Corporation, showed 19-year-old Bill Gates, a student at Harvard University, the January issue of Popular Electronics magazine, the central article of which was devoted to the Altair 8800 computer. The Altair was one of the first inexpensive home computers: his the base cost was only $439 as a kit and $621 fully assembled and ready to use. In the first month, the number of orders for a computer based on the Intel 8080 processor exceeded a thousand units, which was a very good indicator for the nascent market. Gates and Allen had the idea to develop an interpreter for the BASIC language and pitch it to the Altair computer manufacturer, MITS. As Gates himself recalled in an interview for the documentary “Triumph of the Nerds,” it was clear that soon the price of home computers would drop so much that developing software for them would become a profitable business.

Altair 8800 became the first successful home computer

By this time, Gates and Allen already had experience in developing quite complex applications - in 1971, while still schoolchildren, they created the company Traf-O-Data, which processed statistical data on traffic on the roads of Seattle and other cities in Washington state. The company was not particularly successful, but the experience at Traf-O-Data gave the future founders of Microsoft confidence in their own abilities.

In early 1975, Allen and Gates sent MITS founder Ed Roberts a letter offering him a BASIC interpreter of their own design. An interesting point was that at that time Microsoft did not have a ready-made interpreter or an Altair computer, but it did have an Intel 8008 processor emulator for the DEC PDP-10 mainframe, which Allen had written three years earlier for Traf-O-Data. Allen and Gates modified the emulator according to the Altair 8800 documentation and used it to develop a BASIC interpreter on Harvard University's PDP-10 computer. When the university administration found out about this, they deprived Gates of access to a computer, so for further development he had to buy computer time from a company providing such services. In total, it took approximately 8 weeks to develop the interpreter.

Altair BASIC 8K on paper tape

The finished interpreter used less than 4 KB of RAM along with the code editor. Allen recorded it on paper and flew to meet Roberts in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where MITS was headquartered. Already on the plane, he realized that they had not written an interpreter loader program, and wrote it on the plane. Fortunately, the interpreter loaded and worked as it should the first time. (Gates and Allen later had a competition to see who could write the fastest and most efficient bootloader program. Gates won the competition.) Roberts was so impressed by the presentation that he agreed to distribute BASIC with Altair computers. The tape or paper interpreter cost $150, but MITS sold it for $60 with the purchase of a 4K memory card (which was still needed to use BASIC).

As a result, towards the end of 1975, the Micro-Soft company was founded (the name was invented by Allen, who proposed a portmanteau of the words Microcomputer Software), for which Gates dropped out of his studies at Harvard, and Allen left Honeywell. The company's third employee was Monte Davidoff, who developed a floating-point module for Altair BASIC.

Interpreters for BASIC and other programming languages remained the core of Microsoft's business until the early 1980s. The company developed versions for all popular home computers, including the Apple II (Applesoft BASIC) and Commodore 64 (Commodore BASIC).

Interestingly, already in 1975 the company was faced with widespread piracy among home computer users who did not buy BASIC, but copied it from each other. In 1976, Gates even wrote a very harsh “Open Letter to Enthusiasts,” in which he accused them of theft and the fact that such behavior makes it impossible to develop high-quality software for microcomputers.

2. IBM enters the scene

In 1979, IBM was watching the home computer market with concern. Although the company controlled 62% of the mainframe market, it slept through the minicomputer revolution (like the DEC PDP-11), causing its share of the computer market to decline from 60% in the mid-seventies to 32%. Microcomputers were another new and rapidly growing niche in which IBM was not present.

It was clear that IBM needed its own personal computer, but another problem arose: in the large and extremely bureaucratic IBM, everything happened very slowly. As the “father of the IBM PC” Don Estridge later said, if the PC had been developed in accordance with IBM procedures, its development would have taken at least five years - by that time the market would have already been divided among other players.

IBM PC Model 5150 - IBM's first personal computer

That's why IBM President John Opel and CEO Frank Carey approved the creation of an independent group, Entry Level Systems, which was located in Boca Raton (Florida), away from IBM's main headquarters. This group was given complete freedom of action to achieve its goal: to create a competitive microcomputer from standard and widely available components on the market. It must be said that the task was completed brilliantly: the first IBM PC (model 5150) had a completely open and standardized architecture; only the BIOS chip, which contained software procedures for initializing the computer, was unique and closed.

Traditionally, IBM developed software for its computers itself, but in the case of PCs, the company simply did not have the time, so it decided to look for the operating system, application applications and development environment outside. According to a preliminary agreement, IBM was to purchase the operating system from Digital Research, and the BASIC interpreter from Microsoft. However, at the last minute, the signing of the contract between IBM and Digital Research fell through because Digital Research's lawyers refused to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Tim Paterson, original developer of MS-DOS

Microsoft saw that the "deal of the century" was in jeopardy and offered IBM not only an interpreter, but also an operating system. The company did not have its own operating system, nor did it have time to develop it, so Microsoft bought the rights to the 86-DOS operating system from a small company, Seattle Computer Products (and its main developer, Tim Paterson, went to work for Microsoft).

At the end of 1980, Bill Gates, on behalf of Microsoft, entered into a contract with IBM to supply software for the IBM PC. For $80,000, IBM received the rights to use the MS-DOS operating system, the BASIC interpreter, and several other applications. If Bill Gates had been a smart person, he would have asked IBM for royalties on every computer sold.

Bill Gates wasn't just smart. He was a genius. He did not insist on royalties; instead, he asked for a clause in the contract that Microsoft retained all rights to the software, including the right to sell it to other computer manufacturers. IBM's lawyers did not object: after all, there were no other PC manufacturers on the market at that time. Both sides left happy: Microsoft retained DOS as its property, and IBM received a lucrative contract.

But just a couple of years later, this “lucrative contract” became a real curse for IBM. Since the PC consisted of standard components and had an open architecture, anyone could create its analogue, completely compatible with the original. The only closed and copyright-protected component was the BIOS chip containing the PC firmware. But this problem was also solved when Phoenix developed a copy of the original IBM PC BIOS, written from scratch and from a legal point of view. The last component was missing - the operating system. Of course, Bill Gates and Microsoft were happy to sell this operating system to everyone. As a result, Microsoft and Intel made great money selling software and processors left and right, while IBM could only look on and gnash its teeth.

3. Apple, Macintosh and the first version of Windows

Microsoft was one of the first developers of software for the Apple Macintosh platform

In 1983, Microsoft released the first version of the word processor Word, which was then called Multi-Tool Word. Apple, which already had experience collaborating with Microsoft, approached Bill Gates with a proposal to develop a version of Word and the Multiplan spreadsheet processor for the new Macintosh platform, which at that time was in development and was scheduled to debut in 1984.

It is generally accepted that it was the Macintosh that served as the prototype for Windows. But in fact, the development of the first version began back in 1982, immediately after Bill Gates saw a demo version of the VisiOn graphical shell at the COMDEX exhibition.

Another common misconception is that Microsoft “stole” the GUI from Apple. However, the graphical user interface (GUI) was not an invention of Apple; Steve Jobs got the idea during a visit to the Xerox research center in Palo Alto. In addition, Microsoft, as part of the agreement to develop Word and Excel for the Macintosh, received a license from Apple to use a limited set of graphical interface elements. Windows 1.0 only used items that Microsoft had a license for. That is why the first version of the shell had many restrictions, in particular, windows could not overlap each other.

VisiCalc VisiOn was the first graphical shell for the IBM PC

The name Windows itself was coined by Microsoft's head of marketing, Rowland Hanson. Previously, it was assumed that the new product would be called Interface Manager, but Hanson convinced Bill Gates that the name Windows would be better received by consumers. Windows 1.0 was announced in 1983 and went on sale on November 1, 1985. Of course, Steve Jobs was furious, and Apple eventually sued Microsoft. The trial ended only in 1993 - in favor of Microsoft.

Windows 1.0 had its fair share of problems. It was not particularly functional or stable. Today, Windows boasts a large catalog of applications, but back then the only programs for Windows were those that came bundled with it. So Windows users used it mainly with DOS applications. And there was one big problem: the fact is that Windows supported multitasking only for those DOS applications that did not contain direct calls to the hardware.

Essentially, Microsoft's main goal was to lay the groundwork for future improvements. Windows 1.0 coped well with this task. In addition, the Windows API (Application Programming Interface) has been quite stable since the first version. Programs for Windows 1.0, as a rule, launch and work normally in modern 32-bit versions of Windows (but do not work in 64-bit versions, since they do not support 16-bit applications).

GUI
Windows 1.0

4. The fight against OS/2 and the emergence of Windows NT

Today the OS/2 operating system is almost forgotten, but in fact its history is inseparable from the early history of Windows. In 1985, Microsoft and IBM entered into an agreement to develop an operating system codenamed Advanced DOS, which was supposed to have unheard-of capabilities: a graphical interface, support for true preemptive multitasking, memory protection, and a more reliable file system. Microsoft was involved in the development of OS/2, but IBM paid for this work, and it also formulated the technical specifications for the new OS. It was all part of one grand plan, which was to return control of the PC-compatible computer market to IBM.

One part of this plan was to release the PS/2 line of computers. Unlike the earlier IBM PC, PC XT and PC AT, which had an open architecture, the key element in PS/2 - the MCA bus - was patented. In addition, these computers introduced PS/2 connectors, which are still used in desktop computers today (they can be called IBM's last significant contribution to the development of the personal computer industry).

The second part of the plan was to release an operating system that would be entirely under IBM's control. Technically, OS/2 could run on any IBM-compatible PC, but advanced features - such as the networking suite - were only available to owners of purebred IBM computers.

Of course, nothing came of this venture for several reasons. First, IBM treated Microsoft as a regular contractor and paid for the writing of a new operating system... based on the amount of code. Thus, the more bloated and inefficient the OS/2 code was, the more Microsoft made. As a result, the first version of OS/2, released in 1987, required a minimum of 4 MB of RAM to run properly - and this despite the fact that it did not have a graphical user interface! RAM then cost about $500 per megabyte. (Windows at that time had a graphical interface and worked fine on computers with 1.5 MB of RAM.)