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AsMicrosoft celebrates its 50th anniversary, let’s take a trip down memory lane.
Windows has evolved dramatically over the decades, but some intriguing facts remain unknown to many.
Windows has certainly changed a lot over the years.
Here are some insights into its history that might surprise you.
It wasn’tuntil Windows 95that Microsoft implemented the product key for activation.
However, even Windows 98 had a basic product key system.
Microsoft Interface Manager doesn’t roll off the tongue as well as Windows, does it?
Users were required to enter the product key during installation, but it wasn’t strictly enforced.
Often, you were able to use the same key on multiple computers.
On Windows XP and higher releases, we started to see significant changes with “Product Activation.”
Windows 95 introduced the product key, something that’s just a regular part of Windows life now.
This system required users to not only enter the product key but also activate the operating system with Microsoft.
The activation process involved generating a unique hardware-based ID that was linked to the product key.
Here’s an interesting fact: Did you know that1111111111and0000000007are valid product keys for Windows 95?
No cloud, only Briefcase!
I came across this informationin this YouTube video from stackmashing.
Windows once ran on top of MS-DOS
Before Windows 95, the operating system wasn’t a standalone system.
In the early days, when you turned on a computer, MS-DOS would load first.
Briefcase lasted through XP and all the way up to Windows 7.
It incorporated MS-DOS 7.0 but ultimately superseded the MS-DOS platform.
It was particularly handy for users working on both desktops and laptops.
The Briefcase was a special folder to store copies of your files.
Configuring users on Windows 95.
Although it was disabled by default, the feature was part of the original release ofWindows 10.
However, it was removed and completed with the launch of version 1703.
Also, they didn’t offer robust security or separate data storage for each user.
My Documents used to be housed in the root of your C: drive.
Windows 98 was fundamentally designed as a single-user operating system.
Windows 3.x and earlier versions, including MS-DOS, didn’t have user profiles.
Although they’ve been modernized, their core functions remain unchanged.
Paint has had a glow up since the old days.
This long-overdue change modernizes the formatting process for larger storage devices.
TrueType fonts were introduced on Windows 3.1
Before Windows 3.1, font rendering was clunky and inconsistent.
The introduction ofTrueTypefonts in 1992 changed everything.
The format tool as it was on Windows XP.
This feature allowed for high-quality text rendering, making Windows a game-changer for desktop publishing and document creation.
Today, TrueType is still widely used in Windows and other operating systems.
Furthermore, Apple was the company thatlicensed TrueType to Microsoftfor free to help ensure its widespread adoption.
It still looks basically the same, though Microsoft is trying to update it underneath.
(He never expected to become widely known.)
However, on versions 1.03 and 1.04, the requirement was increased to 320KB.
However, 16GB (or 16,777,216KB) is usually the recommended size.
You used to be able to run a whole operating system on this type of memory. Incredible.
