In 1983 Microsoft announced its development of Windows, a graphical user interface (GUI) for its own operating system (MS-DOS) that had shipped for IBM PC and compatible computers since 1981. Microsoft modeled the GUI, which was first known as Interface Manager, after that of Apple's Mac OS. Bill Gates had been shown a Macintosh prototype by Steve Jobs early in its development, around 1981, and Microsoft was partnered by Apple to create some of the important early Mac software, such as Word and Excel.

Timeline

Date

16-bit

16/32-bit

32-bit

64-bit

November, 1985

Windows 1.0

 

 

 

1987

Windows 2.0

 

 

 

May, 1990

Windows 3.0

 

 

 

1992

Windows 3.1

 

 

 

1992

Windows for Workgroups 3.1

 

 

 

July, 1993

 

 

Windows NT 3.1

 

December, 1993

Windows for Workgroups 3.11

 

 

 

September, 1994

 

 

Windows NT 3.5

 

May, 1995

 

 

Windows NT 3.51

 

August 24, 1995

 

Windows 95

 

 

July, 1996

 

 

Windows NT 4.0

 

June 25, 1998

 

Windows 98

 

 

February 17, 2000

 

 

Windows 2000

 

September 14, 2000

 

Windows Me

 

 

October 25, 2001

 

 

Windows XP

 

April 25, 2003

 

 

Windows Server 2003

Windows Server 2003

2003

 

 

Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003

 

October 12, 2004

 

 

Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005

 

April 25, 2005

 

 

 

Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

Est. October, 2006

 

 

Windows Vista

Windows Vista

2007

 

 

Windows Server "Longhorn"

Windows Server "Longhorn"

2009

 

 

Windows "Vienna"

Windows "Vienna"

Windows Screen

Typical Windows 3.11

 

A typical Microsoft Windows 95 desktop

Windows NT 4.0 Server Desktop

Windows 98SE with the "Jungle" theme, and a couple of the programs from Microsoft Office 4.3 running.

Windows Millennium Edition Desktop

Windows 2000 Desktop

A typical Windows XP desktop.

Windows Server 2003 desktop and Start menu.

Windows Vista desktop, from the February 2006 CTP release