Windows 1.0 was released in English on November 20, 1985 and attracted great attention in a short time. This operating system, developed by Microsoft, basically consisted of an interface built on the operating system called MS-DOS.
The Windows 1.0 operating system, the ancestor of the Windows versions we use today, offered users the opportunity to perform operations simply by clicking on applications with the mouse, instead of managing the computer by typing commands.
Windows 1.0, which required a graphics card and a mouse because it used an interface, did not reach high popularity due to the cost of these hardware, but it contained many useful features. Some of those features are still in our lives today. Let’s remember Windows 1.0 again.
1. Significantly blue welcome screen:
Windows 1.0’s welcome screen consisted of informative texts created on a blue theme with no animations. It is also possible to observe the change of Microsoft’s logo until today by looking at the welcome screen.
2. An interface that can have a fossil value in the eyes of the new generation:
The interface that appeared right after the opening screen that greeted you served as a menu with all the applications of Windows 1.0. There were 40 items in total in the interface, most of the applications in the menu were “Notepad” based. Apart from 11 fonts with “.fon” extension, 4 existing documents with “.txt” and “.doc” extensions were located in the menu in the interface.
Other applications such as Calculator, Contact Cards, Clock, Notepad, Reversi Game could also be accessed from this screen. Do you remember this list from somewhere?
3. Extreme but extremely useful Docs and Notepad:
With Windows 1.0, which allowed multi-screen use, two or more windows could be opened at the same time. The first of the 4 documents that arrived was the ABC.TXT file. This file, which comes with a message saying “This is the content of the ABC.TXT file”, seems to have been added to familiarize users with Notepad.
The DOTHIS.TXT file was a document where you could list things to do and create a plan for yourself. In addition to the PRACTICE.DOC file, which would warm up users to Notepad, the Windows 1.0 user guide could also be accessed through README.DOC.
“What have we seen in ‘read me’ files?” We can almost hear you say:
The NOTEPAD.EXE application may be the most useful application of Windows 1.0. You could also use the fonts in the interface with the application, where you could create, edit and save your own documents.
For example:
4. Calculator that can’t come to difficult questions:
Calculator was another useful feature of Windows 1.0. The Calculator, which could process up to eight-digit results, could let you down if you needed a 9-digit result. Still, it was possible to access the calculator, which could be described as great for that period, from the interface. It was very easy to crash a calculator back then:
5. Calendar where you can set a reminder for a future date:
With Windows 1.0, plans could be transferred to digital media using the Calendar application. It was also possible to create reminders with the alarm feature included in the Calendar application.
6. The first periods when business cards became digital:
The Card Holder application, created in Windows 1.0 so that users could create an address and phone book, was revolutionary at that time.
7. This is the clock for which you will need a ruler to understand what time it is:
While it was enough to look at the lower right corner on the Windows operating system devices we use to find out the time, this process was not that easy in Windows 1.0. You can enter the interface, open the Clock application and find out the time. Even the fact that the hour and minute hands were moving was a very advanced situation for that period.
9. Not everyone knows this game: Reversi
Reversi game, also known as Othello, was the first game added for users to have fun on computers. The aim of Reversi, a strategy game, is to finish the game by owning more tiles than the opponent.
9. Before we move on to the finale, a tribute to other unforgettable features:
In Windows 1.0, it was possible to print using an HP brand printer. The printer driver was automatically installed in the interface. Terminal was also available for those who wanted to manage the computer with commands.
10. Paint the legend of legends:
The drawing program, which attracted attention with the name Paint in Windows 1.0, was renamed Paintbrush in Windows 3.0 and returned under its own name with Windows 95. Paint, which has been used since Windows 1.0, has gained many new features to date.
Despite everything, Paint still looks back to those days with its basic features:
We have left 38 years behind from Windows 1.0 to Windows 11. The development and change that Windows has undergone in 38 years is clearly visible.
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