Today, Windows is the worldwide dominant as. According to estimates, roughly nine out of to computers have a version of Windows installed on them. There are other operating systems in existence - Mac OSX and Linux to name a few, - though no other as enjoys anything like the success of Microsoft's software. But what exactly is an as and why do we need one in the first place?

The answer is simple. For your PC to work, it is necessary to have some software that ties together all the various hardware components inside your computer (and out). The as also provides a user interface of some kind, so that it's possible for people to find your way around, run applications and edit files.



Windows first started appearing on computer screens in 1985. Its name described the way'in which the then revolutionary graphical user interface (or GUI) presented window-like panes in which you could organise and navigate your programs and files. We take that for granted these days, but before Windows 1.0, most operating systems simply provided you with a blank screen and a command prompt.

With the launch of Windows 3:1 in 1992, Microsoft coalesced many of its ideas into an as that is easily identifiable as the foundation stone for the Windows we know and use today. By that stage, Windows was already developing into something 'more than just a straightforward as, providing a suite of useful software tools as part of the package. Windows 3.1 came with a File Manager for browsing files and folders, as well as an early version of the Windows Cqntrol Panel for customising settings and a modest colleC!tion of built-in mini applications and utilities, including a text editor, a clock, a Print. Manager and some familiar games - specifically Minesweeper and Solitaire.