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On November 20th, 1985, a then not-so-big company called Microsoft announced that Windows was commercially available. Read the full story of the Microsoft operating system below. Windows 1 to 11: The history of Windows, blue screens, and Easter eggs We’re taking a look back at the history of the most widely used operating system. Why? Because Windows is full of surprises. When Bill Gates demonstrated the beta version of Windows 98, he ran into a blue screen. Windows 10 users fared only slightly better in fall 2018 with the Windows Fall Creators Update version 1809. It’s been a journey, to say the least. I present to you a floppy disc containing the VERY FIRST demo of what would become @Microsoft @Windows! It was coded by the little-known father of Windows, Rao Remala. I will have much more to share on this, but for now, I thought you might like to see this historical treasure! pic.twitter.com/lyWKFMYn2M-BetaCollector (@beta_collector) March 9, 2022 Timeline, curious: Microsoft forgets Windows Me in its own compilation.©Microsoft Windows 1.0: DOS gets a graphical add-on On November 21st, 1985, Microsoft officially presented Windows 1.0 (which also contained an Easter egg that named the developers and employees of the Windows team). One day earlier, on November 20th, 1985, Microsoft had announced the delivery of the retail version: “BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON—November 20, 1985—Microsoft Corporation announced today the retail shipment of the Microsoft Windows operating environment to dealers and distributors.” The Windows 1.0 desktop. On 20 November 1985, more than 35 years ago, Microsoft introduced the first graphical user interface for its MS-DOS environment under the name Microsoft Windows 1.0.©Microsoft This is how Windows 1 looked on the shelf in 1985©Microsoft Until then, MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) had been Microsoft’s operating system for IBM PCs. Windows 1.0 required a graphics card and 256KB of memory, the equivalent of 66 typewritten pages. For comparison, Windows 10 required a good 8GB of space on the hard drive. And by the way, Microsoft Word had already been around for a while by this time! Which version of @Windows is the first to include Easter eggs? Windows 3.0? Nope. What if I tell you there is an Easter egg in Windows 1.0 RTM? This is what I have recently discovered: pic.twitter.com/dbfcv4r7jj-Lucas Brooks (@mswin_bat) March 18, 2022 Images from Microsoft show the beginnings of more than just Windows The triggerThis is where it all begins: Microsoft’s co-founder Paul Allen discovers the Altair 8800 on the cover of “Popular Science” magazine in January 1975. The device is minimally equipped and has 256 bytes of RAM. Gates and Allen then worked day and night and developed the computer language “Altair BASIC” in just a few weeks.©Poptronix Nerds as they are written in the bookin 1978, shortly before the company moved to Albuquerque, one of the most famous photos of the Microsoft team was taken. The colourful bunch of long-bearded nerds hardly gives any indication that the team is about to establish a company worth billions.©Microsoft Microsoft Word for DOSthe first version of Microsoft Word was released in 1983, back then for the MS-DOS 1.0 operating system. The programme made use of the computer mouse for the first time. The peripheral device, which was not very ergonomic at the time, also came from Microsoft – it was the company’s first hardware product.©Microsoft The most important productin 1985, Windows 1.0 is released. Developed under the code name “Interface Manager”, the operating system offers a graphical user interface, unlike MS-DOS, and allows various applications to be run simultaneously. The Windows series is still one of the most important sales centres for Microsoft today.©Microsoft The new headquarters: Microsoft Campusin 1986, the rapidly growing company moves to a new headquarters in Redmond, Washington State. The picture shows the Microsoft campus after numerous extensions and expansions. Today, over 30,000 employees work on the 750,000 square metre site.©Microsoft Separate operating system for IBMMicrosoft develops the OS/2 operating system for IBM, which is released almost simultaneously with Windows 2.0. Although the operating systems compete with each other, Microsoft earns money from both products. microsoft ended its co-operation with IBM in 1991, but despite further development, OS/2 was ultimately unable to prevail against Windows.©IBM Clever acquisitionIn 1987, Microsoft bought the company Forethought, which had developed promising presentation software. A short time later, this would become Microsoft PowerPoint. The software is still a key component of the Office package today.©Microsoft Office 1.0 goes on saleMicrosoft Office version 1.0 is launched on the market in 1989. The software bundle includes Word 4.0, Excel 2.2, PowerPoint 2.01 and Microsoft Mail 1.37. To this day, Microsoft Office is one of the most successful and best-selling products from the Redmond-based corporation.©Microsoft Bill Gates presents Windows 3.0Bill Gates, who still lives up to the image of a nerd, presents Windows 3.0. The operating system is launched on the market in 1990, sells very well and now also conquers domestic computers. It contains games such as Minesweeper, Solitaire and Hearts for the first time.©Microsoft Microsoft EncartaThe first version of Microsoft Encarta is launched in 1993. The encyclopaedia, initially developed under the code name “Gandalf”, was published in a new version every year. The picture shows the 1998 edition, which also supported updates via the Internet. microsoft discontinued all Encarta offerings in 2009.©Microsoft More power, more freedom, more fun…More power, more freedom, more fun…… the release of the operating system was accompanied by the biggest advertising campaign that Microsoft had ever launched up to that point. It was a great success, with Windows 95 selling more than seven million copies in the first few weeks. This is also because Microsoft has recognised the signs of the times: Internet support and plug-and-play functions are included for the first time.©Microsoft Microsoft buys FrontPage with development studioin 1996, Microsoft bought the company Vermeer Technologies together with its HTML editor FrontPage 1.0 for 133 million dollars. A short time later, the programme was distributed by Microsoft in version 1.1 and was consistently developed further in the following years and added to the Office suite. Since the release of Office 2007, FrontPage is no longer part of the package and has been replaced by Microsoft Expression Web. ©Microsoft The strategic purchases continuein 1997, Microsoft paid 400 million dollars for the Hotmail e-mail service; at the time of the takeover, the webmail provider already had twelve million users. After the takeover, the service was repeatedly the victim of hacker attacks due to numerous security vulnerabilities. Hotmail was completely replaced by Outlook.com in mid-2012.©Microsoft Flagship for the browser warmicrosoft starts the browser war in 1995. Internet Explorer was to take market share away from the previously successful Netscape Navigator. The strategy worked, partly because Microsoft was able to spread its own browser quickly by linking it to Windows. Netscape loses out and is swallowed up by AOL in 1998. Internet Explorer is therefore mockingly dubbed the “Internet Destroyer”. The picture shows version 10.©Microsoft Another acquisitionIn 2000, Microsoft bought the Visio Corporation and the software of the same name for 1.3 billion dollars. The visualisation program can be used to create graphical representations using simple tools and templates. Visio is one of a long series of software acquisitions with which Microsoft earns a lot of money. The programme is not part of the Office package and must be purchased separately.©Microsoft Steve Ballmer becomes the new Microsoft bossAlso in 2000, Bill Gates appoints Steve Ballmer (pictured right), who has been President of the company since 1998, as the new CEO. The hot-tempered Ballmer repeatedly attracted attention with his eccentric appearances, earning him the nickname “Monkey Boy”.©Microsoft Proud of the new operating systemin 2001, Bill Gates can hardly wait for the release of the new Windows XP, which goes on sale at the end of the year. Microsoft now undeniably dominates the market for home computer operating systems. Windows XP, like other versions before it, is criticised because it again contains program types that cannot be uninstalled and were previously distributed by other providers.©Microsoft Windows VistaWindows Vista hits the shops in 2007. With the new Aero user interface, a new search function, the Flip 3D view and, for the first time, control functions for parents, Vista brings many new features. In 2006, the European Union threatened to force Microsoft to stop selling the operating system if EU requirements (such as the disclosure of communication interfaces) were not finally implemented.©Microsoft Windows 7 enters the race quicklyWindows 7 is coming onto the market just two years after Vista. On board are new options for working with windows, such as docking or peek and shake, as well as an improved user interface and taskbar. With Windows Touch, touchscreen PCs are also supported for the first time. ©Microsoft Courage for the new user interfaceIn the competition with Apple and Google for share of the mobile market, Microsoft is focussing on the new “Metro” user interface. The typography-based “tile design” is intended to satisfy PC, smartphone and tablet users alike. The reception is mixed. Microsoft later renamed the design “Modern UI”.©Microsoft Microsoft prevailsBill Gates, who still lives up to the image of a nerd, introduces Windows 3.0. The operating system is launched in 1990, sells very well and now also conquers domestic computers. It contains games such as Minesweeper, Solitaire and Hearts for the first time.©Skype The first tablet from Microsoft2012 sees the launch of the “Surface”, Microsoft’s first tablet. The device, which was manufactured entirely in-house, received mixed reviews with its powerful computing power, high-quality workmanship, but also high weight and short battery life. The third generation of the tablet is now available.©Microsoft The new Windows 8in 2012, Julie Larson-Green, a Vice President at Microsoft, presents the new Windows 8. It contains both the Windows 8 Modern UI (formerly “Metro”) for touchscreen PCs and a classic desktop view. With the Windows RT operating system for tablets and Windows Phone 8 for smartphones, Microsoft is thus offering a standardised design for all devices.©Microsoft The evolution of Microsoft logosThe logo of the software pioneer from Redmond has changed several times in the company’s almost 40-year history. After 25 years with the same logo, a symbol in a tile design was added for the first time in 2012. It underlines the company’s efforts to standardise its products.©Microsoft Third generation of the games consoleThe Xbox One, the third generation of Microsoft’s successful games console, goes on sale in 2013. The device competes with Sony’s high-performance Playstation 4 console, and the “Kinect” add-on module allows players to control the console using body movements or voice commands. Three million Xbox One units will be sold worldwide by the end of 2013.©Microsoft Net profits since 2002In the last calendar year alone, Microsoft generated a net profit of 21.86 billion dollars. A look at the past few years reveals fluctuations and shows the company’s difficulties in gaining a foothold in the mobile market.©en.statista.com This man should fix itSatya Nadella, Steve Ballmer’s successor as head of Microsoft since this year, has to make up for the botched entry into the mobile device market. With personnel changes and a new motto focussing more on cloud services and mobile technologies, he wants to make Microsoft a pioneer in the IT industry again.©Microsoft Windows was initially only intended to make DOS easier to use The first Windows was sold as a graphical add-on for the MS-DOS operating system. The aim of the still-young company Microsoft with its boss and founder Bill Gates was to make DOS PCs easier to use: users no longer had to type in command-line commands to get things done. The “Interface Manager”—as Windows was originally called—brought a small word processor, a drawing program, a card index box, a calendar, a clock, and some service programs in addition to file management. The Windows 2.0 desktop©Microsoft Windows 2.0 arrives in 1987 On December 9th, 1987, Microsoft released Windows 2.0 with desktop icons and expansion memory. Thanks to improved graphics support, users could now arrange windows to overlap, control the screen layout, and use keyboard shortcuts to get their work done faster. Windows 2.0 was developed for the Intel 286 processor. Bill Gates presents the newly released Windows 3.0©Microsoft Windows 3.0/3.1: A legendary operating system with 16 colors Windows 3.0©Microsoft Windows 3.0 was launched on May 22nd, 1990 together with Microsoft Solitaire. Windows 3.1 followed in 1992. Windows 3.1 computers are still in operation at Paris Orly Airport today. Microsoft announced that a total of 10 million copies of both systems were sold in the first two years. Windows 3.1: Before Windows Explorer, there was the Programme Manager, in which applications could be grouped and collected in every conceivable way.©Microsoft Windows 3.x offered better performance, extended graphics options with 16 colors, and visually improved icons. Users enjoyed a modern interface with 3D-looking icons and new programs. The cult games Solitaire, Hearts, and Minesweeper, which are still popular today, now also made Windows a favorite at home. From a technical point of view, however, Windows was still an add-on for DOS. Spent the entire day today reverse engineering early Windows binaries to hunt for Easter eggs. Here is a list of the Easter eggs in various builds of Windows 1.0 – 3.0 and the keystrokes required to trigger them. https://t.co/ecqLN1NoDg. Try them yourself! pic.twitter.com/lr5Cfd5XLu-Lucas Brooks (@mswin_bat) March 19, 2022 Windows 95: Bringing the PC into the living room©Microsoft Windows 95: Bringing the PC into the living room Windows 95©Microsoft When Windows 95 was officially launched at a major event in Redmond in the summer of 1995, the world’s press was there. The launch was accompanied by the Rolling Stones hit “Start Me Up,” the most important topic at the time was the internet, and the most urgent task that an operating system had to fulfill was communication: “More than half of all new features in Windows 95 revolve around communication, for example electronic messaging (electronic mail), Internet access, and the ability to dial into your system decentrally,” said Bill Gates at CeBIT 1995. Bill Gates presents Windows 95microsoft Windows 95 allowed several programs to run simultaneously. Internet Explorer for surfing the web also appeared during the lifetime of Windows 95. In addition, longer file names were possible and 32-bit became available. Settings were no longer set via INI files but in the Registry. Windows 95 introduced the Start menu, the taskbar, and buttons for “minimize”, “maximize,” and “close.” Also new were the Plug & Play functions, which simplified the installation of hardware and software. The 32-bit operating system also offered enhanced multimedia functions. The following images show screenshots of early Windows versions Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows1985: Windows 1.01With the very first version of Windows, Microsoft still had to be careful not to come into legal conflict with Apple’s MacOS. For example, a recycle bin icon was omitted and windows were not allowed to overlap. But the very first version of Windows also had a taskbar.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows1987: Windows 2.0With Windows 2.0, Microsoft slightly improved the graphics and, for the first time, windows could overlap. The taskbar from Windows 1.0 was removed again. A number of useful helpers were included for the first time. These included a clock, Paint and Terminal and the file manager, which was still called MS-DOS Executive. Shortly after the release of Windows 2.0, Microsoft also brought out Word and Excel for Windows.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows1990: Windows 3.0Windows 3.0 included Solitaire, which is still popular today, for the first time. It also included the Program Manager, support for VGA and virtual memory. Visually, Windows 3.0 came in a 3D look. More and more software and hardware manufacturers began to support Windows from Windows 3.0 onwards.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows1992: Windows 3.1Windows 3.1 was significantly improved compared to its predecessor Windows 3.1. For example, scalable fonts with TrueType fonts were included for the first time. Drag-and-drop functionality and multimedia support have also been improved and OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) has been integrated. And – oh yes: Minesweeper celebrated its premiere.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows1992: Windows for Workgroups 3.1This version of Windows was based on Windows 3.1 and added native network support, particularly for LAN networks. Various network tools were also added.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows1993: Windows NT 3.1The work that had previously been done for OS/2 was channelled into Windows NT. It was a completely new 32-bit operating system. All previous versions of Windows had been graphical user interfaces for MS-DOS. Windows NT 3.1 was aimed at workstations and servers. Although Windows NT 3.1 resembled Windows 3.1 in appearance, it was ultimately a completely new operating system.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows1995: Windows 95For end users, Microsoft continued to rely on a DOS-based operating system and developed Windows 3.1 into Windows 95. For the first time, no separate DOS installation was necessary. The new taskbar and the Start menu celebrated their première. Many other improvements were also made. Windows 95 was a success and heralded the triumph of the Windows platform.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows1996: Windows NT 4.0With Windows NT 4.0, the stable server Windows was given the interface of the consumer Windows 95. The very stable Windows kernel was further improved. The NT operating system became a success with Microsoft’s corporate customers.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows1996: Windows CE 1.0Windows CE 1.0 was the first version of Windows for small devices. It was an operating system that was completely independent of other Windows versions that had previously been released and was used for handheld devices in the mid to late 1990s. Windows CE 1.0 ultimately formed the basis for the later Windows Mobile.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows1998: Windows 98With Windows 98, the Internet Explorer browser became part of the operating system for the first time, along with support for USB and the quick launch bar.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows2000: Windows 2000The NT Windows family was further developed in 2000 with Windows 2000. Web support from Windows 98 was now added to the server operating system as standard. It was also a relatively secure operating system that Microsoft developed for servers and workstations. Nevertheless, Windows 2000 was also often used on desktop PCs. An important new feature of Windows 2000 was that the reboots that were previously often necessary after installing new software or changing system settings were a thing of the past.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows2000: Windows MEWindows users from the early days still remember Windows 2000, which was released in 2000, with nostalgia, but Windows ME, which was released in the same year, still inflames people today. Windows ME aimed to increase multimedia support and user-friendliness. However, the operating system was also very unstable and slow.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows2001: Windows XPWith Windows XP, Microsoft combined the stable NT family with the 9x family for end users for the first time. The result was the most successful operating system to date – and Windows XP still has a large following today. A great achievement for software that has been around for over 10 years.There was also criticism when Windows XP was released. For example, the new, colourful Luna interface.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows2003: Windows Server 2003The NT family was continued in 2003 with Windows Server 2003, which offered improvements to the interface that Microsoft had already introduced two years earlier with Windows XP.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows2007: Windows VistaIn 2007, the visually sophisticated interface of MacOS X stole the show from the ageing Windows XP. Microsoft’s answer to this was Windows Vista, which introduced the Aero interface, gadgets, a new Start menu and more stylish icons. There were also many improvements under the bonnet. However, Windows Vista failed to win over the masses. However, Windows Vista laid an important foundation for the next version of the Windows operating system for desktop PCs: Windows 7.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows2008: Windows Server 2008Windows Server 2008 was primarily the server version of Windows Vista. However, the Aero interface was omitted.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows2009: Windows 7Criticism of Windows Vista prompted Microsoft to quickly start work on a successor that would address all the criticisms levelled at Windows Vista. The result was Windows 7, which has now been well received by the masses and is becoming increasingly popular.©2014 Windows 1.01 to Windows 8: 25 years of Windows2012: Windows 8Windows8 was released as the successor to Windows 7 on 26 October 2012. With Windows 8, Microsoft built on its highly successful predecessor and increased stability, security and speed. Microsoft developed the new tile interface for use on touch devices. Two major updates followed with Windows 8.1 on 18 October and Windows 8.1 Update 1. With these, Microsoft significantly improved the operation of the operating system, among other things.©2014 Windows 102015: Windows 10 Windows 10 took over the legacy of Windows 8 in 2015. Microsoft justified the version number jump by saying that Windows 10 was not just a successor, but heralded a new era for Windows. Windows 95 becomes a success despite its many crashes Even though Windows 95 was a standalone operating system, it still required some DOS technologies. And Windows 95 was by no means stable—crashes are simply part and parcel for Windows users. However, this did not detract from its sales success, as Microsoft sold around 40 million copies in its first year. The Windows 98 desktop©Microsoft Windows 98: Windows in the age of the first internet cafés Three years after Windows 95, on June 25th, 1998, Microsoft launched Windows 98 (codename Memphis). It was the successor to Windows 95 and had Internet Explorer integrated into the operating system for excursions into the still relatively new World Wide Web. A browser war promptly broke out between Internet Explorer and the then-widely-used Netscape Navigator, which is now defunct. Windows 98©Microsoft Fun fact: When Bill Gates presented a beta version of Windows 98 at the US computer trade fair Comdex on April 20th, 1998, he actually looked at a blue screen. This sight was later shared by many millions of users, as Windows 98 remained susceptible to crashes but always recovered. The blue screen and the associated computer restart were commonplace for Windows 98 users. The Windows 98 SE upgrade, which appeared a year later, did nothing to change this. Windows 98 not only offered simplified access to the internet, but also supported reading and writing DVDs and automatic hardware recognition of many USB devices for the first time. A new feature was the quick launch bar (“taskbar”), which allowed Windows programs to be launched more quickly than via the Start menu. Windows 98 also had native support for USB and FAT32. The breakthrough on the market came with Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), which was the first time Microsoft used the CD-ROM and said goodbye to floppy disks as an installation medium. However, users still needed a boot disc with CD-ROM drivers because the Windows 98 retail CDs themselves were not bootable—and blue screens were still part of everyday life for Windows users. Windows 98 was the last version of the operating system based on MS-DOS. Windows 2000: Standardization of Windows for businesses Back in 1993, Microsoft launched Windows NT, an operating system designed to meet the requirements of companies for business computers. The Windows 2000 Professional operating system offered companies a standardized IT platform. Based on the code of Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000 offered greater reliability and improved usability. Microsoft also simplified hardware installation with broad support for USB devices and new network and wireless products. Windows 2000©Microsoft Windows Me: Who asked for this? Windows Me, which was released in 2000, was the first to introduce system recovery, a feature where the configuration of PC software could be reset to a point in time before problems occurred. Movie Maker provided users with tools for digitally editing, saving, and sharing home videos. And with the help of Microsoft Windows Media Player 7 technologies, digital media could be searched, organized, and played back. However, users weren’t very enthusiastic about Windows Me. Technically speaking, Windows Me was the last Microsoft operating system based on the Windows 95 code base. Microsoft announced at the time that all future operating system products would be based on the Windows NT and Windows 2000 kernel. The Windows XP Home Edition desktop©Microsoft Windows XP: Still fondly remembered Windows XP was launched on October 25th, 2001 with a common code base shared between Windows for end users and Windows for servers and businesses (formerly Windows NT). With XP, Windows became significantly more crash-proof and blue screens less common. For Microsoft, Windows XP became the best-selling Windows of all time in the following years, with millions and millions of users loving it. Many users found the navigation in the Start menu, the taskbar, and the Control Panel intuitive—and many years later still didn’t want to give up their Windows XP for later versions like Windows 8. Windows XP: XP wallpaper “Bliss”©Microsoft Microsoft also provided regular security updates online and launched the Trustworthy Computing initiative in 2002. With Windows XP, Microsoft increasingly integrated digital entertainment media in 2001. Later versions of Windows XP, such as the Media Center Edition, could even be controlled using a remote control. Windows XP©Microsoft Windows XP was available in two versions: Home and Professional. Windows XP Home came with Network Installation Wizard, Windows Media Player, Windows Movie Maker, and advanced features for digital photos. Windows XP Professional contained additional features especially for use in companies. Windows XP consisteds of 45 million lines of code. Even 20 years after its launch, a small number of computers still run Windows XP. However, as they no longer receive security updates, they pose a huge security risk as soon as they’re connected to the internet. The Windows Vista desktop©Microsoft Windows Vista: A huge flop with users In January 2007, Microsoft revealed the secret behind the new operating system codenamed “Longhorn”: Windows Vista with its new Aero design. Microsoft redesigned the Start menu and taskbar, while User Account Control ensured that potential malware didn’t harm the PC. But user enthusiasm was limited with Vista, as it was with Windows Me. Windows Vista©Microsoft The Windows 7 desktop©Microsoft Windows 7: The first step on the way to the cloud Windows 7 was released in 2009, together with Windows Live Services and the “online hard drive” SkyDrive (which would later be known as OneDrive when Microsoft had to change the name of its online storage due to legal problems). Windows 7 was such a huge success that nobody wanted to move on to its successor, Windows 8. Windows 7microsoft Windows 8 – now with apps and tiles©Microsoft Windows 8: Optimized for mobile use In 2012, Microsoft brought tiles out of the bathroom and onto the Windows desktop—with Windows 8 and apps in tile form. Windows could now be operated via touch input. The Windows Store was also integrated, allowing apps to be downloaded. Windows 8©Microsoft Microsoft wanted to bring together desktop PCs, laptops, and tablets (where Windows didn’t play a major role). However, users gave Windows 8 the cold shoulder. With the subsequent release of Windows 8.1, which went on sale on October 17th, 2013, Microsoft tried to correct the worst flaws of Windows 8 and also bring back the Start button. The desktop could now also be used again as standard. Microsoft discontinued support for Windows 8.1 on January 10th, 2023. Windows 10: A new attempt at success On July 29th, 2015, Microsoft released a new generation of its operating system: Windows 10. It offered a uniform software platform for all devices and took into account the specific characteristics of tablets, laptops, phones, and the Xbox through to the Internet of Things and the development of holograms. Developers now just needed to create one app for Windows 10—known as a Universal App—to use on all Windows devices, which could be made available via the Windows Store. Microsoft also released its digital assistant Cortana and the Edge browser, plus the Start menu was also back with Windows 10. Windows 10©Microsoft Windows 10 was made available as a free upgrade for qualified Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices in 190 countries worldwide. Windows 10 users received the first major update automatically and free of charge on their PCs and tablets as part of Windows-as-a-Service. Microsoft followed this up with the Anniversary Update for Windows 10 in August 2016, which was followed by two further updates per year. Major feature updates for Windows 10 were released regularly in spring and fall. The most notorious of these was the Fall Creators Update version 1809 from 2018, which turned into a tour of bankruptcies and mishaps, leading Microsoft to finally end the update. 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This year, Black Friday tech shoppers should heed one important message: Don’t wait, buy now. Why? Because certain components are skyrocketing in price—and it’s expected to get even worse. DRAM prices, for example, have doubled in little more than a month. AI hyperscalers have snapped up whatever they can buy. As OpenAI and its rivals throw billions of dollars at hardware makers, commodity chip vendors are prioritizing them over consumers. That means fewer components for you. And have you heard about tariffs? Intel has already told analysts that it’s de-prioritizing its low-end, cheap PC microprocessors and predicting shortages in 2026. DRAM? Forget about it: DDR4 memory is being phased out, and DDR5 price trends are almost going vertical. SSDs are less affected, but still under pressure. Same for GPUs. Weirdly, laptop buyers might see better deals than normal, if only because vendors want to offload inventory. Black Friday, indeed. So what can you do? Each year, PCWorld digs through tech deals, with an eye towards bringing you the best tech deals on laptops, Chromebooks, SSDs and storage, components, and more. This year, we wanted to know where you could expect savings, and where you might have to squint hard to find a good deal. Some companies were happy to go on the record. Most weren’t, or declined to comment. Because they’re still trying to figure out what to offer. “Black Friday” obviously isn’t just a day. It’s a season. Bundling is going to be a lever vendors will use to “discount” an item without really discounting it.Foundry How to shop Black Friday like a pro PCWorld.com is publishing deal roundups for all your favorite components. But before even talking about where you’ll be able to find deals, there are two Black Friday shopping strategies that you’ll want to know for 2025: the power of bundles, and of buying used. Bundles: In years past, you may have seen an e-tailer toss you a free gift card for buying something. In 2025, look for this strategy to reach another level. Ryan Marinelli, the principal technical specialist for PCPartPicker.com, said that he’s already seen a motherboard, 32GB of RAM, and a Steam card bundled together: a hard-to-find, expensive component bundled with something more easily accessible. Software and gift cards are always available, and they might be used more frequently during the 2025 holiday season. Used: You’re probably familiar with eBay and possibly Amazon’s Renewed program. But Amanda Stefan, the chief executive of used-component marketplace Jawa.gg, told PCWorld.com: “Ever since the word ‘tariff’ was uttered, our business has tripled year over year.” “Typically, you’ll save 20 to 40 percent off of buying something new,” Stefan added. (Read more in our Jawa.gg profile.) Unfortunately, retailers have begun hiking prices in September and October, only to then drop them in November and December to create “sales.” The main culprits have been tablets and phones, according to a study performed by KnownHost throughout 2023 and 2024. Laptops, fortunately, weren’t as susceptible. Still, retailers and vendors are hiking more prices early to create the illusion of a sale during Black Friday, from 16 products out of the 60 KnownHost tracked in 2023, to 19 out of 60 in 2024. The good news? More lowered their prices for Black Friday, from 5 to 22 across 2023 to 2024. We asked Amazon, Newegg, and Best Buy for comment. All declined. Laptops and Chromebooks: Yes, deals are a possibility The word of the year for 2025 has been “tariff.” Though tariffs roiled the laptop market in March and April, President Trump seems to have backed off a trade war that few welcomed. On Nov. 10, Trump met Chinese president Xi Jinping, who agreed to reduce exports of chemicals that can be used to make fentanyl, the rationale that Trump has used to levy tariffs against China. However, Trump’s powers to apply tariffs — under debate in the Supreme Court — might still remain, but with limitations. All that means is, well, who knows? PC and component makers did everything they could to avoid tariffs, drop-shipping them to other countries, migrating production facilities, and selling systems that had already cleared U.S. customs. Given that retailers and e-tailers aren’t disclosing which systems have been tariffed, there’s no point in trying to play detective as to which laptops and PCs will be hurt by tariffs — just look for the best prices. The problem is that component shortages are biting hard, and consumers might not be aware of how hard. “I think if you’re considering a PC, I’d move [quickly] if you find the deals,” said Ryan Marinelli, a principal technical specialist for PCPartPicker. “And I wouldn’t wait to see whether on Black Friday there is going to be the best deal.” Component prices on GPUs, memory, and more will affect the prices of PCs more than anything else.Joel Lee / IDG “If you have the money and you’re ready, I I would purchase the system instead of waiting and holding out to save $10 because you never know what it’s going to be tomorrow, especially with RAM and storage,” Marinelli said. With that said, analysts are making some early guesses about where laptop and Chromebook deals could arrive. “It’s important to note that different vendors will be impacted at different rates based on their scale,” Tom Mainelli, who heads IDC’s Device and Consumer Research Group, said in an email. “For example, PC vendors such as Dell and Lenovo should be able to achieve better pricing even in a constrained market than some of their competitors, since they also purchase large volumes of these components for their infrastructure businesses. Similarly, Apple—which purchases huge volumes across its Mac, iPad, and iPhone lines—should enjoy better pricing than most.” There are a few forces at work: First, the holidays are the time-honored opportunity to clear out older inventory. IDC analyst Ryan Reith, the group vice president with IDC’s Device Trackers, had said in October that vendors are going to have to decide between refreshing a PC lineup with components that could run the risk of tariffs, and holding on to outdated inventory. “The supply side of the PC industry is doing its best to navigate the unknowns as no one wants to sit on their heels and potentially miss an opportunity, but at the same time it is very risky carrying inventory which is a possibility given the strong first half sell-in,” Reith wrote. “Price increases will likely be dispersed over time and geography depending on vendor strategy which can potentially lead to some attractive promotions as a way to clear inventory backups,” Reith added. But Mainelli warned that shoppers might see better deals at higher price points, and not just budget PCs being slashed to the bone. Unfortunately, sales on budget laptops might be harder to find during Black Friday 2025.Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry “I’d suggest that price increases won’t be universal across vendors,” Mainelli said. “It is also worth noting that price increases (or less dramatic sale prices) are more likely to appear at the low- and mid-range PC price points than the premium-priced categories, where all vendors have more potential margin to absorb the higher bill of materials cost.” In part, that’s because Intel has said publicly that it’s willing to sacrifice a bit of its low-end PC processor sales in favor of higher-margin server parts. Simple economics says that will help push prices higher. “Intel is prioritizing server chips and mobile over desktop,” said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research, in an email. “This will not have a significant impact on the holiday season, but OEMs will push more AMD and possibly Qualcomm [PCs].” It might not affect pricing or holiday sales, but PC vendors are also worrying about how much you’ll be willing to buy this holiday. The National Retail Federation’s 2025 survey found that consumers plan to spend $628 on holiday gifts this year, down from $641 in 2024. About 22 percent of those surveyed are asking for electronics. But that survey was taken in October, before the end of the government shutdown potentially threatened Affordable Care Act healthcare subsidies, and before shortages of air traffic controllers cut the number of available flights and delayed others. Memory: The DRAM apocalypse is nigh Normally, we would advise against panic buying. But right now, “panic” is close to what the market is experiencing where DRAM is concerned. “I think if you’re considering building a PC, you should really consider getting RAM soon,” Marinelli said. “I don’t see any relief in sight.” DRAM is quickly rising in price, and that’s the biggest story for the tail end of 2025.Teamgroup / Amazon As you can see in the graphic below, DDR5 memory prices have essentially doubled in two months, according to PCPartPicker’s pricing graph at press time. (Price data includes promos, coupons, rebates, and shipping costs when available, the site says.) Although the effects are being felt now, the trouble started months ago. According to Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis and author of The Memory Guy blog, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) entered the DDR4 memory market, sponsored by the Chinese government. A price increase of this much, this fast is almost unheard of.PCPartPicker.com “They made their initial product launch about a year ago with DDR4 parts, and all of the major DRAM manufacturers really didn’t like where CXMT was taking prices,” Handy said. “They were basically trying to win customers away from these major vendors by lowering the price. And so the major vendors said, we don’t have to deal with this. You know, we can sell DDR5. We want to, so we’re going to stop making DDR4. So they did.” Unfortunately, there was another wrinkle. “CXMT grew the company over the past year based on that, and then around December of last year, the Chinese government said, well, you guys really need to shift over to DDR5, since you have a design that you’ve proven to work and we don’t want you to make any more,” Handy said. “DDR4 prices went just absolutely sky high. They ended up becoming more expensive than DDR5.” And then another. “Meanwhile, because of AI, then the DRAM business started becoming constrained, just because everybody was making these special [high-bandwidth memory] chips for AI,” Handy added. “And so they started shifting their production away from DDR5 into the AI. And so, you know, between DDR4 going away and becoming really scarce, and DDR5 going into a shortage, DRAM is becoming pretty scarce.” For holiday shoppers, this is a nightmare. Memory manufacturers, however, are ecstatic. DRAM is an absolute commodity, subject to supply and demand. TrendForce reports DRAM profit margins are at their highest in 30 years, over 70 percent. SK Hynix, a top DRAM maker, is sold out of everything — DRAM for servers, PCs, and mobile devices — throughout 2026. Samsung is refusing to sell DRAM on the short-term (or spot) market. And DDR5 prices are expected to climb throughout the first half of 2026, TrendForce reports. PCPartPicker.com While the rate at which DDR4 pricing has increased has been more gradual than DDR5, the actual prices have been about DDR5 levels: According to PCPartPicker, the average price of 64GB (2x32GB) of DDR4-3600 DRAM is roughly $380 on PCPartPicker’s pricing trends graphic while the same amount of DDR5-5600 is right about $400. “Through 2026 I’ve talked a little bit with system integrators, and they are terrified,” Marinelli said “They’re having contracts for memory canceled, and the companies don’t care, because AI will pay whatever they ask. I don’t know where the relief comes from, and I don’t know when.” We asked Micron (Crucial) and Kingston for comment. Neither responded. SSD storage: Calm before the storm? SSDs are just big collections of NAND memory chips and some associated logic, and prices have remained relatively flat for now. “With SSDs, they look a whole lot nicer,” Handy said. “Prices will be a bit higher than they were last month, but I wouldn’t expect them to be considerably higher.” “Steer your readers towards buying SSDs, because that’s where they’re going to get a better deal,” Handy added. SSD prices are stable for now, but for how long?Jon Martindale / Foundry The problem? That’s not going to last long, and the question may be whether SSD makers participate in Black Friday sales, or hold inventory back for when prices inevitably rise. Rise? Yes, inevitably. Hyperscalers are buying up flash, too, and a report by TrendForce says that NAND supply will be constrained throughout 2026. Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Kioxia, and Micron have jointly scaled back NAND flash production in the second half of 2025, the report says, and Samsung is considering raising NAND prices by 20 to 30 percent. That’s started to be reflected in the marketplace. PCPartPicker’s pricing graphic for 1TB M.2 NVMe SSDs remained flat for all of 2025, but it’s starting to tick upwards. Prices for 2TB and 4TB M.2 SSDs are as well. PCPartPicker’s pricing trends indicate that there could be trouble ahead for the flash market.PCPartPicker.com “The rumors and kind of the news I’ve been seeing is less positive, but nowhere near to the extent of the RAM situation,” PCPartPicker’s Marinelli said. “I would expect to see storage prices increase, but not anywhere near the same rate.” IDC’s Mainelli said that the component shortages will have a bigger impact than tariffs. “I suggest that the current memory and storage shortage is likely to have a larger impact as we enter the first quarter of 2026,” he wrote in an email. GPUs: ‘In a pretty good spot’ With all of the concern about the prices of Nvidia’s GeForce 5000 family (both the MSRP prices as well as shortages that drove prices up), the price of graphics cards returned to earth in August, and, by and large, stayed there. With Nvidia’s awaited “Super” series of GPUs either delayed until after the holidays or canceled altogether, your best bet might be to buy what’s available now. Thiago Trevisan/IDG “I think GPUs, surprisingly or not, are in a pretty good spot right now, all things considered,” PCPartPicker’s Marinelli said, adding that he expected to see some deals on graphics cards for consumer purchases. In his own research, Marinelli said that he’s seen evidence that bundling may be the way toward discounts, such as combining a graphics card with a Steam gift card. PCPartPicker.com All in all, that’s good news. In early 2025, it seemed like you’d never find a good GPU deal ever again. CPUs: Low-end discounts disappearing? The PC processor market has been relatively stable, but Intel’s business woes have churned the low end of the market. PC enthusiasts never really accepted Intel’s 15th-gen Core chips, Arrow Lake, and Intel admitted in April that customers preferred Intel’s older “Raptor Lake” chip instead. Intel chief financial officer David Zinsner obliquely reiterated that in the company’s third-quarter earnings report when he reported that Intel was “tight on Intel 10 and 7,” the manufacturing processes upon which Intel made its 11th-gen “Tiger Lake” Core chips as well as its “Alder Lake” and “Raptor Lake” CPUs. “And so as we get more demand, we’re constrained,” Zinsner said. “In some ways, we’re living off of inventory. We’re also trying to kind of demand shape to get customers to other products. “ With customers preferring older Intel CPUs, that could mean the supply drying up and low-end prices on the rise.Thomas Ryan/IDG “Although as we said, we are yielding a bit of the small-core market and client to fulfill customer requirements more broadly on the client space and more specifically in the server space,” Zinsner added. In the real-world, “demand shaping” probably means that Intel might discount some of its newer chips to make them financially more attractive — Black Friday sales, basically. But Intel has only so many manufacturing resources, and Intel’s fragile balance sheet means that the company is making fewer low-end, cheaper “small core” chips and prioritizing servers where it can make more money. And that probably means fewer sales of cheap PCs. We can see that in terms of rising prices on cheaper, older Intel processors. PCPartPicker.com Meanwhile, prices of AMD’s desktop processors, which continue to gain share against Intel, continue to hold steady. Don’t wait! We’ve been essentially taught by retailers that the best deals of the year occur on Black Friday. But the lesson you should take away is to reject your programming: If the deal’s there, take it. The KnownHost product survey also revealed a hidden gotcha: Some products “skip” Black Friday altogether, offering no discounts at all. PCWorld has been monitoring deals for years at this point, and we’ll continue to highlight the best deals we see on a daily basis. In 2025 — with a backdrop of tariffs and component shortages — our advice is, if you see a great deal, grab it. Related content Black Friday Deals & Buying Advice Best laptops 2025: Premium, budget, gaming, 2-in-1, and more Best Chromebooks 2025: Top picks for work, school, and more Best SSDs: From SATA to PCIe 5.0, from budget to premium Read...