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Microsofts first operating system was released in 1985. The splash screen was fairly basic, and featured their "Blibbet" logo. This would soon evolve into the most used operating system in the world.
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Microsofts releases Windows 2.03 in 1986. The splash screen is still simple and featured their "Pacman" logo. It got this name from the cutout in the 'o' in Microsoft.
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Microsofts third operating system was released in 1990. This is the last logo type only splash screen, and featured their "Pacman" logo. This system introduced the file and program manager.
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Windows 3.11 was an improvement of Windows 3, and released in 1993. The splash screen now included a symbol in the logo. This revision allowed computers to communicate over a network.
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Released in 1995, windows 95 brought together many of the technologies pioneered on earlier systems. The splash screen finally ditched the solid dark background for a sky. The new symbol is solidified into Microsoft history.
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Windows 98 was an improvement on Windows 95, and released in 1998. The splash screen was very similar to the previous. This is the first operating system designed for consumers.
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Microsofts Windows ME, Millenium Edition, was the first os of the 21st century. The splash screen fas friendlier and brighter, designed to appeal to more consumers. This operating system was desinged with improvements on home media in mind.
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Windows XP quickly replaced Windows ME. The splash screen became streamlined, featuring a dark background with bright colors for the logo.This os brought advanced computing to the desktop.
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The time between Windows Vista and XP was the longest gap between operating systems thus far, around five years. The splash screen features a more modern look, with better shading and lighting. Vista was largely considered a failure however and features on of the lowest user populations of any Microsoft os.
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Window 7 is one of the most popular operating systems to date, and also the last before Windows 8 changes the design style completely. The splash screen is more streamlined than ever, and ditches the big logos of the past. Windows 7 is the last operating system released before the minimal, modern look of windows 8 and 10.
