It all began in Plaza Hotel, New York City on the 10th of November 1983.

Two
Microsoft founders Paul Allen and Bill Gates officially announced their
corporation’s first and next-generation graphical user interface operating
system – Microsoft Windows.

Despite the criticism on stability and constantly being compared to their

rivals Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows is still the most widely used
operating systems in the world. In this article, we’ll bring you back to 1985
where the very first official Microsoft Windows 1.0 was announced, and then
we take a trip down memory lane to see all boot screens and desktop
interface of all Windows operating system possible.

Windows 1.01 (1985)

Officially released on November 20, 1985, this 16-bit OS that cost less than
1MB in overall is Microsoft’s very first operating system that allows multi
tasking with graphical user interface on PC platform that runs on MS-DOS
5.0.
Windows 1.03 (1986)
Introduced in 1986, Windows 1.03 is an upgrade to its previous
predecessor Windows 1.01. Entire operating system cost about 2.2Mb hard
disk space.
Windows 2.03 (1987)
Taking advantage of the speed of Intel 286/386 processor at that time,
Windows 2.03 is a replacement for Windows 1.x. It also starts the era where
users are able to overlap windows, customize screens, etc. Still the entire
operating system cost no more than 2.5Mb.
Windows 2.86 (1989)

Windows 3.0 (1990)

This is the third major released of Microsoft Windows with a improved set of
Windows icons and applications like File Manager, Program Manager that is
still being used in today’s Windows. This 22 May 1990 released operating
system is then replaced by Windows 3.1 two years later.
Windows 3.1 (1992)
Windows 3.1 is probably the earliest Windows most of us are familiar with.
Windows 3.1 and later Windows 3.1x is an upgrade to Windows 3.0 with bug
fixes and multimedia support.
Windows NT 3.1 (1993)
The first Windows New Technology (NT) introduced. It maintains consistency
with the Windows 3.1, a well-established home and business operating
system at the time, the new Windows NT operating system began with
version 3.1. Unlike Windows 3.1, however, Windows NT 3.1 was a 32-bit
operating system.
Windows 3.11 (1993)
A superset of Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 added peer-to-
peer workgroup and domain networking support. For the first time, Windows–
based PCs were network-aware and became an integral part of the emerging
client/server computing evolution – Microsoft
Windows NT 3.51 Workstation (1995)
The Windows NT Workstation 3.5 release provided the highest degree of
protection yet for critical business applications and data. With support for the
OpenGL graphics standard, this operating system helped power high-end
applications for software development, engineering, financial analysis,
scientific, and business-critical tasks –Microsoft
Windows 95 (1995)
Previously code-named Chicago, Windows 95 is a successor to all the
existing Windows operating system so far. It gives full graphical user
interface support, integrated a 32-bit TCP/IP (Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol) stack for built-in Internet support, dial-up
networking, and new Plug and Play capabilities that made it easy for users to
install hardware and software.
Windows NT 4.0 (1996)
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 included the popular Windows 95 user interface
yet provided improved networking support for easier and more secure
access to the Internet and corporate intranets – Microsoft.
Windows NT Server 4.0 (1996)
Windows 98 (1998)
Windows 98 was the upgrade from Windows 95. Described as an operating
system that "Works Better, Plays Better," Windows 98 was the first version of
Windows designed specifically for consumers – Microsoft.
Windows 2000 (2000)
More than just the upgrade to Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000
Professional was also designed to replace Windows 95, Windows 98, and
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 on all business desktops and laptops. Built on
top of the proven Windows NT Workstation 4.0 code base, Windows 2000
added major improvements in reliability, ease of use, Internet compatibility,
and support for mobile computing – Microsoft.
Windows 2000 Server (2000)
Windows ME (2000)
Designed for home computer users, Windows Me offered consumers
numerous music, video, and home networking enhancements and reliability
improvements – Microsoft.
Windows XP (2001)
Windows XP Professional brings the solid foundation of Windows 2000 to the
PC desktop, enhancing reliability, security, and performance. With a fresh
visual design, Windows XP Professional includes features for business and
advanced home computing, including remote desktop support, an encrypting
file system, and system restore and advanced networking features
– Microsoft.
Windows Server 2003 (2003)
Released on April 2003, and also known as Win2k3, this operating system is
a sucessor to it’s predecessor Windows Server 2000 (Win2k).
Windows Vista (2006)
Came more than 5 years after its predecessor Windows XP, Vista is the
longest timeline break for Microsoft between two operating system.
Windows 7 (2009)
Codenamed Blackcomb, Windows 7 is one of the most anticipated operating
system which should be available somewhere in Oct 2009. Read more.