Top 5 Windows Editions

A look of the most important Microsoft Windows operating systems

Windows is more than 30 years old, so now is as good a time as any to look back on the five most important Windows releases of all time. Note that this isn’t a list of the best Windows releases but rather the ones that were most important. It’s been a long, strange trip, Microsoft.

Windows XP

Chances are good that you have worked on a Windows XP computer at some point, and that’s why it’s on this list. XP was popular and long-lived. Windows XP, released in 2001, still has a larger worldwide market share than Windows 8 or Windows Vista. It dominated the market for years, and that longevity speaks to how good XP was.

XP was a rapid success, despite an early stumble. It wasn’t until Service Pack 2 that Windows Firewall, the primary security tool, was enabled by default. This delay contributed in part to Microsoft’s reputation for building insecure products. Despite its flaws, XP had many advantages, which accounted for its remarkable popularity.

Windows 95

Windows 95, released in August 1995, was when the public started to embrace Windows. Microsoft launched a gigantic public relations blitz for Windows 95, highlighting the introduction of the Start button, unveiling it to the tune of the Rolling Stones «Start Me Up.» Perhaps in an ominous sign of things to come, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates suffered through a Blue Screen of Death during one Windows 95 demo.

Windows 95 was one of Microsoft’s earlier graphical user interfaces, which was layered on top of DOS. This approach made Windows much more accessible to the average user and helped launch Windows’ dominance in the market.

Windows 7

Windows 7 had way more fans than previous Windows versions, and many users think it is Microsoft’s best OS ever. It is Microsoft’s fastest-selling OS to date — within a year or so, it overtook XP as the most popular operating system. Until early 2018 when Windows 10 finally surpassed it, Windows 7 held the distinction of being the most popular OS in the world. That’s a good thing because Windows 7 was significantly more secure and user-friendly than any Microsoft OS that came before it.

Released in October 2009, Windows 7 hds a completely different look and feel from other Windows versions. It also had excellent networking features, built-in touch-screen functionality, better backup and recovery tools, and quicker startup and shutdown times. In short, Microsoft got it right with Windows 7.

Windows 10

Windows 10, which was released in July 2015, is fast and stable. It includes robust anti-virus and impressive internal search capabilities, and you don’t need to use the unpopular Metro interface anymore. It’s not your father’s Windows, but there is nothing wrong with Windows 10. It just exists in a slightly post-PC world.

With Windows 10, Microsoft kept some of the touch features it introduced in Windows 8 and combined them with the Start menu and desktop. The operating system is more secure than it was in its predecessors, and it introduces a new browser — Microsoft Edge — and the Cortana assistant. Windows 10 also runs on Windows phones and tablets.

Windows 8

Depending on who you ask, 2012’s Windows 8 was either great or an awkward attempt to graft a mobile interface onto a desktop OS. However, Windows 8 was stable and speedy. Fans of Windows 8 loved the live tiles and easy gestures. The introduction of the ability to pin just about anything to the Start screen was immensely popular, and the Task Manager was updated and added more functionality in an attractive space.

All the Others

Wondering where Windows Vista and Windows Me fall in this list? Way, way down. Other versions that didn’t make this most-important list are Windows 1.0, Windows 2, Windows 3.0, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, Windows 2000, and Windows NT. However, each OS had its purpose at the time and had many followers. No doubt those followers could make a strong argument that their favorite Windows version is one of the most important operating systems of all time.

Compare Windows 10 Home vs. Pro

Find the right fit for your needs. Check out our list of product offerings to see which Windows 10 version checks all of your boxes.

Windows Security

Windows 10 changes the game for security by protecting user identities, devices and information with a comprehensive solution driven by intelligence that only Microsoft offers.

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Using facial recognition, a fingerprint, or PIN, Windows Hello is a fast, secure and password-free way to unlock your compatible Windows devices.

Device encryption is available on a wide range of Windows devices and helps protect your data by encrypting it. If you turn on device encryption, only authorised individuals will be able to access your device and data.

Your Windows device comes with comprehensive, built-in security features, including firewall and internet protections to help safeguard against viruses, malware and ransomware.

App & browser control in Windows Security provides the settings for Windows Defender SmartScreen, which helps protect your device from potentially dangerous apps, files, websites and downloads.

Manage screen time, limit access to mature content, control online purchases when you connect your family’s Microsoft accounts, and check to make sure the family’s devices are secure and up to date.

Secure Boot helps prevent malicious software applications and unauthorised operating systems from loading during the system start-up process.

If your device is lost or stolen, BitLocker and BitLocker To Go put everything on lockdown, so no one else can access your systems or data.

WIP helps to protect against potential data leakage without otherwise interfering with the employee experience. WIP also helps to protect enterprise apps and data against accidental data leaks on enterprise-owned devices and personal devices that employees bring to work, without requiring changes to your environment or other apps.

Windows Defender Antivirus uses the power of the cloud, wide optics, machine learning and behaviour analysis to protect your devices from emerging, sophisticated threats.

Windows Fundamentals

Windows 10 comes with automatic updates enabled, which means you get all the latest features at no extra cost. +

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Windows Fundamentals

Take notes, navigate, draw, doodle, edit and create. Improve what you do with a digital pen. 6

Get faster browsing 7 8 and better battery life 8 9 across your devices with Microsoft Edge, the browser built for Windows 10.

All you have to do is ask Cortana. Your digital assistant on PCs and mobile devices can schedule a meeting, tell you when it’s time to leave for an appointment, or check the weather, news and traffic.

Extend battery life by limiting background activity and push notifications.

Get instant access to your Android phone’s texts and photos on your PC, 11 or connect your iPhone for seamless browsing, calendar and app experiences. 12

Free up time and your hands by talking to your computer. Get information and reminders or listen to music and manage your emails and calendar. 13

Business Management and Deployment

Built-in security, productivity and management features save you time, money and hassle.

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Feature	Windows 10 Home	Windows 10 Pro

Business–Management and Deployment

Windows 10 mobile device management (MDM) provides an alternative to traditional PC management processes: you can transition to cloud based management at your own pace.

Manage PCs, user accounts and groups, and get easy access to files and printers when you pair Windows 10 Pro with Windows Server. ** You can even define specific security and networking policies for your users and devices.

Available to any organisation with an Azure AD Premium or Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) licence, Enterprise State Roaming provides users with a unified experience across their Windows devices and reduces the time needed for configuring a new device.

Your one place to find, manage and distribute apps to Windows 10 devices in volume.

With Assigned Access, Windows 10 Pro devices run different applications depending on the user and keep individual identities separate and secured.

With Dynamic Provisioning you can take a new PC out of the box, turn it on, and transform it into a productive organisation device, with minimal time and effort.

Windows Update for Business can help businesses reduce management costs, provide control over update deployments, enable more efficient delivery of updates, and provide access to the latest innovations from Microsoft.

Configure a device in kiosk mode in a very simple way. You can do this locally on the device or remotely using Mobile Device Management.

Domain Join + Group Policy: IT staff can easily manage PCs, user accounts and groups, security policies, and get easy access to files and printers when you pair Windows 10 Pro with Windows Server. ** You can even define specific security and networking policies for your users and devices.

Employees can use a single login across Windows 10, Microsoft 365, *** and other Microsoft services, making log-ons and passwords easier to manage. The shared log-on works on PCs, tablets and phones with minimal IT involvement.

Go ahead, get creative

Edit photos and spice up presentations. Windows 10 has the apps you need to get in touch with your creative side.

Microsoft Office

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more—get everything you need to create and present your ideas with an Microsoft 365 subscription. ***

Digital pen and touch

Scribble down a headline, draw a chart, add bullet points—design an entire presentation with a digital pen. And on new Windows 10 touchscreen computers, you can zoom, scroll and sign documents with the touch of a finger.

Photos

The new Photos app makes it fun and easy to enhance your digital memories. If you liked making videos with Windows Movie Maker, you’ll love what you can do with Photos.

Digital pen and touch

Scribble down a headline, draw a chart, add bullet points—design an entire presentation with a digital pen. And on new Windows 10 touchscreen computers, you can zoom, scroll and sign documents with the touch of a finger.

Photos

The new Photos app makes it fun and easy to enhance your digital memories. If you liked making videos with Windows Movie Maker, you’ll love what you can do with Photos.

Microsoft Office

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more—get everything you need to create and present your ideas with an Microsoft 365 subscription. ***

Photos

The new Photos app makes it fun and easy to enhance your digital memories. If you liked making videos with Windows Movie Maker, you’ll love what you can do with Photos.

Microsoft Office

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more—get everything you need to create and present your ideas with an Microsoft 365 subscription. ***

Digital pen and touch

Scribble down a headline, draw a chart, add bullet points—design an entire presentation with a digital pen. And on new Windows 10 touchscreen computers, you can zoom, scroll and sign documents with the touch of a finger.

Quickly capture your thoughts, tasks and reminders

Use Sticky Notes and type, ink or add a picture to save ideas, thoughts, lists, appointments and more—so you don’t miss a thing!

More efficiencies, less energy

Windows 10 has apps and features to help you have fun and get more done with less hassle.

Timeline

Scroll through time to find documents and websites. 17

Voice, pen and touch

Interact with your Windows 10 computer in new ways.

Windows Hello

Log into your Windows devices three times faster by using your face or fingerprint. *

Gaming

Windows 10 is built for the games you love.

Is your computer ready for Windows 10?

Windows 10 features are best experienced on a modern PC. Find out if your current PC is ready for Windows 10 by answering just a few questions.

Get Windows 10

Speed, security, durability and great design—you really can have it all.

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1 To use Windows Hello with biometrics specialised hardware, including fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors is required. Hardware-based protection of the Windows Hello credential/keys requires TPM 1.2 or greater. If there is no existing or configured TPM, credentials/keys protection will be software-based.

2 Requires modern hardware (InstantGo/AOAC/HSTI-compliant). Review this doc for more details on Device Encryption.

3 Requires TPM 1.2 or greater for TPM based key protection.

4 Windows Information Protection requires either Mobile Device Management (MDM) or System Centre Configuration Manager to manage settings in Windows 10 Pro. Active Directory makes management easier but is not required.

5 Windows Information Protection supports Mobile Application Management (MAM) for use in Home edition only.

6 Pen capable tablet or PC required. Pen accessory may be sold separately.

7 Performance claims based on Jetstream 1.1 tests using Microsoft Edge 18 vs. Chrome 69 and Firefox 62. Go here for more details on this performance claim.

8 Availability and functionality may vary on non-Windows devices.

9 Based on average times; battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors. Go here for more details on this battery life claim.

10 Cortana available in selected markets; experience may vary by region and device.

11 Users must link their Android phone to their Windows PC in PC settings. Users will receive an app from Microsoft which they must download to their Android phone and follow the set-up prompts, including being signed into same Microsoft Account across mobile apps and Windows 10 PC.

12 Users must link their iPhone to their PC in PC settings. Users will receive an app from Microsoft which they must download to their iPhone and follow the set-up prompts.

13 Hardware dependent. Available on limited selected devices supporting far-field capabilities. Connect email accounts in the Cortana Notebook; works with Outlook.com, Microsoft 365 and Gmail. Microsoft 365 requires a subscription.

14 Not all MDM capabilities are available in the Home SKU. MDM requires an MDM product such as Microsoft Intune or other 3rd-party solutions (sold separately).

15 Separate subscription for Azure Active Directory Premium required.

16 Available in selected markets. Functionality and apps may vary by market and device.

17 Timeline shows 3-5 days of past activities, including activities done on a tablet and mobile phone when users are signed into their Microsoft accounts. To see up to 30 days of activities, users must choose this option in settings. Available in selected markets. Functionality may vary by device.

* Based on average time comparison between typing a password and detecting a face or fingerprint in order to successfully authenticate. Requires specialised hardware, including fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors and capable devices.

+ Additional requirements may apply for ongoing updates.

*** Microsoft 365 subscription sold separately.

Feature	Windows 10 Home	Windows 10 Pro