The YouTube channel on the history & development of Microsoft Windows. 📺 Join the Discord @ http://dsc.gg/wowserv! 👨🏻💻 Follow for daily Windows facts. 🤓
The Microsoft Hearts Network (later, simply Hearts) was a card game introduced in Windows for Workgroups 3.1 (1992). It aimed to showcase the OS’s new networking features, by allowing multiplayer games over a network. It is no longer included in Windows as of Windows 8 (2012). ❤️
Microsoft spent millions of dollars marketing Windows XP (2001). Initially, they planned to use the slogan “Prepare to fly”, to capture both the performance of & advanced technologies in the new OS. After the 9/11 attacks, the slogan, out of respect, was changed to “Yes you can”.
Critical Update Notification Tool (later renamed Critical Update Notification Utility for…reasons 💀) was an app that regularly checked for & notified the user of critical updates. Initially available to download for Windows 98 (1998), it later shipped with Windows 2000 (1999).
Windows Embedded 2009 was a version of Windows XP (2001) designed for embedded PCs, such as ATMs. It was released in 2 variants, Standard & POSReady, in late 2008 - almost 2 years after XP’s successor, Windows Vista (2006) 🤯. It also introduced a new visual style: Embedded. 👀
Windows Picture & Fax Viewer is the default image viewer in Windows XP (2001) & its server variant, Windows Server 2003 (2003). It replaced Imaging For Windows, introduced in Windows 95 (1995), & was replaced by Windows Photo Gallery & Windows Fax & Scan in Windows Vista (2006).
Windows Phone 8 (2012) was the second release of Microsoft’s Windows Phone mobile operating system & the first to be based on Windows NT rather than Windows CE. This change meant that - controversially - devices running Windows Phone 7 (2010) were not eligible to be upgraded. 😬
Windows 8 (2012) marked the first time Windows was without a Start menu in almost 20 years. 👀 Windows Program Manager Chaitanya Sareen said “we thought of the desktop as an app” & that Start was removed to reflect the fact the desktop was no longer the primary interface of the OS. 🚫
Phone Dialer is a Windows app that lets users make & answer phone calls via a modem connected to their PC. First seen in Windows 95 build 73f, from 23rd November 1993, it is one of only a few apps whose icons have not changed since their official debut in Windows 95 (1995). 📞
Windows 2000 Professional Commemorative Edition was a special edition of Windows 2000 (1999) given to Microsoft partners & employees as part of its launch. Though it featured unique packaging, its box contents were identical to the regular Windows 2000 Professional edition. 💿
Modular Windows was a version of Windows 3.1 (1992) that shipped on the Tandy Video Information System interactive CD-ROM player. Though initially aimed to move to other devices later, this ultimately didn’t happen. In 1996, it was superseded by Windows CE (later Windows Mobile).
File Manager was a file management app introduced in Windows 3 (1990). By Chris Guzak, it replaced the MS-DOS Executive from Windows 2 (1987). In Windows 95 (1995), it was replaced by Windows (now File) Explorer. In 2018, its source code & a version for modern Windows were released.
The Windows 2 April 1987 Build is the earliest known build of Windows 2 (1987). Still using Windows 1’s (1985) colour scheme, it showcases 2’s new window controls & support for overlapping app windows. This replaced the tiled windows in Windows 1 that users had found confusing.
During Microsoft’s 2022 Ignite developer conference, an image appearing to show a prototype UI for a future version of Windows (11?) was briefly shown. It notably features a macOS-like menu bar at the top of the screen, plus a simplified taskbar (here recreated by Zac Bowden).
“WOW!” 👀 The Windows NT 3.1 April 1991 build is the earliest known build of Windows NT - the 32-bit line of Windows on which modern versions are based. Its aim was to demo Reversi - a 16-bit app - running via NT’s new Windows On Windows compatibility layer. “CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?”
Windows 9x refers to the 4 consecutive consumer-oriented Windows releases from 1995-2000: 95, 98, 98SE & ME. Utilising MS-DOS to boot, they introduced 32-bit app support out of the box & acted as a stopgap until consumer-level hardware could handle the more demanding Windows NT.
Windows XP build 2250, from 28th June 2000, introduces an early iteration of XP’s new Start menu. Hidden by default, it can be accessed by pressing Alt+D in the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog & pressing OK. It would undergo minor changes in time for XP’s final release.
Windows 95 build 07200022, from 20th July 1992, is thought to be the earliest known build of Windows 95 (1995). It includes early versions of features that would officially debut in 95, such as updated UI controls & customisations, right-click menus & Paint (known as Raster).
Between 1992-1995, Brad Silverberg led the development of arguably the most ambitious Windows release: Windows 95 (1995). He would later recall, “Windows 95 was a perfect storm where the product & marketing came together at just the right time & resonated with the public.” 9️⃣5️⃣🤩
Windows 98 build 1387, from 5th February 1997, introduced the ability to apply a gradient effect to window title bars. A toggle for it is available in Display Properties. A similar feature was present in Office 95 (1995). The final release of 98 would apply the effect by default.
Sample Test Visual Style was one of a selection of visual styles tested during the development of Windows XP (2001). It has 2 colour schemes: Chartreuse Mongoose & Blue Lagoon. 🏝️ Like the other visual styles, it served to test the feature before the final one - Luna - was ready.
Windows Vista build 5231.2 - a.k.a. the October 2005 Community Technology Preview - is the final build of Windows to display the word "Start" on the Start button by default. It is also the last appearance of the Windows XP-style Start menu. I guess less Start, more…End?⌛️
The Ctrl-Alt-Del Screen - introduced in Windows 3.1 (1992) - was a full-screen message displayed if a user pressed Ctrl+Alt+Del without any unresponsive apps to kill. Coded by Raymond Chen - with text by future Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer - it was also present in Windows 9x.
Imaging For Windows (formerly Imaging for NT) was an image viewer introduced in Windows NT 4 (1996). Created by Wang Laboratories (later bought by Kodak), the app was removed in Windows XP (2001), where it was replaced by Windows Picture & Fax Viewer. 🖼
