Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a family of GUI operating systems manufactured by Microsoft Corporation.

Windows operating systems are the most common operating systems in the world. In November 2008, their share in the American market was 89.62%. According to a study by Net Applications, which monitors computers connected to the Network in the United States, this is the lowest value in the last 15 years. For the first time, Windows broke the 90% barrier in 1993-1994. and did so using Windows 3.11.

Families

Graphical Interfaces and Extensions for DOS

• Windows' birthday is considered November 20, 1985 - it was on this day that the first version of MicrosoftWindows 1.0 was released. This system has implemented a multi-window interface, switching between tasks, built-in applications (Paint, NotePad, Calculator). Released a year and a half later, Windows 2.0 has led to PCs becoming a full-fledged part of office systems. The early 90s, when Windows 3.0 and Windows NT systems appeared, marked a sharp increase in the popularity of PCs in offices and homes.
• Windows 2.0 (December 9, 1987)
• Windows 3.0 (May 22, 1990)
• Windows 3.1 (April 6, 1992)
• Windows for Workgroups 3.1 (October 27, 1992)
• Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (November 8, 1993)

Windows 9x Family

Windows 9x is a family of hybrid 16/32-bit operating systems created for processors with 32-bit architecture.

• Windows 95 (August 24, 1995) - Windows 95 opened up opportunities for users. Internet The Start button, taskbar and window close buttons appeared in this OS.
• Windows 98 (June 25, 1998) - Windows 98 became the first system created specifically for home users. It contained improved information search on PC and on the Internet, support for DVD and USB, and a quick launch bar for programs. Notably, it was the last MS-DOS-based system.
• Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) (May 9, 1999)
• In 2000, towards the new millennium, the Windows ME (Millennium) system was released with improved video and music playback, increased reliability and System Restore, with Windows Media Player and Windows Movie Maker.

Windows NT Family

Windows NT (New Technology) is a family of operating systems released by Microsoft since mid-1993. Initially, they were positioned as systems for workstations and servers.

• Windows NT 3.1 (July 27, 1993)
• Windows NT 3.5 (September 21, 1994)
• Windows NT 3.51 (May 30, 1995)
• Windows NT 4.0 (August 24, 1996)
• Windows 2000 (February 17, 2000) - Windows 2000 Professional was intended to replace Windows 95/98/NT 4.0 on all desktops and laptops. It significantly increased reliability and compatibility, expanded support for Plug & Play.
• Windows XP (October 25, 2001) - At the end of 2001, Windows XP was released, sharpened for both work and entertainment. Microsoft has implemented a new user interface in it, Windows Palyer, Windows Messenger, Remote Assistant, Wi-Fi support, localized it in 25 languages. XP has proven itself to be a fast and stable OS.
• Windows XP 64-bit Edition (March 28, 2003)
• Windows Server 2003 (April 25, 2003)
• Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003 (December 18, 2003)
• Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (October 12, 2004)
• Windows XP Professional x64 Edition (April 25, 2005)
• Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (8 июля 2006 г.)
• Windows Vista (November 30, 2006) - Windows Vista cannot be called a success for Microsoft, but the undisputed conquest of this release was to reach a new level of protection and multimedia capabilities of PCs.
• Windows Home Server (November 7, 2007)
• Windows Server 2008 (February 27, 2008)
• Windows 7 (October 22, 2009) - Advanced interface with Windows Touch, low system requirements, easy connection to Wi-Fi and home networks, wide compatibility with programs and devices are the main advantages of the new system. The product was marked by the largest OS testing in history - about 8 million users took part in it, including about 250 thousand in Russia. Windows 7 also showed the fastest growth in sales in the history of "windows": in the first 6 months. 100 million licenses were sold, in 9 months. - 175 million, for the year - more than 240 million. More than 5 million licensed copies of Windows 7 were sold in Russia in the first year. "What is important, this is not just a localized product, it was created, among other things, for our country," said Yuri Larin, Microsoft marketing manager in Russia. According to him, the ratio of sales of the new OS between home and corporate users in Russia was approximately 50/50.
• Windows 8 (October 2012)
• Windows 10 (July 29, 2015)
• Windows 11 (June 2021)

Windows CE Family

Windows CE is a family of operating systems for handheld computers, mobile phones and embedded systems.

• Windows CE 1.0 (November 16, 1996)
• Windows CE 2.0 (September 29, 1997)
• Windows CE 3.0 (April 19, 2000)
• Windows CE 4.0 (January 7, 2002)
• Windows CE 5.0 (July 9, 2004)
• Windows CE 6.0 (September 15, 2006)

Many platforms were based on Windows CE, including Handheld PC, Pocket PC, Smartphone, Windows Mobile, etc.

Windows Embedded Family

MicrosoftWindows Embedded is a family of embedded operating systems for use in specialized devices.

• Windows XP Embedded
• Windows Embedded Standard
• Windows Embedded NavReady
• Windows Embedded Enterprise
• Windows Embedded for Point of Service
• Windows Embedded CE
• Windows Embedded Server

Windows Azure

Main article: Windows Azure

Windows Azure is a cloud operating system company designed Microsoft to develop and run web applications that run on the provider's server, not on the user's computer. It is part of the platform. Microsoft Azure

Popularity of Windows

Main article: Popularity of Windows

Windows Security

Main article: Windows Security

History

2023: Windows sales in Russia collapse by 78%

During the first half of 2023, sales of digital copies of Windows operating systems in the Russian market decreased by 78% compared to the same period the previous year. Such data at the end of August 2023 was disclosed by the Softline group of companies.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, referring to Softline statistics, sales of boxed versions of Windows in the Russian Federation on an annualized basis collapsed 10 times. The observed situation is explained by import substitution in the field of software in the current geopolitical situation. Softline notes that as of August 2023, Windows stock balances are being sold and the process of turning off the possibility of purchasing an OS via the Internet is gradually being implemented.

The company "CROC" also speaks of a sharp drop in sales of Microsoft products in Russia. According to Alexander Sysoev, head of Krok's Infrastructure Solutions, the stock of boxed versions of Windows in the Russian market is insignificant - it is not enough to cover all the needs of existing IT infrastructures of large customers.

At the same time, according to estimates, the share of Windows platforms in private Russian companies reaches 99%, in the public sector - 50%. Market participants believe that the acceleration of the transition to domestic OS will begin only as the fleet is updated.

Marvel Distribution adds that the stocks of Microsoft products imported by distributors even before the complete ban on deliveries "have come or are already coming to an end." But there are also problems with existing balances: in particular, existing copies of Microsoft 365 cannot be activated. Companies in the Russian Federation can purchase Microsoft products in two ways: these are Windows sales with an activation code through parallel import or supply of unnamed licenses through partners in the CIS.^[1]

2020

Stop supporting and releasing Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 updates

On January 14, 2020, Microsoft Corporation (USA) discontinued support and release of updates for Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems. In particular, the company stopped supporting and releasing updates aimed at eliminating bugs and vulnerabilities in these operating systems. This was announced on January 20, 2020 by the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control of Russia (FSTEC of the Russian Federation).

As of January 20, 2020, according to the FSTEC of the Russian Federation, the following versions of Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems certified according to information security requirements continue to be used in the information systems of federal and regional government bodies, local governments, as well as organizations:

• Microsoft Windows 7 (SP1) in the editions "Professional," "Corporate" and "Maximum";

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 (SP1) in Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter editions;

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition Service Pack 2";

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 "Standard Edition edition 32-bit/64-bit;

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition Service Pack 2";

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 "Enterprise Edition edition 32-bit/64-bit;

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 "version of Datacenter in the 32-bit/64-bit edition.

The use of such a wide range of versions of Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 FSTEC of the Russian Federation is in particular associated with the presence of a large number of specific application software developed for these operating systems, used in Russia by government bodies and organizations.

A prerequisite for the use of certified versions of Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 in information systems used in Russia, as stated by the FSTEC of the Russian Federation, in accordance with operational documentation, is the installation of certified updates to these systems. Updates are released by Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 - Microsoft Corporation - and are provided by Russian operating systems manufacturers.

In connection with the termination of support and release of updates for Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008, the FSTEC of the Russian Federation took a number of measures. Namely:

• stopped the validity of compliance certificates on Microsoft Windows 7 (SP1) in the editions "Professional," "Corporate" and "Maximum";

• Terminated compliance certificates on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 (SP1) in Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter editions

• decided to exclude information on certificates NN 2180/1, 2181/1, 1928/1, 1928, 1929/1, 1929, 1930 from the state register of certified means of protecting information on June 1, 2020.

For government authorities and organizations using certified versions of Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems to protect information, FSTEC of Russia recommends planning measures to transfer information systems to information systems certified according to information security requirements supported by their manufacturers by June 1, 2020. Prior to this transition, taking into account the models of threats to information security, FSTEC advises to take the following additional protection measures:

• install all current mandatory certified updates of certified versions of Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems released by Russian manufacturers;

• set a ban on automatic updates of certified versions of Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems;

• Configure and periodically monitor security mechanisms for certified versions of Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems based on the appropriate guidelines.

• if possible, exclude connection to the Internet and to departmental/corporate local area networks of computer equipment or segments of information systems running Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2;

• if it is impossible to use measures for segmentation of information systems and protection of their perimeter and dedicated segments;

• ensure regular backup of information, software and information protection tools contained in computer equipment or in segments of information systems running Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 to external storage media;

• regulate and ensure control over the use of removable computer storage media, excluding from their number those unregistered in the information system and not verified by anti-virus protection means;

• perform periodic analysis of vulnerabilities in segments of information systems running Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, using certified information security controls, as well as periodic monitoring of the integrity of installed operating systems;

• apply additional certified means of information protection of operating systems;

• Monitor public sources publishing vulnerability information for vulnerability information in Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 and take appropriate action;

• develop and implement rules and procedures for officials to act in the event of vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 or information security incidents associated with their use.

2018

OpenJDK Commercial Support Availability on Microsoft Windows

On December 25, 2018, the company Red Hat announced the availability of long-term commercial support OpenJDK on the Microsoft Windows platform. Adding to the existing support for OpenJDK Red Hat Enterprise Linux on the platform support for OpenJDK on Microsoft the Windows platform, Red Hat helps organizations standardize development and deployment - Javaapplications across the enterprise through a flexible and open alternative to proprietary Java platforms. More. here

Windows has ceased to be Microsoft's core business

In April 2018, Bloomberg released an article entitled "Microsoft has officially ceased to be a Windows company." Journalists noticed that operating systems bring the American company far from the largest revenues compared to other products, and the software giant itself is increasingly focusing on cloud technologies.

Windows is no longer the sun in the Microsoft system around which all planets spin. Windows is a remote satellite, important, but still a satellite, "the Bloomberg publication says.

In 2012, Steve Ballmer, then CEO of Microsoft, said that for the company "nothing is more important than Windows." During one of the conferences, he emotionally chanted: "Windows! Windows! Windows!».

With the arrival of Satya Nadella in 2014, Microsoft changed priorities, which the head himself repeatedly spoke about. During his first official address to the company's employees as CEO, Nadella mentioned the word Windows only 10 times and the word Cloud 21 times. The entire CEO speech consisted of about 3 thousand words.

The first product that Microsoft released after Nadella took over the company was the Microsoft Office version for. iPad This software one was developed under Ballmer, but he was in no hurry to bring this product to market, fearing that it would harm the Windows brand.

In fiscal 2017, the Windows direction brought Microsoft more than $15 billion in revenue, but this is only the third indicator after Office products, as well as server and cloud solutions (see graph below). If in fiscal 2008 Windows sales accounted for about 28% of Microsoft's revenue, then nine years later the figure dropped to 16%.

At the end of March 2018, Microsoft announced the resignation of Terry Myerson, who led the development of Windows operating systems. The division he ran was merged with Cloud + AI Platform's enterprise cloud services and artificial intelligence (AI) development structure. This department was headed by Scott Guthrie, who previously led Azure's cloud products. Myerson's dismissal and restructuring symbolized Microsoft's abandonment of Windows as a standalone product. It has become an ordinary software that develops along with cloud services and AI systems.

However, Satya Nadella does not discount Windows and believes that the company needs this product.

The future of Windows is full of optimism, as we continue to develop innovations in the framework of new scenarios and form factors of devices, as well as connect even more deeply with the proposals of Microsoft 365, "the head of Microsoft wrote in a blog post announcing the resignation of Myerson and the restructuring of the Windows business.

Bloomberg notes that before all of Microsoft was built around the development and release of new large versions of Windows approximately every three years. By 2018, Windows became only another program or application that is constantly updated, like Netflix or. Apple iOS

Microsoft has become less likely to release regular updates and has also made them part of the cost of buying a new computer or contract to supply a batch of PCs to companies instead of customers paying for new hardware or updating the operating system when the next version is released.

Every year, no more than 15% of sales of smartphones, tablets and computers combined fall on Windows devices, and the OS does not penetrate into new areas, such as self-driving cars or smart home systems.^[2]

2014

Windows XP Leads in Enterprise Installations

In the preliminary results IDC at the end of 2014, there were about 732 million copies Windows installed at enterprises around the world, more than half of them - 449 million were used. Windows 7 About 157 million people worked for, and Windows XP 28 million for. Windows Vista Just over 35 million worked for. Windows 8

Windows 10 Exit

On September 30, 2014, Microsoft announced the release of the Windows 10 operating system.

Windows 10 will provide the operation of devices of various types:

• desktops,
• laptops,
• tablets
• smartphones,
• televisions.

The final version of Windows 10 was released in 2015.

2012: Renewing support for Windows 7 and Windows Vista

Microsoft has quietly extended the support period for client versions of Windows 7 and Windows Vista by five years, thereby synchronizing them with the period of support for corporate editions.

Previously, Microsoft has committed to providing support for security updates and corrective patches for consumer market operating systems for five years. Meanwhile, enterprise software is supported for at least 10 years: during the first half of the term, "basic" support, in the second - "additional."

During the period of "additional" support, Microsoft provides security updates for everyone, but a number of other fixes are offered only for organizations that have signed contracts with Microsoft support.

Prior to Microsoft's announced changes, support for client versions of Vista: Home Basic, Home Premium, Starter and Ultimate, would have been completely discontinued after less than two months - April 10, 2012. According to the company, support for these operating systems will last until April 11, 2017.

Windows 7 users should have been removed from the support list as a last resort - January 13, 2015. Currently, this date has moved until January 14, 2020.

As first reported on the ZDNetEd Bott (Ed Bott) blog on February 20, 2012, Microsoft changed the terms of support for Vista and Windows 7, adding the word "extended" to consumer identifiers.

Microsoft has confirmed these changes. "Microsoft is updating the urgency of product support so that users of all client editions of our desktop operating systems are eligible for five years of core and five years of extended support," a company spokeswoman said on February 20, 2012. "This update officially confirms that all releases of our operating systems will receive security updates as long as they use the most recent server."

Regarding consumer versions of Windows 8, Microsoft has not yet announced anything, which means that versions of this operating system will receive support for 10 years after their release. If Windows 8 deliveries begin in the fourth quarter of this year, the company probably will not abandon its full support until early 2023.

Microsoft is not the first to extend the lifespan of older versions of Windows: in 2007, the company extended the end of the basic support period for Windows XP Home until 2009, and postponed the end of support to April 2014, thereby synchronizing the support schedule for consumer publications with Windows XP Professional.

Windows XP has repeatedly received postponements of various kinds over the years. In particular, in 2008, when Microsoft allowed computer manufacturers to install this OS on netbooks until mid-2010.

2001: Windows XP Exit

On October 25, 2001, Windows XP was released, combining two lines of operating systems that still existed separately - "home" Windows 9x/ME and "corporate" Windows NT/2000. Among the most notable improvements in Windows XP are a new graphical interface, remote control, quick user changes, improved system recovery, etc.

In 2003, a server version of the Windows XP operating system, Windows Server 2003, was released. The new server OS mainly developed the functions of its predecessor, Windows 2000. In addition, according to Microsoft, in Windows Server 2003, much attention was paid to system security.

In July 2006, an OS for low-power PCs based on Windows XP appeared - Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (FLP). At the end of November 2006, Microsoft officially released Windows Vista, but only for corporate clients, ordinary users had the opportunity to purchase a new operating system on January 30, 2007. Windows Vista has new user interface design capabilities, updated memory and I/O management subsystem, hibernation mode, improved security, etc.

On January 7, 2007, Bill Gates announced a server operating system for use in Windows Home Server home networks, after about six months it became available to users.

On February 27, 2008, a new server OS was released - Windows Server 2008, which should be a replacement for Windows Server 2003.

1998: Windows 98 Exit

Windows 98 officially appeared on June 25, 1998, after almost a year of beta testing and exactly two years and ten months after the advent of its predecessor. The new system has improved AGP support, improved USB drivers, added support for working with multiple monitors and support for WebTV. Internet Explorer 4 is integrated into the system interface.

A year later, on May 5, 1999, an updated version of Windows 98 Second Edition was released, which included many fixes, added support for DVDs, but at the same time increased system requirements for PCs. In addition, Internet Explorer 4 has been replaced with a new, faster Internet Explorer 5.

In February 2000, Microsoft released Windows 2000 (NT 5.0). Compared to the previous version - NT 4.0, Windows 2000 introduced support for Active Directory directory service, IIS version 5.0, NTFS 3.0 file system, and also updated the interface. A little later, in September of the same year, a new OS from the Windows 9x family was released - Windows ME (Millennium Edition). The new system has acquired a number of new capabilities. First of all, this is improved work with multimedia tools, the ability to record not only audio, but also video information, information recovery tools after failures, etc. In addition, one of the most notable changes in the new system was the lack of real MS-DOS mode.

1997: Windows 95 Exit

In June 1997, the first public version of the product appeared, which accumulated everything that had been developed over the two years of Windows 95 development, and was called "Microsoft Memphis." Subsequently, the Memphis project was officially named Windows 98.

1992: Windows 3.1 Exit

In April 1992, Windows 3.1 appeared. From that moment on, Windows is officially called the operating system. The Windows 3.1 interface has been slightly improved, in particular, the mouse control capabilities have been improved. In addition, support for True Type fonts has appeared, multimedia tools have been added, previously shipped separately in the add-on package.

At the end of 1993, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 was released. This version had LAN support and also contained a new version of the virtual file system compatible with MS-DOS. In the fall of 1993, Windows NT 3.1 systems were released for users of personal computers and Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1 for servers.

In 1994, improved versions of Windows NT appeared - Windows NT Workstation 3.5 and Windows NT Server 3.5.

In May 1995, Microsoft released Windows NT Workstation 3.51 and Windows NT Server 3.51, which are more efficient and less demanding on hardware resources. On August 24 of the same year, the hybrid 16/32-bit graphics operating system Windows 95 was released. Among the most important improvements that appeared in Windows 95 are the ability to work with 32-bit multithreaded application programs, secure address spaces, displacing multitasking, and much wider and more efficient use of drivers. Separately, significant GUI improvements should be noted, including a desktop with icons, a taskbar and a Start menu.

In 1996, Windows NT 4.0 was released, during the development of which, Microsoft decided to sacrifice stability for performance. To this end, architecture changes were made: window manager and GDI libraries, as well as graphics drivers, were transferred from user mode to kernel mode. This change meant some departure from the concept of a microkernel adopted in previous versions of Windows NT 3.x.

1990: Windows 3.0 Exit

In 1990, with the release of the third version of Windows, it became clear that Windows would not only gain a strong place in the software market, but would become Microsoft's main strategic policy in creating software. About 2 million copies of Windows 3.0 were sold in the first six months

Windows 3.0 had a pleasant graphical user interface (compared to what still appeared for the IBM PC), provided a significant range of services, operated on the entire amount of memory addressable by the 80286, 80386 and higher microprocessor. With 32-bit microprocessors (80386 and higher) and at least 2 MB of memory, Windows 3.0 could use virtual memory, this mode of operation was called extended (386 Enhanced Mode).

1988-1993: Trial with Apple over visual interface

On March 17, 1988, Apple sued Microsoft over Windows, and Hewlett-Packard over New Wave, that firm's new Windows-based product. Apple's lawsuit claimed the company spent millions of dollars and several years developing the visual interface that has become a hallmark of the Macintosh. Apple accused Microsoft of violating a 1985 license agreement, claiming that Windows 2.03, released in late 1987, was an illegal use of "look and feel" from the Macintosh interface. In the lawsuit, Apple insisted on stopping the sale and distribution of Windows, awarding it all profits from the sale of Windows 2.03.

Microsoft filed an objection to the lawsuit claiming that the company complied in good faith with the 1985 agreement. Parts of this agreement were made public, indicating that Apple had licensed Microsoft to use visual elements already included in six Microsoft programs (Windows 1.0, Multiplan, Chart, File, Excel and Word for Macintosh) in all available or future applications. In addition, Apple granted Microsoft the right to sublicense these elements. Microsoft argued that the 1985 agreement covered Windows 2.03 by default, and therefore the company was not going to modify Windows or the application programs written for it and would continue to produce and sell these products.

In early 1990, the case was transferred to Judge Walker of the San Francisco Federal District Court. Judge Walker, in addition, considered Xerox's lawsuit against Apple, in which Xerox accused Apple of violating the same copyright. This lawsuit was dismissed in early May 1990.

The stakes on both sides in this process have been high. If Apple won, Microsoft could be forced to withdraw Windows 3.0 from the market or pay Apple for each copy sold. If the case was decided in favor of Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, Apple could lose the market advantage of originality because then the way was opened for all firms to copy the interface features that make up the uniqueness of the Macintosh.

In 1993, Judge Walker decided in favor of Microsoft the process of "Apple v. Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard" and rejected Apple's claims that it has copyright on some elements of the interface.

1987: Windows 2.0 Exit

Since 1987, the situation began to change dramatically. In November of this year, a new version was released - Windows 2.0, powerful and well-known applications written for Windows began to appear.

1985: Boxes with the first Windows appeared in stores

Boxes with the first Windows appeared in stores only on November 18, 1985.

Microsoft Windows 1.0. had many shortcomings and bugs, was considered a bad copy of the Apple operating system.

For two years (from 1985 to 1987), the product did not have much impact on the software market and did not become an alternative to MS-DOS, as Microsoft hoped.

1983: Beginning of development and prototype of the graphics OS

On November 10, 1983, Microsoft Corporation announced the beginning of the development of the Windows graphical operating shell, although as early as late 1982, Microsoft programmers began to create a universal set of graphics procedures called the Computer Graphic Interface (CGI).

By November 1983 COMDEX, the first Windows prototype was ready. When presenting the first version of Windows, it was promised that the commercial sale would begin in May 1984. In the spring of 1984, the start date of sales was pushed back to November. In November 1984, this date was postponed to June 1985.

Windows and piracy

In 2007, Microsoft published interesting statistics. According to data obtained from the results of the Windows Genuine Advantage program, one in five (22%) of Windows in the world is unlicensed. At the same time, according to the analytical company Business Software Alliance, the percentage of use of pirated copies of the OS is much higher, and is about 35%.

Microsoft is actively fighting the illegal use of its operating system. So, in 2007, Microsoft provided corporate users with the opportunity to switch from pirated Windows to licensed, while paying only for a "license." Participating in this action, organizations were exempted from penalties for using pirated Windows.

In December 2008, Microsoft filed 63 lawsuits against counterfeit software sellers from 12 countries. They were accused of selling pirated copies of the Windows XP operating system. According to Microsoft, sellers offered the Windows XP operating system Blue Edition at online auctions. Customers were informed that Blue Edition is a special licensed version of Windows XP with a low price.

Around the same time, the Frunzensky District Court of Vladivostok sentenced a local resident to one year of suspended imprisonment and a fine of 117 thousand rubles for illegally installing the Windows XP operating system and the Microsoft office applications package. Then, the investigation established that the defendant for 2 thousand rubles installed counterfeit programs Microsoft Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Office XP on four computers.

Interesting facts

Initially, the graphical add-on project over MS-DOS was called Interface Manager. Roland Hanson, the company's chief marketer, suggested changing the name to Windows.

The first officially released version of Windows was Windows 1.01. Version 1.0 was never released due to a serious bug.

See also

• Microsoft Corporation
• Apple Corporation
• Bill Gates

Notes