Now We Can Play Solitaire

What an upgrade!

May 22, 1990: Windows 3.0 is released to stores and eventually 10 million copies will be sold. It was the third major release and the first widely successful version of the Windows OS [operating system]. This GUI or Graphical User Interface version allowed Microsoft to compete with both Apple and Commodore computers. This version of Windows came after Windows 2.1x, then nearly two years old.  Windows 1.01 was released in 1985.

This version supported a method of improved memory management for use in conjunction with Intel’s 80286 and 80386 processors. It wasn’t until 1991 that Multimedia extensions were added that allowed use of CD-ROMs and sound cards. This was also the first version of Windows to come pre-installed on certain computers. Prior to that, the OS was on a few floppy disks that the user had to install themselves. This was not an easy task. Floppy disks were not actually floppy anymore, but encased in plastic. They could hold 1.44 MB of data, and it took seven of them to record the OS program.

Apple Computers took Microsoft to court over this version of Windows claiming copyright infringement stating that Apple owned the GUI idea. It was deemed that the icons for the trashcan and folders from Hewlett-Packard’s NewWave version were all that could be legally upheld as infringements and they were altered.

Gates and Microsoft have been coming out with newer versions of Windows ever since. Windows for Workgroups 3.1 was released in October 1992 and included Microsoft Mail and workgroup scheduler. Windows NT was first released in 1994 and upgraded several times. The next major refit came with the 32-bit system, Windows 95 released in August of 1995. Windows 98 was released in 1998 and provided integrated Web Browsing. Windows 2000 and Windows Me (Millennium Edition) both came out in 2000 with the latter geared towards the home user. Next came Windows XP in 2001 with two versions, one for home use and one geared towards businesses. Windows Vista was released in November 2006 for volume licensing and in 2007 for retail sales. The newest version of Windows is due to come out in August of 2009 – Windows 7.

“Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.”

“If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good.”

“If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss. He doesn’t have tenure.”

“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

“Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.” – all from Bill Gates

Also on this day:
In 1842, Howe Caverns were discovered.
In 1915, Quintinshill rail crash, UK’s most deadly rail accident, took place.