The Microsoft and Bill Gates Journey, Product Features and Future Part 2

1998–2000: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me—Windows evolves for work and play

The Windows 98 desktop

Windows 98

Windows 98

Released on June 25, 1998, Windows 98 is the first version of Windows designed specifically for consumers. PCs are common at work and home, and Internet cafes where you can get online are popping up. Windows 98 is described as an operating system that “Works Better, Plays Better.”

With Windows 98, you can find information more easily on your PC as well as the Internet. Other improvements include the ability to open and close programs more quickly, and support for reading DVD discs and universal serial bus (USB) devices. Another first appearance is the Quick Launch bar, which lets you run programs without having to browse the Start menu or look for them on the desktop.

Geek trivia: Windows 98 is the last version based on MS‑DOS.

The Windows Me media experience

Windows Me

Designed for home computer use, Windows Me offers numerous music, video, and home networking enhancements and reliability improvements compared to previous versions.

First appearances: System Restore, a feature that can roll back your PC software configuration to a date or time before a problem occurred. Movie Maker provides users with the tools to digitally edit, save, and share home videos. And with Microsoft Windows Media Player 7 technologies, you can find, organize, and play digital media.

Geek trivia: Technically speaking, Windows Me was the last Microsoft operating system to be based on the Windows 95 code base. Microsoft announced that all future operating system products would be based on the Windows NT and Windows 2000 kernel.

Windows 2000 Professional

Windows 2000 Professional

More than just the upgrade to Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000 Professional is designed to replace Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 on all business desktops and laptops. Built on top of the proven Windows NT Workstation 4.0 code base, Windows 2000 adds major improvements in reliability, ease of use, Internet compatibility, and support for mobile computing.

Among other improvements, Windows 2000 Professional simplifies hardware installation by adding support for a wide variety of new Plug and Play hardware, including advanced networking and wireless products, USB devices, IEEE 1394 devices, and infrared devices.

Geek trivia: The nightly stress test performed on Windows 2000 during development is the equivalent of three months of run time on up to 1,500 computers.

2001–2005: Windows XP—Stable, usable, and fast

The Windows XP Home Edition desktop

On October 25, 2001, Windows XP is released with a redesigned look and feel that's centered on usability and a unified Help and Support services center. It’s available in 25 languages. From the mid-1970s until the release of Windows XP, about 1 billion PCs have been shipped worldwide.

For Microsoft, Windows XP will become one of its best-selling products in the coming years. It’s both fast and stable. Navigating the Start menu, taskbar, and Control Panel are more intuitive. Awareness of computer viruses and hackers increases, but fears are to a certain extent calmed by the online delivery of security updates. Consumers begin to understand warnings about suspicious attachments and viruses. There’s more emphasis on Help and Support.

Windows XP Professional box

Windows XP Home Edition offers a clean, simplified visual design that makes frequently used features more accessible. Designed for home use, Windows XP offers such enhancements as the Network Setup Wizard, Windows Media Player, Windows Movie Maker, and enhanced digital photo capabilities.

Windows XP Professional brings the solid foundation of Windows 2000 to the PC desktop, enhancing reliability, security, and performance. With a fresh visual design, Windows XP Professional includes features for business and advanced home computing, including remote desktop support, an encrypting file system, and system restore and advanced networking features. Key enhancements for mobile users include wireless 802.1x networking support, Windows Messenger, and Remote Assistance.

2006–2008: Windows Vista—Smart on security

The Windows Vista desktop

Windows Vista is released in 2006 with the strongest security system yet. User Account Control helps prevent potentially harmful software from making changes to your computer. In Windows Vista Ultimate, BitLocker Drive Encryption provides better data protection for your computer, as laptop sales and security needs increase. Windows Vista also features enhancements to Windows Media Player as more and more people come to see their PCs as central locations for digital media. Here you can watch television, view and send photographs, and edit videos.

Windows Vista Ultimate

Design plays a big role in Windows Vista, and features such as the taskbar and the borders around windows get a brand new look. Search gets new emphasis and helps people find files on their PCs faster. Windows Vista introduces new editions that each have a different mix of features. It's available in 35 languages. The redesigned Start button makes its first appearance in Windows Vista.

Geek trivia: More than 1.5 million devices are compatible with Windows Vista at launch.

2009: Windows 7 introduces Windows Touch

The Windows 7 desktop

Windows 7 is released for the wireless world of the late 2000s. Laptops are outselling desktops, and it's become common to connect to public wireless hotspots in coffee shops and private networks in the home.

Windows 7 includes new ways to work with windows—like Snap, Peek, and Shake—that improves functionality and makes the interface more fun to use. It also marks the debut of Windows Touch, which lets touchscreen users browse the web, flip through photos, and open files and folders.

Windows 7

Geek trivia: Windows 7 is evaluated by 8 million beta testers worldwide before it's released.

2012: Windows 8 features apps and tiles

A PC running Windows 8

Windows 8 Pro

Windows 8

Windows 8 is a reimagined operating system, from the chipset to the user experience, and introduces a totally new interface that works smoothly for both touch and mouse and keyboard. It functions as both a tablet for entertainment and a full-featured PC for getting things done. Windows 8 also includes enhancements of the familiar Windows desktop, with a new taskbar and streamlined file management.

Windows 8 features a Start screen with tiles that connect to people, files, apps, and websites. Apps are front and center, with access to a new place to get apps—the Windows Store—built right in to the Start screen.

Along with Windows 8, Microsoft also launches Windows RT, which runs on some tablets and PCs. Windows RT is designed for sleek devices and long battery life, and exclusively runs apps from the Windows Store. It also comes with a built-in version of Office that's optimized for touchscreens.

Geek trivia: Power users notices that Windows 8 makes the detection and correction of file system errors both more transparent and less intrusive.

2013: Windows 8.1 expands the Windows 8 vision

A tablet running Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 advances the Windows 8 vision of providing a powerful collection of apps and cloud connectivity on great devices; it’s everything people loved about Windows 8, plus some enhancements.

Windows 8.1 combines Microsoft's vision of innovation with customer feedback on Windows 8 to provide many improvements and new features: more Start screen personalization options that sync across all devices, the option to boot directly to the desktop, Bing Smart Search so you can find what you're looking for across the PC or the web, a Start button to navigate between the desktop and Start Screen, and more flexible options for viewing multiple applications at once on one or all screens. There are also several new built-in apps such as Bing Food & Drink, Bing Health & Fitness, and great utility apps like Reading List, Calculator, and Alarms. Many of the great apps shipped inWindows 8 are back and even better, making your experience more enjoyable right from the start.

In addition to these user experience changes, Windows 8.1includes new and improved features like Workplace Join and Work Folders that enable Windows devices to connect more easily to corporate resources.

Geek trivia: Power users with multi-monitors can now have up to four apps from the Windows Store per screen appear on each monitor connected to the PC.