windows

The two most common types of windows are the clear panes of glass you can look through in a building or vehicle, or the series of popular operating systems published by Microsoft.

Expanding on the latter, Windows was developed as a graphical user interface for Microsoft's previously popular MS-DOS operating system. DOS required users to have a good deal of technical savvy and memorization of text-based commands, whose parameters could become very complicated to do relatively simple things, like moving files or sorting them by different criteria.

The Windows solution for that was to simply give the user menus they could easily navigate and basic commands to click on that generated the same complicated input in the background, but with an interface easy enough that anyone could work with it.

Windows 3.1 was the first notable step in the series, and Windows 95 expanded significantly on that formula, opening the doors to faster 32-bit computing that would be developed further in later iterations of the OS, including Windows 98, ME, XP, Mobile, Vista, and network-focused versions like Windows Server and Windows NT.

Windows' main competition comes from Apple's Mac OS and the various open-source Linux operating systems. Despite user complaints about bugs and shoddy performance in virtually every version of Windows, it remains the most popular OS in the world.

by Mark Buckingham Are you a writer, passionate about this or any other topic? Join Blogcritics!

Original Technorati articles tagged “windows”

• in Gadgets
  Thoughts on a PC Purchase, Part III
  History of graphical user interfaces, considerations for choosing an operating system
  by devitor / on Nov 29, 2009
• in Android
  Google Will Merge Android and Chrome
  Google finally states the expected: Android and Chrome OSes will merge eventually
  by jaideepkhanduja / on Nov 23, 2009
• in Technology
  Get Your Free Office Mobile 2010 Beta
  As part of their Office 2010 Beta announcement, Microsoft announced the availability of the Office Mobile 2010 Beta
  by aniruddh / on Nov 21, 2009

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “windows”

• Add Network Drives (Locations) To Windows 7 Libraries & Backup Library Configuration With Windows 7 Library Tool

  
  Software's Blogging — Authority: 140
  Library is one of the finest features of Windows 7. It allows you manage your files and folders more efficiently. If you have been using Windows 7 Libraries feature for a while now, you might have noticed that Windows 7 doesn’t allow you easily add network locations to the Libraries by default. At the [...]
  2 hours ago

• CORSAIR Value Select 2GB PC2-4200 533MHz 240-pin DDR2 CL4 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit

  
  Kill Deal — Authority: 169
  Each memory module is individually tested to give you Peace of Mind that it Will Not Fail, Guaranteed! Online 24/7 Customer Support available at www.asktheramguy.com for your convenience and questions Corsair Memory is optimized for the Microsoft® Windows® Vista client operating system Lifetime Warranty! 2 X 1GB ...
  2 hours ago

• Why is SATA drive there in BIOS, but not in windows?

  
  Overclock.net - Overclocking.net — Authority: 572
  Any ideas? Thanks
  2 hours ago

• Fastest way to reinstall Windows(vista) and fully patch it?

  
  Overclock.net - Overclocking.net — Authority: 572
  I am just wondering if there is a faster way to reinstall windows and fully patch it. The only idea I can come up with is download the sp1 and sp2 packs and run those before even running windows update. Without the packs it takes about 6hours to patch windows through windows update. Any other ideas? I for some ...
  3 hours ago

• invalid boot.ini file..........

  
  Overclock.net - Overclocking.net — Authority: 572
  Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \system32\hal.dll. Please re-install a copy of the above file. I may be able to find a copy of that file on my other HD with the new installation of xp pro, but how do I re-install it? EDIT:I went into recovery console and ran FIXMBR and ...
  3 hours ago

• D-Link DFE-530TX+ 10/100 Fast Ethernet Desktop Adapter

  
  Kill Deal — Authority: 169
  Connect to a Network and Surf the Web with Your Desktop PC Windows® Automatically Detects the Adapter for Easy Installation Up and Running in Minutes Plug-and-play installation Lifetime warranty Product Description D-Link DFE-530TX+ 10/100 Fast Ethernet Desktop Adapter Amazon.com Product Description The ...
  3 hours ago

• Androkkid 1.2.0 – an Android UI clone for Windows Mobile

  
  pocket pc software, windows mobile freeware, wm6.5 news — Authority: 512
  Androkkid is a new Windows Mobile interface, with a lots of customization and a fully graphical design and animations for Windows Mobile 5/6 completely writed in .NET. This Pocket PC Freeware comes from the developers of iFonz a popular iPhone UI clone. With Androkkid he gives us an Android clone on Windows mobile ...
  3 hours ago

• Best Linux and KVM switch practices

  
  Telephone Issues — Authority: 164
  I have at least four machines running at all times – all using one monitor. Not only does space dictate this setup, so to does budget. Because of this I am relegated to using a KVM switch. If you’re not sure what a KVM switch is, it is a device that allows you to use multiple machines with only one monitor, mouse, ...
  3 hours ago

• Fim 2.3.5.6 – Facebook Chat For Windows Mobile

  
  pocket pc software, windows mobile freeware, wm6.5 news — Authority: 512
  fim 2.2.8.2 Facebook Instant Messenger (formerly known as FacebookIM) is a Windows Mobile Freeware app that lets you use the chat feature on Facebook from your windows mobile phone. Features: Facebook Chat Status Feed Notifications & New Messages Indicators Picture & Video Uploads Directly From ...
  4 hours ago

• The Devil’s Advocate: Which computer gives you more for your money, Mac or PC?

  
  Daily Titan — Authority: 513
  By Skylar Smith Daily Titan Staff Writer The Mac has always taken a lot of heat from the gaming community and much of the computer science and engineering community, rightfully so. Its recent advertising is made to poke fun at the PC world and has caused Windows to respond with its own anti-Mac advertising campaign. ...
  4 hours ago

• VSO Software BlindWrite v 6.3.1.6-TE

  
  Releaselog | RLSLOG.net — Authority: 161
  This article has been published at RLSLOG.net - visit our site for full content. Blindwrite, your ultimate game copy software back up tool! BlindWrite extracts all the characteristics of your media to your harddrive to reproduce a working copy of your media. Description: It allows you to protect your ...
  4 hours ago

• Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 Launching First Week of January

  
  PhoneArea.net — Authority: 158
  We haven’t heard much about the sequel to Sony Ericsson ( NYSE: SNE )’s first xperia since it passed the FCC in the fall , but their PR team has just gone official with…
  4 hours ago

• Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 Launching First Week of January

  
  IntoMobile - Cell Phone News, Information, and Analysis — Authority: 740
  We haven’t heard much about the sequel to Sony Ericsson ( NYSE: SNE )’s first xperia since it passed the FCC in the fall , but their PR team has just gone official with a release date of the first week of January. Versus the original, the X2 switches to a capacitive touch screen, upgrades to an 8 megapixel ...
  4 hours ago

• windows xp mce 2005-format i legalnosc

  
  polish:Elite:board — Authority: 178
  witam, musze sformatowac kompa, nie posiadam plyty instalacyjnej do xp lecz na odwrocie komputera mam nalepke z kluczem,jaka wersje mam sciagnac aby windows byl legalny i mogl uzyc tego klucza.i czy wogle tak sie da?prosze o pomoc
  4 hours ago

• How to Fix A Dishwasher — Money Saving Tips.

  
  Repair Our Home — Authority: 149
  So now I’ll show you some tips of how to fix a dishwasher. Electronics and water are not very compatible, this is the problem! It is bound to break down, since a dishwasher uses both. Mostly, when my dishwasher has broken down I have been able to fix it. No, I am not a dishwasher repair man. In truth, I am a fix it ...
  4 hours ago

• Windows XP Intro Temporada 2 (mute).3gp

  
  Windows Operation System — Authority: 169
  
  4 hours ago

• Silver PAC Evolution 5500 Remote Would Have Been Great 3 Years Ago [Home Theater]

  
  Gizmodo — Authority: 883
  Remember SideShow ? That technology designed for Vista that allows you to display gadgets on an external device? Silver PAC is digging it up for their Evolution 550 universal remote set for release this February. Features Include: * 4.3 inch touch-color LCD display with a resolution of 480 x 272 * ARM9 ...
  4 hours ago

• sending a Word Document in body of Windows Live e-mail

  
  Windows Vista Tips — Authority: 173
  Im trying to send a Microsoft Word document in the body (not as an attachment) of an e-mail. In the past, I used MS Outlook Express as my default e-mail client, and while in MS Word editing a document, the send-to button was active on the toolbar and I could just click that and the e-mail message address bar, subject ...
  5 hours ago

• speech recognition could not start

  
  Windows Vista Tips — Authority: 173
  Trying to us a bluetooth headset for mike & speaker but get the subject line. Anyone got any ideas? TIA
  5 hours ago

• Event log quits logging - server quits responding

  
  Windows Vista Tips — Authority: 173
  Server is an HP ML310 G5p running Windows SBS 2008, at SP2 level. Recently the server experienced these symptoms: 1. Email stops being delivered to the clients 2. Cannot login to the server via rdp or console. After entering the password it just sits at a blue screen that says Welcome. 3. Post-reboot review of the ...
  5 hours ago

Comments about windows