The Unusual History of Microsoft Windows

The Unusual History of Microsoft Windows On November 10, 1983, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, Microsoft Corporation formally announced Microsoft Windows, a next-generation operating system that would provide a graphical user interface (GUI) and a multitasking environment for IBM computers. Introducing Interface Manager Microsoft promised that the new product would be on the shelf by April 1984. Windows might have been released under the original name of Interface Manager if marketing whiz, Rowland Hanson had not convinced Microsofts founder Bill Gates that Windows was the far better name. Did Windows Get Top View? That same November in 1983, Bill Gates showed a beta version of Windows to IBMs head honchos. Their response was lackluster probably because they were working on their own operating system called Top View. IBM did not give Microsoft the same encouragement for Windows that they gave the other operating system that Microsoft brokered to IBM. In 1981, MS-DOS became the highly successful operating system that came bundled with an IBM computer. Top View was released in February of 1985 as a DOS-based multitasking program manager without any GUI features. IBM promised that future versions of Top View would have a GUI. That promise was never kept, and the program was discontinued barely two years later. A Byte Out of Apple No doubt, Bill Gates realized how profitable a successful GUI for IBM computers would be. He had seen Apples Lisa computer and later the more successful Macintosh or Mac computer. Both Apple computers came with a stunning graphical user interface. Wimps Side Note: Early MS-DOS diehards liked to refer to MacOS (Macintosh operating system)as WIMP, an acronym for the Windows, Icons, Mice and Pointers interface. Competition As a new product, Microsoft Windows faced potential competition from IBMs own Top View, and others. VisiCorps short-lived VisiOn, released in October 1983, was the official first PC-based GUI. The second was GEM (Graphics Environment Manager), released by Digital Research in early 1985. Both GEM and VisiOn lacked support from the all-important third-party developers. Since, if nobody wanted to write software programs for an operating system, there would be no programs to use, and nobody would want to buy it. Microsoft finally shipped Windows 1.0 on November 20, 1985, almost two years past the initially promised release date.    Microsoft become the top software vendor in 1988 and never looked back - Microsoft Corporation    Apple Bytes Back Microsoft Windows version 1.0 was considered buggy, crude, and slow. This rough start was made worse by a threatened lawsuit from  Apple Computers. In September 1985, Apple lawyers warned  Bill Gates  that Windows 1.0 infringed on Apple  copyrights  and  patents, and that his corporation stoled Apples trade secrets. Microsoft Windows had similar drop-down menus, tiled windows and mouse support. Deal of the Century Bill Gates and his head counsel Bill Neukom, decided to make an offer to license features of Apples operating system. Apple agreed and a contract was drawn up. Heres the clincher: Microsoft wrote the  licensing  agreement to include use of Apple features in Microsoft Windows version 1.0 and all future Microsoft software programs. As it turned out, this move by  Bill Gates  was as brilliant as his decision to buy QDOS from Seattle Computer Products and his convincing IBM to let Microsoft keep the licensing rights to MS-DOS. (You can read all about those smooth moves in our feature on  MS-DOS.) Windows 1.0 floundered on the market until January 1987, when a Windows-compatible program called Aldus PageMaker 1.0 was released. PageMaker was the first WYSIWYG desktop-publishing program for the PC. Later that year, Microsoft released a Windows-compatible spreadsheet called Excel. Other popular and useful software like Microsoft Word and Corel Draw helped promote Windows, however, Microsoft realized that Windows needed further development. Microsoft Windows Version 2.0 On December 9, 1987, Microsoft released a much-improved Windows version 2.0 that made Windows based computers look more like a  Mac. Windows 2.0 had icons to represent programs and files, improved support for expanded-memory hardware and windows that could overlap. Apple Computer saw a resemblance and filed a 1988 lawsuit against Microsoft, alleging that they had broken the 1985 licensing agreement. Copy This Will You In their defense, Microsoft claimed that the licensing agreement actually gave them the rights to use Apple features. After a four-year court case, Microsoft won. Apple claimed that Microsoft had infringed on 170 of their copyrights. The courts said that the licensing agreement gave Microsoft the rights to use all but nine of the copyrights, and Microsoft later convinced the courts that the remaining copyrights should not be covered by copyright law. Bill Gates claimed that Apple had taken ideas from the graphical user interface developed by Xerox for Xeroxs Alto and Star computers. On June 1, 1993, Judge Vaughn R. Walker of the U.S. District Court of Northern California ruled in Microsofts favor in the Apple vs. Microsoft Hewlett-Packard copyright suit. The judge granted Microsofts and Hewlett-Packards motions to dismiss the last remaining copyright infringement claims against Microsoft Windows versions 2.03 and 3.0, as well as HP NewWave. What would have happened if Microsoft had lost the lawsuit? Microsoft Windows might never have become the dominant operating system that it is today. On May 22, 1990, the critically accepted Windows 3.0 was released. Windows 3.0 had an improved program manager and icon system, a new file manager, support for sixteen colors, and improved speed and reliability. Most important, Windows 3.0 gained widespread third-party support. Programmers started writing Windows-compatible software, giving end users a reason to buy Windows 3.0. Three million copies were sold the first year, and Windows finally came of age. On April 6, 1992, Windows 3.1 was released. Three million copies were sold in the first two months. TrueType scalable font support was added, along with multimedia capability, object linking and embedding (OLE), application reboot capability, and more. Windows 3.x became the number one operating system installed in PCs until 1997, when Windows 95 took over. Windows 95 On August 24, 1995, Windows 95 was released in a buying fever so great that even consumers without home computers bought copies of the program. Code-named Chicago, Windows 95 was considered very user-friendly. It included an integrated TCP/IP stack, dial-up networking, and long filename support. It was also the first version of Windows that did not require  MS-DOS  to be installed beforehand. Windows 98 On June 25, 1998, Microsoft released Windows 98. It was the last version of Windows based on the MS-DOS kernel. Windows 98 has Microsofts Internet browser Internet Explorer 4 built in and supported new input devices like USB. Windows 2000 Windows 2000 (released in 2000) was based on Microsofts NT technology. Microsoft now offered automatic software updates over the Internet for Windows starting with Windows 2000. Windows XP According to Microsoft, the XP in Windows XP stands for experience, symbolizing the innovative experiences that Windows can offer to personal computer users. Windows XP was released in October 2001 and offered better multi-media support and increased performance. Windows Vista Codenamed Longhorn in its development phase, Windows Vista is the latest edition of Windows.

7 Reasons to Become an Occupational Therapy Assistant

7 Reasons to Become an Occupational Therapy Assistant You might be familiar with what an occupational therapist does, but you might not be aware of what an occupational therapy assistant does- or even that such a position exists. But this crucial role does exist and open positions are actually on the rise across the country. It’s one of the most in-demand jobs out there in the health care field. If you still need convincing, here are a few of the many great reasons to become a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA).1. Increasing Quality of LifeMost people don’t value their ability to do the normal day-to-day functions; they just do them. Occupational therapy assistants help patients who have been injured, disabled, or otherwise lost function through age or disease. And when their patients are able to perform even the most basic functions- which contribute so much to quality of life- it is a major victory. Their contributions are enormous in people’s lives and help them rebuild confidence and meaning in thei r lives.2. Working with the Whole PersonPlenty of health care professionals don’t have the kind of quality time to deal with their patients as people. COTAs, on the other hand, have a special patient-provider relationship that deepens and develops over time. They get to watch their patients do something today that they couldn’t do yesterday, and keep helping them to better their daily lives.3. Working with AnyoneCOTAs are not restricted to working only with one age group. They’re able to work with pediatrics, geriatrics, and everything in between. For sheer diversity of clients, this job cannot be beat.4. Responsibility and OversightA lot of jobs give you tons of responsibility, but very little oversight. COTAs work closely with OTs, which means they almost always have help, while still directing much of their own one-on-one work with their patients.5. Creative PotentialAn OTA never finds their job dull. It requires a great deal of creative thinking and guarante es that no two days will be the same. There are even a wide range of toys and smartphone apps to help both patient and provider.6. High DemandOTAs are in high demand. Nearly 80% of OTAs find a job within six months of graduating from a program. You can usually find work with just an associate’s degree, and salaries are on the rise.7. Low StressNot only is there great job security in this field, with COTA roles growing faster than the national average, the day-to-day work remains rather low-stress in comparison with other health care jobs. And is overwhelmingly rewarding.

The Thirty Years War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Thirty Years War - Essay Example Later, the war turned into a rather general conflict involving France and the Hapsburg poweri. As mentioned earlier, the war was spread in phases over the period from the year 1618 to 1648. Initially, there was a treaty called Peace of Augsburg signed in 1555 which brought temporary peace in regards to religious competition in the state of Germany. However, the treaty only recognized the Lutherans and Roman Catholic. Despite this, the Cal-vines had made gains in a number of states and consequently began to demand recognition of their rights and acceptance of their ways of life. In 1617, Ferdinand of Styria was the king of the Bohemian Kingdom and was an ardent supporter of numerous Catholic missions. This did not go well with the Calvinists because they feared that under Ferdinand rule they would be oppressed and their rights would not be recognized. The Calvinists went ahead and threw two Catholics from a building, seventy feet tall, as a show of their dissatisfaction with the king. Fortunately, the two Catholics just sustained minor injuries as they fell on a pile of manure. But this action led to the Catholics invading Bohemia which was a Calvinist strong hold. The conflict resulted into war ending with Catholics winning and Calvinists losing and sustaining heavy and multiple casualties1. Another significant period of the war was between 1625 and 1629 in Denmark where the Protestants went into battle with the Catholics. During this phase, the war claimed many casualties and a significant destruction of property from both sides. In the end, the Catholics claimed victory and installed their king who continued the unpopular policies directed towards oppressing non-Catholics. This alarmed those Christians who viewed this as sheer absurdity and ways of oppressing fellow man. As a result, the Protestants cooperated came together all over Europe with an aim of championing their rights and revolting against the dominant Catholic majority ii. The entire period of the thirty years war was characterized by many religious conflicts in many European countries and empires. However, the saddest thing was that, besides causing psychological harm, it also claimed many lives and led to massive destruction of property and infrastructure. Therefore, the war considerably affected the lives of many Europeans. According to statistics, it reduced the population of German states by about 25% with the male population being reduced to half. The destruction was also aided by diseases and famines in different regions all over Europe. It was hard to feed the masses as there was no time to cultivate hence significantly reducing the food supplies. Diseases were also hard to treat as there were no properly organized supplies of medicine and medical personnel. Furthermore, the hostility between different groups resulted in blocking of supply routes as rivals did all they could to cut supply to opposing sides. The destruction was also catalyzed by the expulsion of oppos ing religious groups from the regions where they were the minority. For instance, Protestants were expelled from Czech land; an action which reduced the population of the land by a third. The destruction was quite severe that the regions that were hard hit by the war took centuries to recover. Despite the thirty years war largely being religious inclined, it also involved political supremacy and conquest. This is because many rulers looked forward to taking advantage of the weakened regions to conquered them and spread their dominance.

Eating Habits Among Teenagers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Eating Habits Among Teenagers - Research Paper Example These two programs bring into the consciousness of the American public the fact that childhood obesity has become quite a problem. Statement of the Problem According to the American Heart Association (2012) childhood obesity is still a problem in the United States. One in six children, ages two to 19 are obese and one in three are considered overweight. Further, children who are obese have a 70% of becoming obese adults. Unfortunately, these statistics are higher for this age group than they were in the 1970s. Part of the challenge is that children are exposed to more fast food choices and junk food than in other generations (Salvy, de la Haye, Bowker, and Hermans, 2012). Obese children also have a tendency to associate with other obese children which makes it difficult for obese children to understand that they are obese (Salvy et al., 2012). Dorfman and Wootan (2012) add that children are exposed to a variety of adds for fast foods and other unhealthy foods, which contributes to th e problem. Also, children generally eat what their parents eat, and if parents have poor eating habits, their children also have poor eating habits (Dorman & Wootan, 2012). What is clear, is that there must be something that changes the way that Americans think about food and how they teach about food to their children. Also, the entire community must be involved in order to understand how to curb this problem (â€Å"Let’s Move†, 2012). Literature Review Much of the literature has studied childhood obesity as a whole and has not specifically separated teen eating habits from the rest of the literature. Several studies have also been done regarding the specific causes of obesity without providing an idea of interventions. Some of the literature shows the relationship between the parents’ attitudes about food and how they influence the way that the teen eats. Honisett, Woolcock, Porter, & Hughes (2009) reported on a program in Australia called, Kids - 'Go for your life', in which the creators of the program brought together primary school, early childhood services, family daycare programs and kindergartens to teach them about healthy eating and physical activity. The way the program brought these agencies together was to provide a membership (free) that provided resources, training, and a reward program. When the organization goes through the program and makes a commitment to promoting healthier schools, they also receive a sign to place at their front door to show they are committed to healthy eating and physical activity so that the community will also know. Sealy (2010) points out that children begin to understand eating habits from their parents, and often, parents rely on fast food when they have little money or when they are rushed. Backett-Milburn, Wills, Roberts, and Lawton (2010) also interviewed teens and found that parents controlled what children ate at home. Coppinger, Jeanes, Hardwick, & Reeves (2012) found that teenagerâ€℠¢s eating habits varied between genders. For example, the authors found that boys are more prone to eat junk food or other unhealthy food than girls. The authors also found a connection between BMI and a child’s breakfast consumption. If the child ate breakfast regularly, they had â€Å"significantly lower BMI Z scores† (p. 46) than those who did not. Older boys were less likely to eat breakfast than other children. The literature on eating habits of teenagers is not restricted to the United States. In fact, much of the

Walk A Mile With A Disability :: essays papers

Walk A Mile With A Disability Disability Experiment As of 5:00 p.m. on October 1 I became a hard-of-hearing (as opposed to deaf) mute. I achieved the hearing impairment simply by wearing earplugs and became mute simply by not saying a word for the rest of that day, as well as the following morning. The first discovery that I made was that my family (and probably everyone else) listens to the television at a ridiculously loud volume. Even though both of my ear canals were blocked, I had no problems understanding what was taking place on the programs that we watched. However I did run into some trouble around dinner. We (my future in-laws) were saying the blessing, but I had to keep one eye open so I would know when the prayer was over. Another interesting thing was that while driving with the ear plugs in, I became more aware of the vibrations of my truck, the tires, and the bumps in the road. My tires are not the â€Å"normal† highway tire-even though they are perfectly legal-and they generate quite a bit shaking. This shaking is odd to me though because it isn’t so obvious that I notice it any other day, but only when my hearing is impaired. The music in my truck also took on a new role. Usually I use my speakers to drowned out the moaning of the tires, but now I have discovered that they can be used as a massage. I have felt them thump against my back before, but that thump absent from sound became an aggressive back pounding. As for my driving experiences as a mute, everyone should try it as a way to defeat their road rage. It certainly stopped my meaningless comments, not to mention I felt better about myself when I got home. My biggest, yet far from profound, discovery in this experiment is related to speaking. Since speech was no option for communication, I opted for the dry erase board as a form of communication. When writing is the only available form of communication ( I am ignorant of sign language) I tend to pick and choose carefully what is important enough to write down, as well as what is not. This procedure eliminates useless conversation such as sarcasm, small talk, and meaningless comments, which I have always wanted (I thought) to get rid of anyway.

Development in a Country Cause Significant Damage to the Environment? Essay

In this essay I am going to examine whether development in a country causes significant damage to the environment. Firstly, when a country becomes developed, they have to become industrialised first. This means that the country changes from being mainly an agricultural production and people living in the countryside, to the people flocking to the newly increasing cities, in search of more money and work from the factories that have been put there. With lots of people living in one area, things and places start to become contaminated, such as rivers as many cities are based around them. Fish that would once have lived in the river would be extinct due to the boats driving up the river to take or deliver supplies to the city. This is a serious issue for the world as for humans to wipe out an entire specie can have serious consequences, for example people further up the river might depend on the fish to eat, and just because the city being there, could threaten the existence of the community. Secondly, TNC’s will move their factories to developing countries due to lower tax laws which will boost their overall profits. When they build these factories the amount of pollution that is produced will be incredible that it is visible when you look at them. This causes the air that people breathe when they are at work and for the people are living in the surrounding areas to be very dangerous and contaminated, with some cases of people becoming very ill. In a country such as china for example, lung cancer is more common here than anywhere else in the world; and this is caused by the amount off pollution produced by the factories. Also, whole cities in china have been built in china where practically no one lives in, so people can go and live their to work in the factories, however, as no one lives there the raw materials have been wasted and caused pollution being made, but being useless. Finally, in developing countries, their natural resources are usually drained by western countries or TNC’s who exploit the developing countries for the materials that they desperately need. However when the resources have run out, if the world doesn’t have another energy resource other than oil, then the world will go backwards in time and technology, because we won’t be able to run simple things like radiators for example. In conclusion, I feel TNC’s are a major part to blame in the damage to environments, especially in certain areas like Asia, as they the exploit the easy law on pollution ect. to maximise their profits, but however don’t think of the effects and consequences. Natural resources – going to run out soon – be moving backwards instead of forwards

Essay Classical Music - 1091 Words

Classical Music n : traditional genre of music conforming to an established form and appealing to critical interest and developed musical taste [syn: serious music] Classical music, as the name suggests, is a well-established kind of music, at least in the West. Classical music concerts take place in every cultural center, and they take many forms, from a solo to large symphonic orchestras, from a sonata to an opera. This kind of music has many fans, especially among circles of intellectuals. But how did this great kind of music start? What made the great composers compose? And how was this all used before the time of recorded music and portable mp3 players? These are the questions we are going to examine today.†¦show more content†¦The wealthy family provided him with his own small orchestra, and this gave him the opportunity to produce very many compositions. He was inspired by every day events, such as the times of day to write the triptych Morning, Noon and Evening, and by the seasons to compose The Seasons. He also composed the well-known symphony Farewell, to give the Esterhazy Prince a hint: that he was holding th e musicians for too long, and he had to give them some time off. All his music was for the ears of a small, privileged audience, primarily for their own amusement. However, not all the great composers worked for wealthy families. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a younger composer who Haydn considered as his only true peer in music wanted his music to last in time, and be heard by larger groups of people. This led him to produce many operas, and also religious music. He was inspired by ancient Greek and Roman history and mythology, but also by comic events of the every day life. However, he did not enjoy the same funding as Haydn, because of lack of a permanent (wealthy) audience, and also because of the war that broke out in Europe at the time. Mozarts probably most famous composition is his unfinished Requiem, which legend holds he wrote for his own death. Mozarts compositions were mainly played (and still are) either to amuse people (comic operas), or as religious music. Some of hisShow MoreRelatedWestern Classical And Classical Music1051 Words   |  5 Pagesgenre exudes those characteristics? Western classical music. Western classical music is broken down into six categories in order for it to be easily identifiable chronologically. The six categories are the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque Age, the Classical Period, the Romantic Era, and the Twentieth Century. 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During the late 17th century to early 19th century, the phenomenon that is the evolution of Liturgical Music had hit the Classical era; extremely skilled artists such as Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and SchubertRead MoreThe Effects of Classical Music on Individual3091 Words   |  13 Pagespeople who have taught me a lot about classical music. Finally, I sincerely thank to my parents, family, and friends, who provide the advice and financial support. The product of this research paper would not be possible without all of them. ABSTRACT Music has immense influence on people. Almost in every culture they have their own traditional music and anthem. It is actually another way of expressing ideas and emotions. Classical music is the root of all music and still practiced by a number ofRead MoreMusic And Classical Music874 Words   |  4 PagesClassical music has been around for centuries, beginning ever since people could put notes onto paper. The art of fully notating and performing compositions shaped classical music to become iconic pieces in modern day society. This music can be defined in many ways; one specifically is categorizing it as the â€Å"common practice period.† The Oxford Dictionary of Music uses this term to define a period encompassing the baroque (1600-1750), classic (1750-1830), and romantic (1830-1900) eras. Between theRead MoreClassical Music : Is It Relevant Or Not?893 Words   |  4 PagesClassical Music: Is it Relevant or Not? Julia, a teen music lover, on one of her classes, is required to listen to classical music. Upon listening, she concludes that it is too boring for her taste despite being a music lover and thought to herself, â€Å"Why do I need to listen to classical music? What is the purpose of classical music? Is it really relevant to our music industry today?† Unbeknownst to her, classical music exists and is studied and performed for a reason. What is classical music? AccordingRead MoreClassical Music Vs. Contemporary Music1113 Words   |  5 PagesBy universal, they mean that music exists in every culture. However, the meanings and emotions attached to the music are interpreted differently depending on the listener. People will associate different meanings and feelings with a musical performance based on their cultural upbringing and life experience. When we categorize music, we use terms such as â€Å"classical,† â€Å"folk† or â€Å"popular† to distinguish different types of music. However, using labels is problematic because there can be stereotypingRead MoreClassical Music And The Music1478 Words   |  6 Pagesattention of everyone in the music hall. The conductor, Evan Feldman, and the UNC Symphonic and Woodwind Orchestra at Memorial Hall elegantly performed several classical pieces that was widely enjoyed by classical enthusiasts and family members. The concert supplied the audience with a night that at times, brought calmness and serenity, but at others gave abrupt aggression and force. Today, classical music is considered traditional and one of the earliest forms of music played in concert halls. ThusRead MoreThe Effects Of Classical Music On Music785 Words   |  4 PagesHow to start listening to classical music and enjoy it. The love of classical music is not dead; it’s still active(alive?) in the sense that it is dying. To start listening to classical music, the concept is quite simple actually, you first must press play on whatever music playing device you have and make special note that it be classical music. Although the action to doing it is elementary, there are other factors you have to consider. For example: motivation, electricity/internet, and your mood