Friday, November 07, 2008

MICROSOFT RETIRES WINDOWS 3.X OS

London
DNA

On November 1 Microsoft stopped issuing licenses for the software that made its debut in May 1990 in the US, according to a BBC report.

The various versions of Windows 3.x (including 3.11) released in the early 1990s, were the first of Microsoft’s graphical user interfaces to win huge worldwide success.

They helped Microsoft establish itself and set the trend for how it makes its revenues, and what drives the company until the present day.

First high For many computer users 3.x was the first Windows-based operating system they used, and the software established the iconography of Microsoft’s flagship product.

As it was updated the software started to make PCs a serious rival to Apple machines, as it could take advantage of much improved graphics, had a broader colour palette, and could use multimedia extras such as sound cards and CD Rom drives. Microsoft maintained support for Windows 3.x until the end of 2001, and it has lived on as an embedded operating system until 1 November 2008. One of its more glamourous uses as an embedded operating system is to power the in-flight entertainment systems on some Virgin and Qantas long-haul jets.

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