The Evolution of Operating Systems

An operating system is the software that controls a computer, basically the middle-man between applications and hardware. In this blog I will discuss the growth that operating systems have undergone since their beginning.

It seems much like the evolution of apes to man, if you believe in such things-which I don't, but that doesn't give fault to the analogy. Operating systems have undergone many changes and improvements, and they are continually improving and changing as new technologies and updates are brought into existence.

It all started out with DOS, which was the first OS for IBM computers and IBM compatible computers. This was the first OS I ever used, and, as a kid, to me it was "awesome". One of the advantages of DOS is that it is easier to use when booting or troubleshooting a computer as opposed to the more sophisticated OS's of today. The first Windows program was Windows 3.x which was layered between DOS and the user and applications to provided a graphics interface for the user and a multitasking environment for applications. Basically it took the text driven interface of DOS and made it more user friendly. Kind of like taking a Hemingway novel and adding pictures and dumbing down the language so children can read and understand it.

Next came Windows 9x/ME, which is the collective identity of Windows 95, 98, and Windows ME. It was the 95 system the was my first encounter with a Windows OS. One good thing about 9.x/ME is that it had a commitment to being backward-compatible, meaning that it was still compatible with older software and hardware, but still took advantage of and introduced newer technology. It was a bridge from the old to the new; a smooth transition.

Then there was Windows NT (New Technology), a complete rewriting of the OS core, and it's upgrade, Windows 2000. Windows 200 is currently considered a dieing OS, but eight years ago it was hottest thing to hit the market since sliced cheese. It was easy to use and offered much more user-friendliness. Even after Windows XP came out, I still clung to 2000 up until just a few years ago.

Windows XP was an attempt to integrate Windows 2000 with 9.x/ME while providing added support for multimedia and networking technologies. XP offered some new tidbits as well, such as allowing two users to be logged onto Windows at once-which is a feature I am yet to use-and new applications such as Windows Firewall.

The next OS on the horizon is Windows Vista, which includes a new graphical interface, a revamped engine, and a new interface between the OS and applications. Sounds great, but I think I'll stick with XP for at least a few more years.