What Is Microsoft Windows?

Microsoft Windows, or Windows OS, is an operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation for use on personal computers. Providing the first graphical user interface (GUI) for IBM-compatible PCs, it quickly dominated the market share for PC operating systems. Approximately 90 percent of personal computers running the Microsoft operating system are equipped with some version of Windows.

All versions of Windows since the first, called MS-DOS 3.2, have been based on the Microsoft NT (Network-Tree Architecture) kernel, which allows multiple programs to run concurrently on one computer. This feature separates it from other operating systems like Linux and NetWare, which have a single kernel that supports all software applications and services.

While the underlying operating system is the same across all versions of Windows, each has been tailored for specific markets and hardware platforms. Early versions of Windows were designed to run on PCs using standard x86 hardware from multiple manufacturers, as well as home-built systems using Intel and AMD processors. Later versions were released to address specific business needs, such as the use of Microsoft Office and other business software.

The Windows platform has also been adapted for different screen sizes and resolutions, as well as to support multitouch input via devices such as smartphones and tablets. Some features of Windows are common to all versions, such as the task bar that is displayed at the bottom of the screen by default and the file explorer used for viewing files and folders on the desktop. Other features, such as the ability to synchronize settings between different installations of the software, have been added or removed over time.

In 2015, Microsoft released Windows 10, which included Cortana, a digital personal assistant similar to Apple’s Siri, and the Web browser Microsoft Edge. The new operating system was designed with the Metro design language, and it is optimized for use on touch-based devices.

The accessibility features of the latest version of Microsoft Windows include voice recognition, which is capable of recognizing commands in many languages and responding in a manner appropriate to that language. It can navigate menus and other application interfaces, dictation into nearly any app, and surf the Internet. In addition, the speech recognition feature can help people who have difficulty typing or navigating with a mouse or keyboard.

The security features of the latest versions of Windows include the ability to create a password to protect access to files and applications, and a security policy management tool that can assign permissions for a particular group or individual. All editions of Windows since the release of MS-DOS 3.2 have utilized a unified file permission system, called AGDLP (Accounts, Global, Domain Local, Permissions), which is separate from the Unix AGDLP model and enables administrators to set more precise file and directory permissions than with previous releases of the operating system.

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