Windows 1.0 hits the big 21
First the iPod turns five, then Windows XP celebrates its fifth. So who's getting cake today? Windows 1.0. The original Microsoft operating system turned 21 years-old on Monday. While it would hard to drum up much enthusiasm for a party - after all, it is Monday and we're trying to save up for Turkey Day - London blogger Everton Blair has given The Browser reason to reflect. His 21 things "you never knew about Windows, Microsoft and Bill Gates" is worth a look. A few nuggets:
  • To run, Windows 1.0 required a machine with 256KB of RAM, DOS 2.0 and two floppy drives. ("I saw the number 256 and immediately thought MB, not KB," writes Michael Santo of RealTechNews. "How spoiled we've become.")
  • Windows crashed an estimated 25 times a day.
  • Bill Gates scored 1590 on his SAT. Paul Allen, scored a perfect 1600.
  • In 1985, Microsoft was the tech industry's underdog.....

What would you call it today?

Posted by Krysten Crawford 10:29 AM 6 Comments comment | Add a Comment

I would call miscrosoft the "sleeping giant." It is stagnent and does not put out good products due to the lack of threatening competition, but has the potential to lead in technological revolutions. Instead, Apple has been the one to lead in product revolutions and put out quality products (that don't crash 25 times a day). I think that Microsoft will either wake up to the scent of a preditor near, or lie comatose and allow the competition to grow as it withers away.
Posted By Justin, Providence RI : 2:07 PM  

21?? and 25 crashes a day? Sure doesn't look like they have learned a thing since. Still crash heavy, server uptime 100 times less than linux. Give it up Willy (oh that's why you called it Micro-Soft
Posted By Turley K Hayes, Topeka,Ks : 2:49 PM  

I really dislike Linux comments. Linux is for people who refuse to pay for a decent operating system.
Posted By Demir Bracic, Laguna Niguel CA : 4:01 PM  

Hmmm...upload XP and deal with a crash maybe once in a blue moon if you have a large array of hardware and software installed.

-or-

Install Linux and be forced to write your own device drivers if you don't want to use the very limited selection of hardware available. Plus you'll need the equivalent time spent [learning Linux] as you put into obtaining an associate's degree just to operate Linux.
Posted By Patrick, WA : 4:09 PM  

Just spotted this article on Digg - it might make it onto the homepage.

http://digg.com/tech_news/Microst_Windows_Comes_Of_Age_Happy_Birthday

Strange MSFT have been so quite about the birthday.
Posted By Tony, London, London : 8:45 AM  

The 1990's were to Microsoft what the 1950's were to GM ...

In 1995, MS was king of consumers and corporations but that was a brief meeting of the minds, now MS is desperate to try to recapture that but that will happen when DJ Steve Ballmer and Jazzy Bill Gates have a hit hip hop CD.

MS - enterprise market - all great but consumers - the Zune is what they hink consumers want - bwaahahaha.
Posted By jbelkin, danville, ca : 12:22 AM  

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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.