Which Windows OS had the longest life?

Microsoft's Windows has more than 75 per cent of the PC OS market share in the world

Microsoft, earlier this week, officially rolled out the new Windows 11 OS to the PCs around the world.'

It brings a lot of upgrades in terms of the user interface, new features, redesigned icons, and more. Due to hardware limitations, some features may not work on some computers. If things go as planned, Microsoft plans to complete the rollout process by mid-2022.

Windows OS remains to be the most used computer software in the world. As per June 2021 report, Windows PCs lead with close to 75 per cent compared to second-placed macOS-based devices, which has around 16 per cent share in the market worldwide.

Since the very beginning, Windows has been popular among PC users. Let's check out which Windows OS had the longest life.

Windows 1 [1985-1987]: It was first announced in November 1983, but was rolled out only in 1985. It was not a full-fledged operating system per se, but an extended version of MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System), where users had to write commands more often to perform tasks. It was replaced by Windows 2.0 within two years.

Windows 2[1987-1990]: Released in 1987, Windows 2.0 had a better user interface and it is also the first Windows version to get keyboard shortcuts, use expandable memory and more.

Later, Microsoft released Windows 2.1. It came with two variants--Windows/286 and Windows/386 with the capability to do multi-tasking.

Windows 3.0[1990-1995]: It came with redesigned interface and support for loadable virtual device drivers. Microsoft followed up with two more v3.1 in 1992 and v3.11 with improved user interface and integrated peer-to-peer networking features. Then, the company released v3.2 (only for China) in 1994.

Windows 95 [1995-98]: It was the biggest update since the first version of Windows OS. It had a completely overhauled interface. Also, it replaced Program Manager with the new refreshing Start menu, taskbar, and we also saw the debut of Internet Explorer. It was initially available on special Windows 95 Plus pack but was introduced as default in the iterative service packs.

Also, it supported native 32-bit applications, plug-and-play hardware, preemptive multitasking, long file names of up to 255 characters, and provided increased stability over its predecessors.

Windows 98 [1998-2000]: With the new iteration, Microsoft further improved the user interface and new hibernation feature. Also, it allowed users to attach USB-based devices as accessories such mouse, and a second monitor for the PC. New service packs Windows 98 SE introduced Internet Explorer 5.0 and Windows Media Player 6.2.

Windows ME [2000]: It was a special Millenium Edition introduced in September 2000. It introduced Internet Explorer 5.5, Windows Media Player 7, and Windows Movie Maker. But, the buggy software ruined the user experience. It was quickly retired. In the same year, Windows 2000 was unveiled in February but only for business.

Windows XP home screen page. Credit: Creative Commons/Wikipedia [Used with permission from Microsoft]

Windows XP [2001-2014]: It came in two versions-- Home and Professional-- for normal consumers and corporate employees. It had a better visual user interface with an updated Start Menu, Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer 6.0, support for DVR, TV tuner cards, and more. It received support via service packs and update till 2014, the longest for any Windows OS version.

Windows Vista [2007-2017]: This version was similar to Windows ME and got panned for lack of upgrades and also buggy interface ruined the user experience.

Windows 7 [2009-2020]: It was an incremental upgrade, intended to improve upon the shortcomings of the Vista and also boost devices' performance.

Windows 7 home screen page. Credit: Creative Commons/Wikipedia [Used with permission from Microsoft]

Windows 8 [2012-216]: Microsoft in a bid to bring a new 2-in-1product range with touch panels and physical panels, introduced Metro design language. It was similar to the Windows Phone interface we saw on touch-screen-based Nokia smartphones but better. A follow-up update v8.1 was released with deeper integration cloud-based OneDrive service. However, Windows 8 was panned for removing the signature Start menu button. The latter was brought back in the next iteration.
It should be noted that Microsoft had introduced Windows RT for devices with ARM-based architecture. But, it was eventually killed for lack of interest from consumers to buy such devices.

Windows 10 [2015-2025]: Unlike the predecessor, Windows 10 was better received by all. Announced in late 2014, it was rolled out in July 2015. It came with a better visual interface, also re-introduced Start menu, virtual desktop, capability to run apps within windows, and more. The company has announced that it will continue to provide updates and security software patches till October 14, 2025.

Windows 11 [2021]: It brings incremental upgrades such as redesigned user interface, new system opening sound, blue-ribbon wallpaper, start button, taskbar, fonts, and icons, Snap Layouts, Snap Groups, and Desktops to provide an efficient way to multitask things on the PC. Users can open and place multiple apps side-by-side to juggle between them based on priority with ease, support to run Android apps on Windows PCs, and more.

Read more | Windows 11: Key new features of Microsoft's new PC OS

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