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The PC Operating System (OS) is the interface for other programs to your
PC. For IBM compatible PC's, the original OS was called the Disk Operating
System (DOS). There have been several OS since then, but I have always
found Microsoft Windows to be the "best". I define best as
having the most choices of third party applications, the largest driver support
for third party hardware devices, continuous updates and backwards compatibility
to older programs. Also, Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) has come a long
way since Windows 1.0 and WIN98SE has been the most stable Windows OS yet.
And Windows 2000 and XP are the best and most stable yet.
I'm not here to argue MAC versus PC, Linux and open source versus
monopoly, nor interesting diversions like OS2 WARP. The truth is I've used
them all. In the end the Microsoft Windows line is my favorite.
Pre-Windows 3.x
These operating systems never made it to large scale. And there were
a couple of Microsoft contenders that were specific to PC-Clones.
Windows 3.x
Windows 3.0, 3.1, and 3.11 for Workgroups is generally referred to as the
Windows 3.yuck line of operating systems. It was intended for
PC-Compatibles and was very useful in it's time, but all too quickly became
limited in it's abilities. It's primary limitation was memory as it relied
on the first 1MB heavily. Windows 3.yuck was supposed the first 32 bit
version of Windows, but I'm here to tell you it seemed to me to be 16 bit.
This was the era of the 80386-80486 Intel processors.
Windows 95x
Windows 95 added Plug and Play (Plug and Pray) and relieved the memory
bottleneck from 3.yuck. OSR2 added USB connectivity but not for storage
devices. This was the era of the 80586 Intel Pentium (P5) processor.
Windows 95 added the first, in my opinion, "real" 32 bit
capability. It also provided for larger hard drives. I strongly
recommend Windows 95 users upgrade to Windows 98 SE as soon as possible.
Windows 98x
Windows 98 smoothed out Plug and Pray, and included a more robust
implementation for USB including USB storage devices. It also added
support for the Large Disk File Allocation Table (FAT) providing for even larger
hard drives and 32 bits. This was the era of the PII or Pentium 2 Intel
processors.
Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) added Internet
Connection Sharing (ICS) and included a lot of bug fixes from straight laced
98. Windows 98 SE still offers backwards compatibility to 16 bit
programs. A plethora of drivers are available for SE. This was the
era of the PII, PIII, and P4 Intel processors. This is my favorite
desktop OS.
Windows NTx
Windows New Technology (NT) ain't so new anymore. NT 3.51 and NT
4.0 came out around the same time as Windows 3.yuck and Windows 95.
NT does not have support for USB devices. NT came in two flavors,
Workstation and Server. NT 4.0 is my favorite server OS.
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 comes in two flavors, Professional and Server. 2000
adds USB and Active Directory support. It has many advances over NT but is
currently not my favorite server OS. As I learn it better, it may become
my favorite.
Windows Me
Windows Millennium Edition throws out 16 bit backwards
compatibility. Windows 98 drivers are not compatible with Me. Me
added some cute toys such as Home Video Producer.
Windows XP/2003
Windows XP has been the best WINDOWS OS I have used so far. Plug and
play functions fairly well and it is the most stable by far. Windows 2003
is the latest server Windows version that is much like XP only for server
applications. | 