Diff for Microsoft Windows

Revision by wikicurator on 2026-07-13 15:20

[[File:windows_powershell.png|PowerShell, a command-line shell and scripting environment built into modern Windows]]

'''Microsoft Windows''' is a family of proprietary graphical operating systems developed by [[Microsoft]], first released in 1985 as a shell running on top of [[MS-DOS]]. It is the most widely used desktop operating system in the world.

== Versions ==
* '''Windows 95/98/ME''' -- the consumer line that popularized the Start menu and taskbar
* '''Windows NT/2000/XP''' -- the more stable, business-oriented kernel line that eventually merged with the consumer line
* '''Windows 7''' -- widely considered one of the most stable and well-liked releases
* '''Windows 10''' -- introduced Windows as a rolling-update 'service' rather than discrete boxed releases
* '''Windows 11''' -- redesigned interface with rounded corners, centered taskbar, and tighter hardware requirements

== Features ==
* Deep backward compatibility with decades of existing software
* [[PowerShell]] and the classic Command Prompt for scripting and automation
* The dominant platform for PC gaming, enterprise software, and [[Active Directory]]-managed networks
* [[Windows Subsystem for Linux]] (WSL) lets users run a real [[Linux]] kernel alongside Windows

== History ==
Windows overtook competitors like [[classic Mac OS]] and various DOS shells through aggressive OEM bundling deals with PC manufacturers in the 1990s, cementing its position as the default operating system for most personal computers.

[[Category:Operating systems]]
[[Category:Microsoft]]
[[Category:Proprietary software]]