Highlights from the first 25 years
Getting started: Microsoft co-founders Paul Allen (left) and Bill Gates
1983
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Bill
Gates announces Microsoft Windows November 10, 1983.
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1985
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Microsoft
Windows 1.0 is introduced in November 20, 1985 and is initially sold for
$100.00.
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1987
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Microsoft
Windows 2.0 was released December 9, 1987 and is initially sold for $100.00.
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1987
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Microsoft
Windows/386 or Windows 386 is introduced December 9, 1987 and is initially
sold for $100.00.
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1988
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Microsoft
Windows/286 or Windows 286 is introduced June, 1988 and is initially sold for
$100.00.
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1990
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Microsoft
Windows 3.0 was released May, 22 1990. Microsoft Windows 3.0 full version was
priced at $149.95 and the upgrade version was priced at $79.95.
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1991
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Following
its decision not to develop operating systems cooperatively with IBM, Microsoft
changes the name of OS/2 to Windows NT.
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1991
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Microsoft
Windows 3.0 or Windows 3.0a with multimedia was released October, 1991.
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1992
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Microsoft
Windows 3.1 was released April, 1992 and sells more than 1 Million copies
within the first two months of its release.
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1992
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Microsoft
Windows for Workgroups 3.1 was released October, 1992.
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1993
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Microsoft
Windows NT 3.1 was released July 27, 1993.
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1993
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Microsoft
Windows 3.11, an update to Windows 3.1 is released December 31, 1993.
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1993
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The
number of licensed users of Microsoft Windows now totals more than 25
Million.
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1994
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Microsoft
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 was released February, 1994.
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1994
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Microsoft
Windows NT 3.5 was released September 21, 1994.
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1995
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Microsoft
Windows NT 3.51 was released May 30, 1995.
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1995
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Microsoft
Windows 95 was released August 24, 1995 and sells more than 1 Million copies
within 4 days.
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1995
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Microsoft
Windows 95 Service Pack 1 (4.00.950A) is released February 14, 1996.
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1996
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Microsoft
Windows NT 4.0 was released July 29, 1996.
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1996
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Microsoft
Windows 95 (4.00.950B) aka OSR2 with FAT32 and MMX support is released August
24, 1996.
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1996
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Microsoft
Windows CE 1.0 was released November, 1996.
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1997
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Microsoft
Windows CE 2.0 was released November, 1997.
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1997
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Microsoft
Windows 95 (4.00.950C) aka OSR2.5 is released November 26, 1997.
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1998
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Microsoft
Windows 98 was released June, 1998.
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1998
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Microsoft
Windows CE 2.1 was released July, 1998.
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1998
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In
October of 1998 Microsoft announced that future releases of Windows NT would
no longer have the initials of NT and that the next edition would be Windows
2000.
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1999
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Microsoft
Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) was released May 5, 1999.
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1999
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Microsoft
Windows CE 3.0 was released 1999.
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2000
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On
January 4th at CES Bill Gates announces the new version of Windows CE will be
called Pocket PC.
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2000
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Microsoft
Windows 2000 was released February 17, 2000.
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2000
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Microsoft
Windows ME (Millennium) released June 19, 2000.
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2001
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Microsoft
Windows XP is released October 25, 2001.
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2001
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Microsoft
Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (Version 2002) for Itanium systems is released
March 28, 2003.
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2003
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Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 is released March 28, 2003.
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2003
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Microsoft
Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (Version 2003) for Itanium 2 systems is released on
March 28, 2003.
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2003
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Microsoft
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003 is released on December 18, 2003.
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2004
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Microsoft
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is released on October 12, 2004.
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2005
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Microsoft
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is released on April 24, 2005.
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2005
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Microsoft
announces it's next operating system, codenamed "Longhorn" will be
named Windows Vista on July 23, 2005.
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2006
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Microsoft
releases Microsoft Windows Vista to corporations on November 30, 2006.
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2007
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Microsoft
releases Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 to the general public
January 30, 2007.
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2009
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Microsoft
releases Windows 7 October 22, 2009.
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2012
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Microsoft
releases Windows 8 October 26, 2012.
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