Windows 9x

What does Windows 9x mean?

Windows 9x is a family of operating systems released by Microsoft in the 1990s, specifically referring to Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows ME. These operating systems were characterized by their graphical user interfaces (GUIs), which marked a significant shift from the command-line interfaces of previous versions of Windows.

Windows 9x was built on top of the MS-DOS operating system, which had been the standard operating system for personal computers (PCs) since the mid-1980s. However, Windows 9x introduced several key features that set it apart from MS-DOS, including support for multitasking, protected memory, and 32-bit applications.

These features allowed Windows 9x to run multiple programs simultaneously, protect Data in memory from being corrupted by faulty applications, and take advantage of the increased processing power of newer PCs. As a result, Windows 9x quickly became popular with home and business users alike, and it remained the dominant operating system for PCs throughout the late 1990s.

Applications

Windows 9x was a major turning point in the development of personal computing. It introduced a number of features that became standard on subsequent versions of Windows, including the Start menu, the taskbar, and the File Explorer. Windows 9x also supported a wide range of hardware devices, including printers, scanners, and modems.

In addition to its ease of use and hardware support, Windows 9x was also important for its role in the development of the internet. The operating system included built-in support for TCP/IP Networking, which allowed users to connect to the internet and access websites. Windows 9x also introduced the Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser, which quickly became one of the most popular ways to access the internet.

History

The development of Windows 9x began in the early 1990s, when Microsoft was working on a new version of MS-DOS that would be more user-friendly and easier to use for graphical applications. This project was codenamed “Chicago,” and it eventually evolved into Windows 95.

Windows 95 was released in August 1995 and was an immediate success. It sold over 40 million copies in its first year and quickly became the most popular operating system for PCs. Windows 95 was followed by Windows 98 in June 1998, which included a number of improvements over Windows 95, including support for the FAT32 file system and the USB standard.

Windows Me, the Final version of Windows 9x, was released in September 2000. Windows Me included several new features, including System Restore, which allowed users to roll back their system to a previous state in the event of a problem. However, Windows Me was not as well-received as previous versions of Windows 9x, and it was eventually replaced by Windows XP in 2001.