Poll: The most significant Windows ever released?

[Athlon4all]

I was just thinking in light of that I think XP is one of Microsoft's most important OS releases because it brings the NT kernel to the mainstream, and I'm wondering which was a bigger Windows, Windows 3.1 (for old times sake), Windows 95 which ysered in the 32-bit hybrid era, or Windows XP/Windows 2000(XP never happens without 2000). What do you think? It's a toughie for me, Windows 3.1 was a huge release for Microsoft, but did it revolutionize computer compared to OS/2? No. So it really comes down to 95 or XP, what do you think?

 

[RalphTheCow]

From all the discussion here it seems like M$ finally got it right with XP. I was a huge fan of 3.1 and wanted to vote for it, but I'm as futuristic as the next guy, and if XP doesn't crash all the time, I'm all for it. I think that's sort of the main requirement of an OS, and ME, 95, and 98 aren't so good.

 

[bsobel]

I've done commercial development on every version of Windows since the 2.x days, IMHO XP by far is the most important release. Migrating people from the horrible 9x codebase to XP gives us the foundations for a stable platform moving into the future.
Bill

 

[ojai00]

I loved Windows 2000, but now I'm using XP. I think Windows 2000 was a big breakthrough in stability for Windows OS.

 

[Evadman]

How come Andersen or pella are not listed

 

[Insidious]

3.1 was the beginning of the modern reign of the Sloth.............

Like VHS to BetaMax, this one sold the world over..... That other OS with the little picture thingies..... whadja call them again?

/me shudders as a hero is slain and a tyrant is crowned

 

[JohnDoh2]

No question in my mind, 95 would be the most significant. It was 95 along with Office that made MS a monopoly!!

Is 95 as good as XP? Not close, but without the success of 95 who knows who if anybody would be dominating the os market today.

Best: XP
Most significant: 95

 

[kp1126]

<< Most significant: 95 >>



95 really got that whole internet thing going

 

[Amused]

I have to go with 95.

This isn't a popularity poll, this is an objective look at which OS was the most ground breaking. That is, without a doubt, 95.

 

[tracerbullet]

That was my vote too, it made using a PC so much more friendly than it ever was before. Maybe it's my age (31), but EVERYONE I know had 95 on their first machine. I bet if you were to look at PC sales by year, it was about the time 95 came out that there would be a big spike.

 

[manly]

<<

<< Most significant: 95 >>



95 really got that whole internet thing going >>



Wrong, W95 got Winblows user interface up to the level of Mac OS circa 1985. The only thing to substantiate your comment is that W95 had a built-in TCP/IP stack, which was a big deal at the time. If it hadn't, AOL would probably be even bigger today, and the real Internet a little less popular (I say it this way because millions of AOLusers think AOL is the Internet).

Microsoft didn't own the Internet until IE 4.0 at the earliest (or more accurately until the beast of NS Communicator 4.0 was released). Then it was all downhill for Netscape.

And the easy answer to the poll question is W95. The other choices aren't even close in significance.

 

[thornc]

Sorry fellow AT members but the most significant windows ever released was NT....

A pure 32bits operating system, with a HAL ( hardware abstration layer) thay made
it cross platform... and with virtual machines to run 16bits code in...

2000 and XP, are only improvements of the original NT.
Just like win3.11,win9x and ME are improvements of the original windows! The first one
that run over dos, just like this ones

 

[eplebnista]

Windows 95

 

[cleverhandle]

I have to vote for 95 for the same reasons already posted, but NT should really be a choice as well, certainly more significant than 3.1, and maybe even XP.

 

[kp1126]

<< Wrong, W95 got Winblows user interface up to the level of Mac OS circa 1985. The only thing to substantiate your comment is that W95 had a built-in TCP/IP stack, which was a big deal at the time. If it hadn't, AOL would probably be even bigger today, and the real Internet a little less popular (I say it this way because millions of AOLusers think AOL is the Internet).

Microsoft didn't own the Internet until IE 4.0 at the earliest (or more accurately until the beast of NS Communicator 4.0 was released). Then it was all downhill for Netscape.

And the easy answer to the poll question is W95. The other choices aren't even close in significance.
>>




I didn't mean literally. With the release of Win95, we all know there was MEGA-hype about it. Until then, the few people who had a computer were using win3.11. Win95 really got people thinking about getting on the Internet. Maybe I should have said that Win95 got the whole "Internet Boom" going.

 

[Thor86]

Uhhh, where's Windows98SE?

 

[bacillus]

<< Uhhh, where's Windows98SE? >>


I think the keyword here is significant!

 

[BlackOmen]

I'm going to have to go with 95. Despite the fact that it was buggy and slow, 95 introduced the interface that won many over. Users who had never even considered owning a computer before now began to get in on the trend, because there were no more commands to learn; everything was and click. About 2 years after 95, working in retail, I began seeing grandparents and the clueless jumping on the bandwagon and buying their first pc to "use the internet."

Don't get me wrong, win2k and xp made milestones as far as stability goes, however 95 cannot be ignored for bringing usability to the masses.

 

[AMDPwred]

I would say 95, no question. It changed the way most people used the computer on the desktop. It's really where Microsoft made its mark IMO.

 

[Sunner]

Windows NT 4.0

The first decent OS in the NT series, and the "forefather" to Win2K(NT 5) and XP(NT 5.1).

 

[Ark]

Windows 95 brougth computer to consumer market.
Before that PC OSs were designed for educated PC user.

I remeber October-December 1995 when people were buying PC like bottles of milk.
I was in small local PC shop one day: it was 1 untrained salesman for 3-6 customers.

 

[Athlon4all]

I added Win NT 4.0 and under.

<< Sorry fellow AT members but the most significant windows ever released was NT....

A pure 32bits operating system, with a HAL ( hardware abstration layer) thay made
it cross platform... and with virtual machines to run 16bits code in...

2000 and XP, are only improvements of the original NT.
Just like win3.11,win9x and ME are improvements of the original windows! The first one
that run over dos, just like this ones >>

You know what, I agree totally. Windows NT really was destined to become the OS of the future ,I never doubted that. And MS had to get away from the DOS based Win 3.1, but, I really can't say that NT 3.1, or NT 4.0 even for that matter was the most significant because, they IMO were still not at a level of compatibility with mainly games where it was seen in enough places to make an impact. What killed NT 4 in terms of games was mainly the lack of 3 key features that 2000 added:

1. the latest DirectX (3.0 I believe is the highest for NT4). 2000 came with DX7 and now has 8.1
2. New Hardware support including Plug and Play, USB support, Dual Monitors, Firewire, Power Management, you get the picture?
3. Much improved general Hardware/Software Compatibility.

Windows 2000 was the first NT OS that was compatible enough in the NT series for it to be usable on most PC's (although it wasn't) and provided support for the latest hardware. That's why we see prolly about 50-75% people on the forums I'd bet are running 2000 or XP, while during the 98/NT4 era, it was prolly 98 that was in 50-75%. Not to mention the ease of use/ease of Setup of NT 4 was nowhere near where XP is. You see what I mean? Just my thoughts. I do think though that while XP/2000 are very significant, I have to agree with most that 95 totally changed how computers were viewed.

 

[mastertech01]

I believe untill Win2k really matured as an OS, the NT kernal was something that most average consumers just didnt even consider. When you thought of NT, you thought of business application.

This country is comprised mainly by a point and click population. Win 3.1 started us in that general direction but was still not user friendly for the average Joe who just wanted to load the software and start using it. We like whistles and bells and entertainment, and that was really revolutionized with the release of Win95, and is the point at which I believe computing became part of the household. So in reflection and from my own experience, I would have to give the nod to Win95 as the first real user friendly GUI for everyone, with the basic multimedia enhancements that attract so many to todays high performance PC.

 

[Mustanggt]

thats hard between 95 and 2k

 

[SinNisTeR]

<< I loved Windows 2000, but now I'm using XP. I think Windows 2000 was a big breakthrough in stability for Windows OS. >>



what he said ^