Windows 1.0 marks 40 years since its launch

Forty years ago, on November 20, 1985, Microsoft released the very first Windows 1.0.

Windows was launched as the successor to the MS-DOS operating system, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

Windows 1.0 required two floppy disks, 256 kilobytes of memory, and a graphics card.

If users wanted to run multiple programs at the same time, they needed a PC equipped with a hard drive and 512 kilobytes of memory.

MS-DOS was a command-line operating system with no graphical windows. When you started your computer, a DOS prompt appeared, and you had to know the commands and type them manually in order to run a program or perform any task.

MS-DOS could handle only one operation at a time. To use a second program, the first had to be closed and a new command entered to open the next one.

Windows 1.0 was introduced in 1983, but its development took two years. The system was originally expected to have a different name, but it was ultimately called “Windows” because it described the computer “windows” or frames that would appear on the user’s screen. Drop-down menus, scroll bars, and icons made the system easier to use—features that became the foundation of the Windows experience we know today.

Additionally, users had access to the MS-DOS file manager, drawing and writing programs, a notepad, calculator, calendar, data card, clock, and a game.

Critics at the time were not fully satisfied with its performance. They raised concerns about how the system handledf multiple applications and questioned Microsoft’s push for the use of a computer mouse—something not yet common, as most commands were still entered through the keyboard.

Windows 2.0 replaced it in November 1987. However, Microsoft supported Windows 1.0 longer than any other version—16 years, until December 31, 2001.