Comparison of user features of operating systems: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:50, 27 May 2023

Revision as of 02:25, 31 October 2023

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[[Microsoft Windows]], commonly referred to as Windows, is a group of several [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] [[graphical user interface|graphical]] [[operating system]] families, all of which are developed and marketed by [[Microsoft]]. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. Active Microsoft Windows families include [[Windows NT]] and [[Windows IoT]]; these may encompass subfamilies, (e.g. [[Windows Server]] or [[Windows Embedded Compact]]) (Windows CE). Defunct Microsoft Windows families include [[Windows 9x]], [[Windows Mobile]], and [[Windows Phone]].

Microsoft introduced an [[operating environment]] named ''Windows'' on 20 November 1985, as a graphical [[operating system shell]] for [[MS-DOS]] in response to the growing interest in [[graphical user interface]]s (GUIs).<ref name=aboutcomnov>{{cite web |url=http://inventors.about.com/od/mstartinventions/a/Windows.htm?rd=1 |title=The Unusual History of Microsoft Windows |access-date=22 April 2007 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Microsoft Windows came to [[dominance (economics)|dominate]] the world's personal computer (PC) market with [[usage share of operating systems|over 90% market share]], overtaking [[Classic Mac OS|Mac OS]], which had been introduced in 1984, while Microsoft has in 2020 lost its dominance of the consumer operating system market, with Windows down to 30%, lower than [[Apple Inc|Apple]]'s 31% mobile-only share (65% for desktop operating systems only, i.e. "[[IBM PC compatible|PCs]]" vs. Apple's 28% desktop share) in its home market, the US, and 32% globally (77% for desktops), where Google's Android leads.

Apple came to see Windows as an unfair encroachment on their innovation in GUI development as implemented on products such as the [[Apple Lisa|Lisa]] and [[Macintosh]] (eventually settled in court in Microsoft's favor in 1993). {{As of|2023|January}}, on PCs, Windows is still the most popular operating system in all countries.<ref name="statcounter-os">{{Cite web|title=Operating System Market Share Worldwide|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share#monthly-202301-202301-bar|access-date=6 February 2023|website=StatCounter Global Stats}}</ref><ref name="statcounter-desktop" /> However, in 2014, Microsoft admitted losing the majority of the overall operating system market to [[Android (operating system)|Android]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2490008/microsoft-gets-real--admits-its-device-share-is-just-14-.html|title=Microsoft gets real, admits its device share is just 14%|last=Keizer|first=Gregg|date=14 July 2014|website=[[Computerworld]]|publisher=[[IDG]]|quote=[Microsoft's chief operating officer] Turner's 14% came from a new forecast released last week by Gartner, which estimated Windows' share of the shipped device market last year was 14%, and would decrease slightly to 13.7% in 2014. Android will dominate, Gartner said, with a 48% share this year|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821210826/http://www.computerworld.com/article/2490008/microsoft-windows/microsoft-gets-real--admits-its-device-share-is-just-14-.html|archive-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> because of the massive growth in sales of Android [[smartphone]]s. In 2014, the number of Windows devices sold was less than 25% that of Android devices sold. This comparison, however, may not be fully relevant, as the two operating systems traditionally target different platforms. Still, numbers for server use of Windows (that are comparable to competitors) show one third market share, similar to that for end user use. <!--Server share varies by types of servers, web server numbers most easily attained.-->