Microsoft Windows
The first few versions of Microsoft Windows, through Windows 3.x, were not complete operating systems. They were operating environments that used MS-DOS as a foundation. It provided a user-friendly GUI that could be shared by all compatible programs. The GUI uses icons, toolbars, standard menus, and common device drivers to simplify application development and minimize the time it takes a user to learn a new product. The addition of the mouse and enhanced graphics displays extended the reach of the PC into the desktop publishing, education, and graphic arts markets once dominated by specialized workstations and the Apple Macintosh.
The first version of Windows, which was introduced in 1985, provided little more than a graphical interface and it was not until 1992, when Windows 3.1 was introduced, that the Windows operating environment became popular. This could be attributed to the increasing number of software applications designed for the graphical interface, faster graphics cards and improved memory management. The final and most used 16- bit version of Windows was Windows 3.11. Microsoft Windows 95 that was introduced as the successor to Windows 3.11 was the first full-fledged 32-bit Microsoft Windows operating system.
Applications written for the Windows operating system provide a common user interface, including the menu system, which offers the same basic commands for file, print, copy, and save operations, the ability to select text or objects with the pointing device or keystroke commands, similar mouse functions, and the ability to cut and pasted data among applications. The multitasking capability of Windows allows the user to have more than one application open and switch among them..