What was the first Microsoft operating system you ever used?

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Aside from using my Dad's Macintosh SE a few times, the first machine I regularly used had some version of DOS on it. I was probably 4 or 5 at the time, so we had a simple menu system that allowed us to access applications and games without having to navigate through the directory tree. Since then, I've used almost every flavor of Windows, including 3.1, WFW 3.11, Windows 95, NT4, 98/98SE, 2000, ME (dumped it shortly after), XP, XP x64, Server 2003, Vista (briefly), 7 (ran the beta/RC in a virtual machine using VirtualBox just to try it out)

Along side that, I've also used OS/2 (it had some Microsoft roots in it, but it was ahead of its time), and Mac OS 7.5 through 9.0 (I never was a Macintosh person, but I used them at school)

Ironically they were heavier than most modern desktop machines.

Xenix became SCO UNIX. NT is based on early collaboration with IBM on OS/2. NT development was led by Dave Cutler, who also worked on VMS- so one of the most secure OS's and one of the least secure OS's were written by the same guy!

MS-DOS

DOS 3.1, discounting TRS-DOS and whatever the heck Tandy Model 1's, Commodor PETs and Apple II's "ran". I've used every major version/revision since 3.1 (except MS Bob, not that it was an OS). I seem to recall using versions that didn't support 3½" floppies, which would, if memory serves, predate 3.1, but I'm not positive.

A number of people are making this type of statement, that since Windows 3.1 through Windows ME ran on "top" of DOS, they are DOS. The original post is the first "operating system" used... Windows 3.1 onwards had system management components built in (only memory management with Windows 3.1, that I'm aware of) that are not present in MS-DOS, therefore can be considered OS's in their own right, even if MS-DOS is required to run them. Certainly Windows 95 were capable of much that DOS alone was not capable of.

Last edited by roguetech on 18 Aug 2009, 4:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Windows 95.

Windows 95 on my parent's box. I dont remember much other than moto racer and the blue screen of death.

The first one I started using for real stuff was 3.1, on an old black and white 386 laptop a relative gave me. Once I got that, despite the lack of color and speed reductions, I used that far more since it crashed less than 95, and only used the 95 computer for printing documents. Although that probably doesn't count since technically 3.1 isn't an OS and it was running on DR-DOS, not MS-DOS.

I was pretty young when we got our first computer, I believe around age 5 or 6. MS-DOS sounds familiar; I remember having to type 'dosshell' when the computer started. I remember windows 3.1 too, as well as all the old games like skifree and rodents revenge. You can in fact still download and play these games, I actually have them installed on this computer. Just google 'Windows best of entertainment package' and you'll find it. King's Quest was another favorite, along with a game called 'Jill of the Jungle'. Does anyone remember that one? I wish I could play that again!

Windows 95, and it was still the best!! lol

In the Beginning was The Command Line.

ruveyn

And far before that, there was the PDP11 switch register and memory load toggle.

That is just a command line that is clumsy to enter.

ruveyn

IS THIS AN OPERATING SYSTEM? It was what booted in less than a second when turned on.
I used version 1.0 though from 1980 and only Microsoft, and used tapes not disks.
That was when computers did exactly what YOU told them to do.

http://www.discover-net.net/~dmkeil/coco/images/basic3.gif

What about the 360 front panel switches? Does noone remember?

I always forget whether it was a 1440 or the 1620 that I wrote my first program on.

Here the same... good days!