Windows 1.0 Launched
Microsoft released Windows 1.0, its first graphical operating environment
November 20, 1985
Microsoft's Answer to the Graphical Interface
On November 20, 1985, Microsoft released Windows 1.0, its first attempt at a graphical operating environment for IBM-compatible personal computers. At the time, most PCs ran MS-DOS, a system that required users to type text commands to accomplish anything. Windows 1.0 introduced a visual layer that let users click on windows, icons, and menus instead. Microsoft had announced Windows at a press conference in November 1983, two years before it actually shipped, leading to industry jokes about the long delay. When it finally arrived, Windows 1.0 required a PC with at least 256 kilobytes of RAM, a hard disk or two floppy drives, and a graphics card.
What Windows 1.0 Could Do
Windows 1.0 came bundled with several simple applications, including MS-DOS Executive, a file manager, Calendar, Calculator, Notepad, Paint, and a version of the game Reversi. Unlike the Apple Macintosh, which had launched earlier in 1984, Windows 1.0 could not overlap its windows on screen. Each window had to be displayed as a tile, fitting alongside others without overlapping. This was a significant limitation compared to the Mac experience. Critics were generally unimpressed. Byte magazine wrote that Windows 1.0 fell short of the Macintosh's elegance. But Microsoft viewed it as a starting point rather than a finished product.
The Foundation of a Dominant Platform
Windows 1.0 was not a commercial success, but it established the foundation for everything that followed. Windows 2.0 arrived in 1987, and Windows 3.0 in 1990 finally achieved widespread popularity, selling 10 million copies in two years. Windows 95 transformed the platform into a mainstream phenomenon, introducing the Start button and taskbar that defined the experience for decades. Today, Windows runs on roughly 70 percent of the world's personal computers, making it the most widely used desktop operating system in history. That first version released in 1985 was a humble beginning to one of technology's most consequential products.