| Era: |
"Home Users" |
Notes: |
Networkable? |
Professional/Business Users |
Notes: |
Networkable? |
| Dawn of Time-1991 |
personal stone tablets |
|
|
professional stone tablets |
|
|
| 1991-1995 |
Windows 3.1 |
the interfaces of Windows 3.1 and Windows NT 3.51 looked identical. Both could be used in networks, but not "out of the box". Novell Netware or LANTastic were used to facilitate networking |
could be used in networks, but not "out of the box". Novell Netware or LANTastic were used to facilitate networking |
Windows NT 3.51 |
|
could be used in networks, but not "out of the box". Novell Netware or LANTastic were used to facilitate networking |
| 1995- |
Windows 95 |
Microsoft spent 200 Million dollars in marketing to ensure that you bought Windows 95 for your home computer. The emphasis was on the "user experience" Networking functionality was touted, however the primary focus was something along the lines of "have more fun doing stuff" like playing games |
Yes. But if you'll recall the comment I made about crunching aspirin... |
Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 4 |
NT 4 was the first version of Windows NT to look like Windows 95, which means it had a start menu and a desktop where you could manipulate objects |
Yes, very much so. NT 4 was all about a stable, if insanely boring operating system used in businesses that did predictable and repetitive work. Any additional functionality was expensive and marketed to businesses |
| 1998ish? |
Windows 98 |
Same old stuff, essentially Windows 95 with a slightly prettier interface. Phrases like" plug and play" technology were rampant, i.e. if you upgrade to windows 98, all of the stuff you need to do will run faster, look better, and be even more fun. |
some improvements were made in the way you went about configuring your network, but this version and it's predecessors were never built with networking as a primary function. |
Windows NT 4 |
still boring, but worked well. |
unchanged |
| 2000 |
Windows 98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000 |
It was a bad year for average joe consumer. Windows 98 SE and Windows ME were rehashings of Windows 98, and were pushed on consumers as 1. More functional for everyday use, meaning that if you bought a new joystick, you could use it in Windows 95/98/ME, but perhaps not in WIndows 2000, and 2. Cheaper than Windows 2000, because Windows 2000 was more "business oriented" HOWEVER, it WAS offered as a choice to consumers for the first time |
same as above. Bottles of aspirin were bought by the case for frazzled IT boys and girls attempting to support such a monstrosity |
Windows 2000 |
This was a huge upgrade from NT 4. It looked better, and most importantly, software and hardware companies were starting to ensure that their products would work with Windows 2000 AND windows 95/98/ME. If you owned a business, you didn't have to make the choice between the boring stagnation of NT4 versus the charming yet fatal tendencies of Windows 95/98/ME |
Right out of the box, it was easy to create a reliable network. The networking functionality was reliable, but it was also much easier to build one without a lot of technical experience |
| 2001 |
Windows XP Home Edition |
Finally, Microsoft started pushing a version of windows on consumers that was stable, easy to network, and was supported by everybody who wrote software for windows |
huge improvements. Consumers now used the same interfaces as businesses. Networking became reliable for home users, and easier to set up |
Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional Edition |
Identical to Windows 2000 in every way, but the interface now looked a lot slicker. |
networking functionality identical to Windows 2000 |
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