In my field of study – Health Sciences, the computer plays a large role in how we are able to interpret, extrapolate and hypothesize information in all we do. In contrast to the brain, the computer is just as complex and intricate to the brain. One of the most evolutionary things that man did was create a system which mimicked the architecture, processing and memory of the brain. One man took it one step further, and created one of the most successful products in the world of technology – the Windows Operating System (which is estimated to run on 89.23% of personal computers in the market.) (Protalinski, 2016).
This man responsible for founding one of the most recognized companies in the world, Microsoft, is Bill Gates. He founded the company in Seattle along with his friend Paul Allen in 1975 (Hall, 2015). Today, this company is worth over 500 billion dollars and is most certainly the reason why so many software and hardware products have grown i.e. Office, Xbox, HoloLens and Surface. Microsoft is commonly known as the “leading developer of personal-computer software systems and applications.” (Microsoft, n.d.).
Microsoft started off by developing and refining programming languages for early personal computers. Their focus was to expand and facilitate the use of the early personal computers such as the Altair (Williams & Hart, 1996). In 1980, Microsoft got the opportunity to create an operating system for IBM’s very first personal computer, which they did by acquiring an existing operating system and enhancing it. In 1981, IBM released the IBM PC with Microsoft’s MS-DOS system. The IBM PC skyrocketed in popularity and so did Microsoft’s operating system. As personal computers started rising in popularity, the demand for operating systems increased rapidly. A vast majority of computer manufacturers used MS-DOS for their hardware which created hundreds of millions in revenue for Microsoft and crushed other competing operating systems. A couple years later, Microsoft followed suit with Apple and integrated a Graphical User Interface into MS-DOS by licensing concepts in Apple’s own software. This upgraded version of MS-DOS was named Windows 3.0 and thus the Windows brand was born (Hall, 2015).
The use of personal computers has become ubiquitous and the software that supports it has enormously improved. Microsoft still has most of the operating system market share (Protalinski, 2016). Since November 20th, 1985 when windows 1.0 first launched They have made many upgrades to the software. By adding the GUI, they have been able to add a mouse to click on screen and show multiple windows and files. In 1995, they released Windows 95, which included Internet Explorer. In 2000, they released Windows 2000 and later released Windows XP a year later in 2001. Microsoft added different variations of the product for their different consumer types. The interface was greatly improved as well. Windows XP set a standard that was not met by the launch of Microsoft’s new operating system in 2006, Windows Vista. The new launch was largely criticized for being too slow. Microsoft came back with Windows 7 in 2009, and showed major improvements to Windows Vista. Windows 7 was very successful. In fact, it had approximately 48.79% of the market share in 2016 (Protalinski, 2016). Since then, Microsoft added Windows 8 and 10, which have a modified interface and a digital personal assistant.
Microsoft’s Windows operating systems have had tremendous impact on our everyday lives. As previously mentioned, the PC’s use has enabled people to accomplish tasks more effectively. Without operating systems, there are no personal computers. Windows has enabled developments in other fields of knowledge by making tasks easier, increasing productivity and improving functionality. Almost all fields of knowledge make use of personal computers in some way to facilitate tasks. The Windows operating system is crucial in other branches of computer science as well as sciences as a whole. Essentially, the development of great operating systems by Window has greatly improved the lives of an entire generation. It is what enabled the information age. Millennials grew up using Windows and have truly embraced the many capabilities of the operating system. Learning how to use a computer with a Windows operating system is like mother tongue for an entire generation that can’t live without it. The true impact of Windows is easily measurable by how often users rely on it to function.
Microsoft’s extremely successful operating system, Windows, has greatly evolved since it first launched and positively impacted it’s many different types of users. Whether it be in medicine, arts and literature, commerce or any other field of study the operating system is the backbone of the information age and its impact on society is immense.