In November of 1985, Microsoft Corporation introduced a new operating system named Windows as an extension of their previous system software called MS-DOS.  The development of Windows came about with a rising interest in graphical user interfaces (GUI) by the average computer user.
 
Windows has come to dominate the operating system market overtaking Mac OS and Mac OS X.  It was reported in 2004 that Windows was loaded on approximately ninety percent of the computers in the world.

When Microsoft first released their Windows operating system, it was named Windows 3.0.  Subsequent versions were named after this original version as in Windows 3.1, Windows 3.2, etc.  The entire family of the Windows operating system based on that original version is referred to as Windows 3x.
 
Windows 3.0 was released in 1990 and was hailed as the next big version of the operating system.  It would soon take the computer world by storm and be hailed as what every computer user needed to effectively and easily operate a computer system.  The Windows 3x family of operating systems would be the basis for many new and exciting developments in the world of operating systems.

Windows NT was released by Microsoft Corporation in 1993 as a successor to the previous versions of Windows.  It was designed to be a powerful, high-level language based processor independent operating system with features compatible to Unix systems.  This version of Windows complemented work station versions running on MS-DOS.
 
A main design goal of Windows NT was hardware and software portability.  Versions of this operating system were available for a variety of processor architectures.  Broad software compatibility was achieved for various platforms.

In 1998, Microsoft Corporation released their latest update of the popular Windows operating system ? Windows 98.  It was a successor to the previous version of Windows 95 and was an improvement on technology contained in its predecessor.
 
One of the great advantages to Windows 98 was that it required relatively low system requirements making it easier to gain its full potential even on older machines.  This version of Windows gave full support to DOS applications because it could be switched between DOS mode and Windows mode.  Being able to do this allowed the user to fix certain system errors manually.

In February of 2000, Microsoft Corporation released its newest update to the popular Windows operating system.  Windows 2000 was made available in four editions:  Professional, Server, Advanced Server, and Data Center Server.  Windows 2000 was marketed as "the most secure Windows ever shipped."
 
Despite claims that Windows 2000 had advanced security measures, it did become the target of a number of profile virus attacks like Code Red and Nimda.  More than seven years after its release, Windows 2000 continues to receive patches for security vulnerabilities on a near-monthly basis.

On September 14, 2000, programming software giant Microsoft Corporation released their latest version of Windows they called Windows ME.  Originally, because of the year of release, it was code named Windows Millennium and is sometimes known by that name even today.  Windows ME was a hybrid operating system combining both 16-bit and 32-bit technologies.
 
It was marketed as a home edition version of Windows as the other operating system released in 2000 - Windows 2000 - was generally thought of as a business application.  Windows ME gave personal computer users many new features that made their computer experience easier and more convenient.

On October 25, 2001, Microsoft Corporation released its latest update of its Windows operating system.  They called it Windows XP as a way to distance themselves from the previous versions of Windows that were named after the years they were released.  The letters XP stand for experience and this operating system was designed for both home and business use.
 
Windows XP is known for its improved stability and efficiency over previous versions of Windows.  It presents a significantly redesigned graphical user interface (GUI) and was a change that Microsoft promoted as more user-friendly than previous versions of Windows.

The latest operating system to be released by the Microsoft Corporation in their Windows line is Windows Vista.  This new operating system has been hailed as the next great wave of operating systems with new, improved features and a user interface like no other.  What can you expect to see new in Windows Vista?
 
Most significant in Windows Vista is the way it looks.  It has brighter colors, more graphics, and capabilities for keeping multiple windows open on the same screen.  Think of it as a computer version of picture in picture.  This is referred to as Windows Aero and is a completely new graphical user interface.

The newest version of the Windows operating system family is Windows Vista.  Just as with other versions of Windows, Windows Vista operating system is not without its share of problems.  Some of them people consider minor while others might not be so minor after all.
 
Probably the biggest problems with Windows Vista operating system that people have reported is that it is so large that it cannot be accommodated by regular, everyday computer systems.  Windows Vista requires a huge chunk of system memory in order to run.  That means that a lot of your system resources are being taken up by simply running your operating system.  Thus, your computer system will run slower.