This is simplified history of the different versions the Windows operating system.

• Home and workstation versions
  • Windows 1.0
  • Windows 2.0
  • Windows 2.1
  • Windows 3.0
  • Windows 3.1
  • Windows NT 3.1 workstation
  • Windows NT 3.5 workstation
  • Windows 95
  • Windows NT 4.0 workstation
  • Windows 98
  • Windows ME
  • Windows 2000
  • Windows XP
  • Windows Vista
  • Windows 7
  • Windows 8
  • Windows 10
• Server versions
• Windows NT 3.1 server
• Windows NT 3.5 server
• Windows NT 4.0 server
• Windows 2000 server
• Windows server 2003
• Windows server 2008
• Windows server 2012
• Mobile versions are not covered

Screen shots of windows versions

Windows home and desktop versions

Windows 1.0

• Released: 1985
• Target: home and workstation
• 16 bit
• Requirements
• MS-DOS 2.0
• 8088
• 256 KB memory
• EGA graphics
• Hard drive or 2 double-sided floppy drives

Windows 1.0 screen

Windows 2.0

• Released: 1987
• Target: home and workstation
• 16 bit
• Requirements
• MS-DOS 3.0
• 8088
• 512 KB memory
• EGA graphics
• Hard drive or 2 double-sided floppy drives

Windows 2.0 screen

Windows 2.1

• Released: 1988
• Target: home and workstation
• 16 bit
• Requirements
• MS-DOS 3.0
• 8088
• 512 KB memory
• EGA/VGA graphics
• Hard drive AND double-sided floppy drives

Windows 2.1 screen

Windows 3.0

• Released: 1988
• Target: home and workstation
• 16 bit
• Requirements
• MS-DOS 3.1
• 8088
• 640 KB Conventional + 256 KB Extended Memory
• EGA/VGA graphics
• Hard drive AND double-sided floppy drives

Windows 3.0 screen

Windows 3.1

• Released: 1992
• Target: home and workstation
• 16 bit
• Requirements
• MS-DOS 3.1
• 80286
• 640 KB Conventional + 256 KB Extended Memory (standard mode)
• 640 KB Conventional + 1024 KB Extended Memory (enhanced mode)
• EGA/VGA graphics
• 6.5 MB disk space (standard mode)
• 8 MB disk space (enhanced mode)

Windows 3.1 screen

Windows NT 3.1

• Released: 1993
• Target: workstation
• 32 bit
• Requirements
• 386 or 486/25 MHz
• 12 MB memory
• VGA graphics
• 3.5 High Density Floppy Drive
• 90 MB disk space

Windows NT 3.1 screen

Windows NT 3.5 workstation

• Released: 1994
• Target: workstation
• 32 bit
• Requirements
• 386 or 486/25 MHz
• 12 MB memory
• VGA graphics
• 3.5 High Density Floppy Drive
• 90 MB disk space

Windows NT 3.5 screen

Windows 95

• Released: 1995
• Target: home
• 16/32 bit hybrid
• includes DOS
• Requirements
• 386/DX
• 4 MB memory
• VGA graphics
• 3.5 High Density Floppy Drive
• 24 MB disk space

Windows 95 screen

Windows NT 4.0 workstation

• Released: 1996
• Target: workstation
• 32 bit
• Requirements
• 386 or 486/25 MHz
• 12 MB memory
• VGA graphics
• 3.5 High Density Floppy Drive
• 90 MB disk space

Windows NT 4.0 screen

Windows 98

• Released: 1998
• Target: home
• 16/32 bit hybrid
• includes DOS
• Requirements
• 486/DX 66MHz
• 16 MB memory
• VGA graphics
• 3.5 High Density Floppy Drive
• 195 MB disk space

Windows 98 screen

Windows ME (Millenium Edition)

• Released: 2000
• Target: home
• 16/32 bit hybrid
• includes DOS
• Requirements
• Pentum 150 MHz
• 32 MB memory
• Super VGA (800 x 600)or higher resolution
• CD-ROM drive
• 1.5 GB disk space

Windows ME screen

Windows 2000 Professional

• Released: 2000
• Target: workstation
• 32 bit
• Requirements
• Pentum 133 MHz
• 64 MB memory
• VGA graphics
• CD-ROM drive
• 2 GB disk space

Windows 2000 screen

Windows XP

• Released: 2001
• Target: home and workstation
• 32 bit
• Requirements
• Pentum 233 MHz
• 64 MB memory
• Super VGA (800 x 600)or higher resolution
• CD-ROM drive
• 1.5 GB disk space

Windows XP screen

Windows Vista

• Released: 2007
• Target: home and workstation
• 32 or 64 bit
• Requirements
• 800 MHz 32 bit or 64 bit processor
• 512 MB memory
• 32 MB graphics card
• DVD drive
• 20 GB disk space

Windows Vista screen

Windows 7

• Released: 2009
• Target: home and workstation
• 32 or 64 bit
• Requirements
• 1 GHz 32 bit or 64 bit processor
• 1 GB memory
• DirectX 9 graphics card
• DVD drive
• 16 GB disk space

Windows 7 screen

Windows 8

• Released: 2012
• Target: home and workstation
• 32 or 64 bit
• Requirements
• 1 GHz 32 bit or 64 bit processor
• 1 GB memory
• DirectX 9 graphics card
• DVD drive
• 16 GB disk space

Windows 8 screen

Windows 10

• Released: 2015
• Target: home and workstation
• 32 or 64 bit
• Requirements
• 1 GHz 32 bit or 64 bit processor
• 1 GB memory (32 bit) 1 GB memory (64 bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics card
• DVD drive
• 16 GB (32 bit) or 20 GB (64 bit) disk space

Windows 10 screen

Windows server versions

Windows NT 3.1 advanced server

• Released: 1993
• 32 bit
• Requirements
• 386 or 486/25 MHz
• 16s MB memory
• VGA graphics
• 3.5 High Density Floppy Drive
• 90 MB disk space

Windows NT 3.1 screen

Windows NT 3.5 server

• Released: 1994
• 32 bit
• Requirements
• 386 or 486/25 MHz
• 16s MB memory
• VGA graphics
• 3.5 High Density Floppy Drive
• 90 MB disk space

Windows NT 3.5 screen

Windows NT 4.0 server

• Released: 1996
• 32 bit
• Requirements
• 386 or 486/25 MHz
• 16s MB memory
• VGA graphics
• 3.5 High Density Floppy Drive
• 90 MB disk space

Windows NT 4.0 screen

Windows 2000 server

• Released: 2000
• 32 bit
• Requirements
• Pentium 133 MHz
• 128 MB memory
• VGA graphics
• CD-ROM Drive
• 100-200 MB disk space

Windows 2000 screen

Windows server 2003

• Released: 2003
• 32 or 64 bit
• Requirements
• Pentium 133 MHz
• 128 MB memory
• VGA graphics
• CD-ROM Drive
• 1.5 GB disk space

Windows server 2003 screen

Windows server 2008

• Released: 2008
• 32 or 64 bit
• Requirements
• 1 GHz
• 512 MB memory
• Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution graphics
• DVD Drive
• 10 GB disk space

Windows server 2008 screen

Windows server 2012

• Released: 2012
• 64 bit
• Requirements
• 1.4 GHz 64 bit processor
• 512 MB memory
• Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution graphics
• DVD Drive
• 32 GB disk space

Windows server 2012 screen

Windows family tree

From Wikipedia.org

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