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Information about Windows 3.0

Windows 3.0
(Part of the Microsoft Windows family)
Screenshot

A typical Windows 3.0 workspace
Developer
Microsoft
Release information
Release date:May 22 1990 info
Current version: Windows 3.00a, October 31 1990 info
Source model:Closed source
License:Microsoft EULA
Kernel type:N/A
Support status
Unsupported as of December 31 2001


Windows 3.0 is the third major release of Microsoft Windows, and came out on May 22 1990. It became the first widely successful version of Windows (see history of Microsoft Windows) and a powerful rival to Apple Macintosh and the Commodore Amiga on the GUI front. It was succeeded by Windows 3.1.

Features

Windows 3.0 succeeded Windows 2.1x and included a significantly revamped user interface as well as technical improvements to make better use of the memory management capabilities of Intel's 80286 and 80386 processors. Text-mode programs written for MS-DOS could be run within a window (a feature previously available in a more limited form with Windows/386 2.1), making the system usable as a crude multitasking base for legacy programs. However, this was of limited use for the home market, where most games and entertainment programs continued to require raw DOS access.

The MS-DOS Executive file manager/program launcher was replaced with an icon-based Program Manager and a list-based File Manager, thereby simplifying the launching of applications. The MS-DOS Executive was still included as an alternative user interface program. The Control Panel, previously available as a standard-looking applet, was re-modeled after the one in Mac OS. It centralized system settings, including limited control over the color scheme of the interface. A number of simple applications were included, such as the text editor Notepad and the word processor Write (both inherited from earlier versions of Windows), a macro recorder (new; later dropped), and a calculator (also inherited). The earlier Reversi game was complemented with a card game named Solitaire.

Windows 3.0 was the last version of Windows to advertise 100% compatibility with older Windows applications.

Enlarge picture
A boxed copy of Windows 3.0 in the original shrinkwrap. This boxed copy includes 3.5" floppies (720K version) for DOS systems.

Memory modes

Windows 3.0 was the only version of Windows that could be run in three different memory modes:
  • Real mode, intended for older computers with a CPU below Intel 80286, and corresponding to its real mode;
  • Standard mode, intended for computers with an 80286 processor, and corresponding to its protected mode;
  • 386 Enhanced mode, intended for newer computers with an Intel 80386 processor or above, and corresponding to its protected mode and virtual 8086 mode.
386 Enhanced mode implemented all the benefits of Standard mode, plus 32-bit addressing and paging for faster memory access, plus virtual 8086 mode for safer execution of MS-DOS programs: each of them now ran in a virtual machine. In the previous modes, multiple MS-DOS programs could only be run in full-screen, and only the program currently active was executing; but in 386 enhanced mode, they could be run simultaneously in separate windows.

The Multimedia Extensions

The Multimedia Extensions were released in autumn 1991 to support sound cards, as well as CD-ROM drives, which were then becoming increasingly available. The Multimedia Extensions were released to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), mainly CD-ROM drive and sound card manufacturers, and added basic multimedia support for audio input and output and a CD audio player application to Windows 3.0. The Multimedia Extensions' new features were not available in Windows 3.0 real mode. Windows 3.1x would later incorporate many of its features.

Microsoft developed a Windows Sound System to complement these extensions.

Marketing

This version of Windows was the first to be pre-installed on hard drives by PC-compatible manufacturers. Zenith Data Systems had previously shipped all of its computers with Windows 1.0 or later 2.x on diskettes but committed early in the development of Windows 3.0 to shipping it pre-installed. Indeed, the Zenith division had pushed Microsoft hard to develop the graphical user interface because of Zenith's direct competition with Apple in the college & university market.

External links

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Microsoft Windows

Screenshot of Windows Vista Ultimate, the latest version of Microsoft Windows.
Company/developer: Microsoft Corporation
OS family: MS-DOS/9x-based, Windows CE, Windows NT
Source model: Closed source

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Microsoft Corporation

Public (NASDAQ:  MSFT )
Founded Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (April 4 1975)[1]
Headquarters Redmond, Washington, United States

Key people Bill Gates, Co-founder and Executive Chairman ;
Paul Allen, Co-founder ;
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October 31 is the feast day of the following Roman Catholic Saints:
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    • 20th century - 21st century
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    Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar).
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    Closed source is a term for software whose license does not meet the definition of open-source software. Generally, it means only the binaries of a computer program are distributed and the license provides no access to the program's source code, rendering modifications to the
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    A software license comprises the permissions, rights and restrictions imposed on software (whether a component or a free-standing program). Use of software without a license could constitute infringement of the owner's exclusive rights under copyright or, occasionally, patent law
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    December 31 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

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    Microsoft Corporation

    Public (NASDAQ:  MSFT )
    Founded Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (April 4 1975)[1]
    Headquarters Redmond, Washington, United States

    Key people Bill Gates, Co-founder and Executive Chairman ;
    Paul Allen, Co-founder ;
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    Microsoft Windows

    Screenshot of Windows Vista Ultimate, the latest version of Microsoft Windows.
    Company/developer: Microsoft Corporation
    OS family: MS-DOS/9x-based, Windows CE, Windows NT
    Source model: Closed source

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    May 22 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

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    20th century - 21st century
    1960s  1970s  1980s  - 1990s -  2000s  2010s  2020s
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    Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar).
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    Interface Manager, but Rowland Hanson, the head of marketing at Microsoft, convinced the company that the name Windows would be more appealing to consumers. Windows 1.
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    Macintosh, commonly known as Mac, is a brand name which covers several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. Named after the McIntosh variety of apple, the original Macintosh was released on January 24, 1984.
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    Amiga is a family of personal computers originally developed by Amiga Corporation. Development on the Amiga began in 1982 with Jay Miner (1932-1994) as the principal hardware designer.
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    graphical user interface (GUI) is a type of user interface which allows people to interact with a computer and computer-controlled devices which employ graphical icons, visual indicators or special graphical elements called "widgets", along with text, labels or text
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    Windows 3.1x
    (Part of the Microsoft Windows family)
    Screenshot

    A typical Windows 3.1x workspace
    Developer
    Microsoft

    Release information
    Release date: March 18, 1992 [
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    Windows 2.1x
    (Part of the Microsoft Windows family)
    Screenshot

    Developer
    Microsoft

    Release information
    Release date: May 27 1988 info
    Current version:  2.
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    Memory management is the act of managing computer memory. In its simpler forms, this involves providing ways to allocate portions of memory to programs at their request, and freeing it for reuse when no longer needed.
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    Intel Corporation

    Public (NASDAQ:  INTC , SEHK: 4335 )
    Founded 1968 1
    Headquarters Santa Clara, California
     United States

    Key people Paul S.
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    286
    Central processing unit

    An Intel 80286 Microprocessor
    Produced: From 1982 to 1986
    Common Manufacturers:
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    386
    Central processing unit

    Intel 80386 DX, 33MHz, foreground
    Produced: From 1986 to Sept. 2007
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    MS-DOS (short for Microsoft Disk Operating System) is an operating system commercialized by Microsoft. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems and was the dominant operating system for the PC compatible
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    In computing, multitasking is a method by which multiple tasks, also known as processes, share common processing resources such as a CPU. In the case of a computer with a single CPU, only one task is said to be running
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    Program Manager was the shell of Windows 3.x and Windows NT 3.x operating systems. This shell exposed a task-oriented graphical user interface (GUI), consisting of icons (shortcuts for programs) arranged into program groups.
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    File Manager was a file manager program bundled with Microsoft Windows 3.0[1], Windows 3.1x, Windows NT 3.1, Windows NT 3.5 and Windows NT 3.51 to replace the previous MS-DOS Executive interface.

    Ian Ellison-Taylor was the shell developer on the Windows 3.
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    An applet is a software component that runs in the context of another program, for example a web browser. An applet usually performs a very narrow function that has no independent use. Hence, it is an application -let.
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    This article relates to both the original "Classic" Mac OS as well as Mac OS X, Apple's more recent operating system. See the Mac OS X article for information directly relating to this current Macintosh operating system.

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