What was the original name of Microsoft Windows operating systems?

Microsoft first announced Windows to the world with the title Interface Manager in 1983. The big M later changed that name to Windows 1.0 for its 1985 release.

Windows 1.0 was more of an extension to the command-line DOS (Disk Operating System), then the most prevalent PC platform, than an OS in its own right. Microsoft released 1.0 to go head-to-head with Apple’s graphical Lisa OS, but it had little industry impact.

Windows 1.0 bore little resemblance to the most recent platforms in its series. However, it did include some of the programs and accessories that remain a part of the series today. MS Paint, Calculator, Notepad, and the Control Panel were all there in Windows 1.0. Users could also play a Reversi game included in 1.0.

Microsoft released Windows 2.0 in 1987. Although it didn’t look much different from the original, it was the first platform in its series to feature overlapping windows. With expanded memory management for software, Window 2.0’s multitasking was altogether better.

Apple, however, wasn’t impressed with Windows 2.0. The big A was convinced Microsoft’s Windows 2.0 was a copy of its Macintosh platform and duly filed a copyright infringement lawsuit. That case was eventually settled in 1994 with Apple losing most claims.