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! "#$%&'()*+#$),!-+$.#/(!01!! 23!4,)$!56!-'+78*!9!:);,!<8;''#**! "#=3'+78*>!?10@! ! Conversational Windows 10 Published by Conversational Geek Inc. www.conversationalgeek.com All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. Trademarks Conversational Geek, the Conversational Geek logo and J. the Geek are trademarks of Conversational Geek. All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. We cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. Warning and Disclaimer Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an “as is” basis. The author and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book or programs accompanying it. Additional Information For general information on our other products and services, or how to create a custom Conversational Geek book for your business or organization, please visit our website at ConversationalGeek.com Publisher Acknowledgments All of the folks responsible for the creation of this guide: Author: Alan L. Wright / Paul Thurrott Project Editor: J. Peter Bruzzese Copy Editor: John Rugh Content Reviewer(s): Shanna G. Giarrano Note from the Authors Windows has certainly evolved and grown over the last 30 years. Sometimes this growth has been painful, but overall it has opened new opportunities and expanded the way we all work, play, and interact. There is no denying the fact that millions of people touch and use Windows several times a day, every day. We enjoy working with technology and we’re amazed at times to see the continued advancements that have brought many dreams and concepts from the realm of science fiction to reality. The possibilities that wearables, holograms, and even smartphones and tablets have opened up to all of us would be hard to imagine just a few short years ago. We live in exciting times. Windows 10 is a reflection of the times we live in. Whether you fancy yourself as an artist, teacher, student, professional, or simply a home user, I encourage you to make technology work for you. Explore the possibilities and have fun! The “Conversational” Method We have two objectives when we create a “Conversational” book: First, to make sure it’s written in a conversational tone so that it’s fun and easy to read. Second, to make sure you, the reader, can immediately take what you read and include it into your own conversations (personal or business-focused) with confidence. These books are meant to increase your understanding of the subject. Terminology, conceptual ideas, trends in the market, and even fringe subject matter are brought together to ensure you can engage your customer, team, co-worker, friend and even the know-it-all Best Buy geek on a level playing field. “Geek in the Mirror” Boxes We infuse humor into our books through both cartoons and light banter from the author. When you see one of these boxes it’s the author stepping outside the dialog to speak directly to you. It might be an anecdote, it might be a personal experience or gut reaction and analysis, it might just be a sarcastic quip, but these “geek in the mirror” boxes are not to be skipped. Greetings. Within these boxes we can share just about anything on the subject at hand. Read ’em! A Brief History of Microsoft Windows There are few people living on Earth today who are unfamiliar with Microsoft Windows. Microsoft was formed in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Their shared vision was “a computer on every desktop and in every home”. This was ambitious for several reasons: at the time, computers were still huge mainframe devices that typically had the footprint of an automobile and access was fairly limited to academic and military realms. A ‘microcomputer’ was considered nothing more than a passing fad that would be of interest to a few computer enthusiasts at best. Today, Microsoft is no less ambitious with a stated goal of seeing Microsoft Windows 10 running on over one billion devices within two years. Let’s take a look back at Windows and how it has changed over the years and shaped the way that we work and live. The Dawn of Windows Microsoft originally purchased and licensed the system that became MS-DOS, a command line-based computer operating system that was far less friendly than the graphical interfaces to which we have since grown accustomed. But it was not until November 20, 1985 that Microsoft released Windows 1.0. This new operating system allowed users to interact with personal computers using a mouse rather than typing in commands. A simple graphical taskbar coupled with the use of scrollbars and a basic menu system allowed you to point and click to navigate through screens - or you could call them ‘windows’. As compelling, Windows 1.0 allowed users to multitask, where more than one application could be running at a time and you could move from one open application to another. Windows included several programs that brought practical tools to the PC, including Paint, Notepad, and Calculator. Basic versions of productivity application were also included, most notably a word processor, an application for managing contacts, and a calendar. The operating system had a clock and even a simple game. The Windows 1.0 desktop (source: Microsoft) Basic requirements for Windows 1.0 included 256 KB of RAM, two double sided floppy disk drives and a hard disk with at least 512KB of space. Windows 2.0 Microsoft released Windows 2.0 on December 9, 1987, bringing desktop icons and improved graphics so you could do amazing things like overlap windows on the screen. Windows 2.0 also introduced keyboard shortcuts and the Control Panel. Several updates were released to Windows 2.0 with 2.11 being the final Windows update before more advanced PC processors made another leap possible in computing power. Windows 3.0 Windows 3.0 was released on May 22, 1990. By now computers were starting to become popular in the workplace. Improved Intel 80386 processors make it possible to improve graphics, allowing for more colors. Like, 16 of them. Important new applications were introduced too, including Program Manager, File Manager, and Print Manager. Solitaire and Minesweeper made their first appearance as well. And the ability to form a workgroup was introduced and this operating system supported domain networks for the first time. Windows 3.0 led to version 3.1 in 1992 and several updates brought Windows up to version 3.11 before the next milestone—really a separate product, in many ways—was released in 1993. Windows NT Windows NT was released on July 27, 1993. NT was not an update to Windows 3.1, but was rather a new version of Windows created with new code. The focus was on the business environment and many important changes were introduced behind the scenes that improved network management and the ability for a workstation to work with a server in a domain. More important, Windows NT was a true 32-bit operating system, making it possible to run applications that perform advanced engineering functions. While there are many rumors about the meaning behind "NT," Microsoft insists it just means "New Technology." Windows 95 August 24, 1995 introduced us to a new Windows naming scheme and a very important milestone in Windows history: Windows 95. With Microsoft selling 7 million copies in just the first 5 weeks, the age of personal computing had arrived. Television commercials heightened awareness to that new thing called the Internet and how it could be used right from the comfort of your home. Windows 95 brought multimedia and Plug and Play hardware to PCs and introduced us to the Start button. On-screen windows could be minimized for the first time. And shortly after the initial release of Windows 95, the Internet Explorer web browser was released as part of an expansion pack. The Windows 95 desktop (source: Microsoft) Hardware requirements had also changed, and while some 386 processors could handle Windows 95, an 80486 processor provided a better experience. Windows 95 also required 4MB of RAM, and it was common for PCs to have a fax/modem for the dial-up connection so that users could connect to the Internet. Microsoft used the Rolling Stones song "Start me up" to help sell Windows 95. That song is still associated with this OS release, which many consider to be the biggest of all time. Windows 98 Released on June 25, 1998, Windows 98 polished the Internet- capable features that were introduced with Windows 95 and brought new features as well. The OS included the Internet Explorer 4 web browser and Outlook Express for email, contacts and newsgroup management. By now, home computers had become quite common, and support for DVDs led to a profusion of multimedia-rich games and software that made computing fun and educational.