What is Windows: Definition and 438 Discussions

Microsoft Windows, commonly referred to as Windows, is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families, all of which are developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. Active Microsoft Windows families include Windows NT and Windows IoT; these may encompass subfamilies, (e.g. Windows Server or Windows Embedded Compact) (Windows CE). Defunct Microsoft Windows families include Windows 9x, Windows Mobile and Windows Phone.
Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985, as a graphical operating system shell for MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal computer (PC) market with over 90% market share, overtaking Mac OS, which had been introduced in 1984.
Apple came to see Windows as an unfair encroachment on their innovation in GUI development as implemented on products such as the Lisa and Macintosh (eventually settled in court in Microsoft's favor in 1993). On PCs, Windows is still the most popular operating system in all countries. However, in 2014, Microsoft admitted losing the majority of the overall operating system market to Android, because of the massive growth in sales of Android smartphones. In 2014, the number of Windows devices sold was less than 25% that of Android devices sold. This comparison, however, may not be fully relevant, as the two operating systems traditionally target different platforms. Still, numbers for server use of Windows (that are comparable to competitors) show one third market share, similar to that for end user use.
As of May 2021, the most recent version of Windows for PCs, tablets and embedded devices is Windows 10, version 21H1. The most recent version for server computers is Windows Server, version 21H1. A specialized version of Windows also runs on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S video game consoles.

View More On Wikipedia.org
Recent contents Top users
  1. Saint

    Should I update to Windows XP Service Pack 2?

    Have you updated your XP to SP2? I read news about its problem, compatibility with certain application softwares. Is it ok to update?
  2. Q

    Can I completely remove Windows ME and upgrade to XP on my laptop?

    Hey all, I've got WindowsME on my laptop, and want to upgrade to XP on a CLEAN SLATE. However, I've tried a couple things and can't get it to overwrite or otherwise format the sections that have ME. Now I've got 2 OSes on the hard drive, and would like to know how I can completely erase it...
  3. D

    Windows Service Pack 2: How to Check and Install on Your Computer

    My friend recently found out about Windows Service Pack 2 and wanted to know whether Microsoft already automatically loaded it into his computer or if he needed to do it himself. Or how he could find out if he already had SP2. I'm on a Mac, so I don't know much about Windows Service Packs...
  4. dduardo

    Is Microsoft's Windows XP Starter Edition a Joke or a Strategic Move?

    This has to be the funniest Microsoft news I've heard in a while: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5670541/ Microsoft is trying to counter Linux and piracy in Asia by offering a stripped down version of Windows XP for $36 USD. The limitations of this version of Windows include: Only 3...
  5. Monique

    Simple planner/organizer that runs in windows

    Does anyone know a simple planner/organizer that runs in windows and will give an alarm at set timepoints? (I accidentally seem to have removed the one that was there :grumpy:.. no clue what it was called)
  6. G

    Campus are running Microsoft Windows XP

    The class computers here on campus are running Microsoft Windows XP, with some very riduculous security measures. I suppose they are useful, but for someone who spends most of their time in the class labs and uses LaTeX for documents and Maple for CAS software, these security measures are a...
  7. J

    Windows Bookmark Icon: Why Does It Change?

    Sometimes the bookmark for this Physics Forum has a square root icon that shows up in my Favorites list. But other times the icon is generic looking, like most of the other icons in my Favorites. What makes it change?
  8. Saint

    Opera 7.51 does not work well in Windows XP

    when I double click it, it does not launch immediately, after 3 minutes then it appears, very slow! this happens in other PCs also. mozilla firefox and IE are OK. Why?
  9. D

    Does Microsoft Windows have a counterpart to Mac's Applescript?

    Does Microsoft Windows have a counterpart to Mac's Applescript?
  10. Loren Booda

    Complete data transfer from one Windows 98 computer to another

    I am giving my ladyfriend my old Dell computer with Windows 98 OS. I would like to transfer all of the files in her old computer (also Windows 98) to her "new," gift computer. I seek to do this by means of intervening cable. Where can I get instructions on how to do this? (The Windows 98...
  11. D

    What are the latest updates for Firefox v.9 on Windows?

    I don't know if anyone has said this already, but mozilla Firefox .9 is out for windows, so everyone who has v.8 go and upgrade and all of you who use IE go get it at http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
  12. exequor

    Where is the boot.ini file in windows xp home

    i cannot find the boot.ini on my windows xp home computer. I even searched for it but i had no success. Can someone please tell me where it is?
  13. A

    Optimize Windows QuickLaunch Sorting | Organize Your QuickLaunch Bar Efficiently

    Hey guys, you know the Windows QuickLaunch bar? It's the little thing by the Start Button. For some reason on my WinXP system it would not maintain the order that I sorted them by (I like my Firefox, then Show Desktop, mp3 folder, then WinAmp). I'd sort them, but upon each reboot they would...
  14. Dissident Dan

    Why do Windows timing functions have poor resolution and accuracy?

    One would think that counting time would be one of the simplest functions that a computer could do, given that computers generally operate based on fixed frequencies, which I believe are generated by crystals. However, the windows time functions that I know are horrible. Firstly, they have...
  15. Saint

    Windows Longhorn needs what hardware to run its best?

    If I have P4 2GHz, 512GB DDRRAM, 64MB AGP card, 80GB HDD, will it be sufficient to cope with Longhorn in the future ? :smile:
  16. A

    Why can't I see the bottom toolbar on my Internet Explorer?

    Hello guys :) I have Windows XP Pro. When I open my Internet Explorer, I don't have my bottom toolbar, the one that shows where a website is leading when you MouseOver. I feel like a fool for asking, but how can I enable that toolbar? I can't for my life find where to enable it!
  17. M

    Switching from broadband to dsl with Windows 2000 server

    I just installed Win2k server on a friends pc, and configured the internet on my broadband connection. It worked fine, downloaded all the stuff I needed, etc. Well, I return the pc to my friend, who takes it home and plugs her DSL connection in, boots it up and now the internet does not...
  18. U

    Locating SCSI Adapters during Windows NT 4.0 Server Installation

    What if a server has a SCSI adapter installed, how will Windows NT locate them?
  19. dduardo

    Windows versus the World: Royal Rumble I

    Ok, since we hijacked wolram's spybot thread with a lot of Windows versus Linux/Unix/OS X bickering, I thought the best way to handle this was to start fresh and try to have a civilized debate on the topic. Personal threats, baseless comments, and whining will not be tolorated. If you think...
  20. Saint

    Bull Security Center of Windows XP SP2

    Bull**** Security Center of Windows XP SP2 I installed Windows XP SP2, it has a security center, it prompted me that I did not install anti-virus, indeed I had, free version of Avast, the security center only recognise Mcafee; is it a dirty trick of business? :rolleyes:
  21. P

    I have Windows 2000 Source code

    /* Source Code Windows 2000 */ #include "win31.h" #include "win95.h" #include "win98.h" #include "workst~1.h" #include "evenmore.h" #include "oldstuff.h" #include "billrulz.h" #include "monopoly.h" #include "backdoor.h" #define INSTALL = HARD char make_prog_look_big(16000000)...
  22. dduardo

    Windows 2000 & Windows NT 4 Source Code Leaked

    Read more about it at Slashdot.org: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=...tid=109&tid=187
  23. grady

    Fonts appearing as boxes on windows 98

    I got problems with fonts showing up as boxes. I recently copied all of my fonts from windows xp into the fonts directory in windows 98. Thats all I can think of that would be the problem. But going through and looking at the fonts with character map, none of them are screwed up. Does anyone...
  24. Saint

    Get a Sneak Peek at Windows Longhorn: Demo Version Release Date

    when can we get a demo version of it ?
  25. P

    How can I fix Windows hibernation issues?

    Hi guys, I'm having problems with my computer when it goes into power saver mode. Now I'm all for this mode, becasue it saves a us a bit on electricity, when I leave it on overnight to defrag a disk or something. But the problem is that I can't get it to boot back up again afterwards. Or...
  26. S

    Easy Guide to Installing Windows 98: Step-by-Step Instructions

    Can someone tell me how to install win 98 please. I have :- Partisioned the drive, Formated the drive, Done everything it says in the book, up to runing setup from the win 98 cd, then pc resets itself. Can someone help me it s driving me nutts
  27. M

    Windows 2000 problem: svchost.exe

    Can anyone please tell me where I can learn what the process svchost.exe is and why it has recently started generating errors and stopping in what has been a very stable operating system for 2 years? Thanks.
  28. Ivan Seeking

    Microsoft warns of critical Windows flaw : News.com

    "The software giant issued a patch Wednesday morning to plug a critical security hole that could allow an attacker to take control of computers running any version of Windows except for Windows ME." http://news.com.com/2100-1009_3-1026420.html
  29. Saint

    How to create bootable CD for windows 2000

    I have a CDRW writer, how to do it ? So that i can boot into my PC at DOS prompt.
  30. E

    I've Got a Problem with Windows XP On My Notebook Here

    Computerphiles: Okay, there is something a bit fvcked up happening with my notebook computer. The scroll-bar on the built-in mouse doesn't work. This happened a few days after I got the notebook; so, I reloaded the mouse driver, and it worked again. Eventually, however, it went back to not...
  31. T

    Troubleshooting Surfing Issues on Windows ME and IE6/Netscape

    I have a quick question for you computer genius out there. When I'm online on this laptop I have a hard time surfing. I can click on most links with no problem, but if the link opens in a new window it doesn't work. A new window opens up, but there is nothing in the address bar and no page...
  32. Saint

    Doubting the capability of windows

    As you can see, in linux, just a few commands in Shell, you can mount virtual CD. You do not need a specific software to do it. But, we can't do this in Windows. Isn't it Windows a handicap compared to linux ?
  33. Saint

    Why is the release date for Windows Longhorn delayed until the end of 2004?

    My home PC is a stand alone machine, do i need windows 2003 ?
  34. sheldon

    Windows Run, what are the programs that can be ran

    I am not a computer genius, and was wondering if you computer guru's could help me in an area. My question is this, if you go to start then to run on windows, what are the programs that can be ran? For instance I know of one which is "msconfig" that allows you to change startup programs and many...
  35. L

    What Can We Learn About Windows LongHorn from This FAQ?

    There were some posts regarding OSes, and also some on processing. I found this good page. Not only is at an FAQ, the important part is that if you scroll down about to questions, there are good links to preview stuff: http://www.winsupersite.com/faq/longhorn.asp So take a look and let us...
  36. Saint

    Back Dating Windows: How to Erase Date History and Extend Software Demo License

    I have a software which demo license expires on 15,FEB,2003. If you back date windows, it can know it and can not run. I believe there must be a file somewhere that stores the date history of my OS. So, how can I find this file and erase its data ?
  37. E

    Making a Server with Windows XP

    [SOLVED] Making a Server with Windows XP I was wondering if it is possible to make a webpage / ftp server using Windows XP rather than some fancy OS like Windows Server 2003. Basically, I want to make my own server, but I have no idea where to begin. Thanks. eNtRopY
  38. Greg Bernhardt

    Linux for Windows Addicts: A Smooth Transition

    Linux for Windows Addicts INTRODUCTION Everyone has a stance in the OS debates, but I've really never taken a side. I have Mandrake on one machine and I could do some commands and simple stuff, but I didn't really know what Linux was all about. I've been a Windows person forever and I took...
Back
Top