Windows 7 naming question

[MindoverMaster]

According to Maks, list, no. There was a 3.5, though.

 

[forrestcupp]

But even Win3.1 doesnt fully count for the fact that PC's were not common in homes back then. They were thousands of dollars and also complicated to build. You got a box of parts and had to read blueprints and build everything yourself. It wasnt till the release of Win95 that you say the types of machines that are around today.

Good explanation, but I have to disagree with you on this point. I'm evidently much older than you are. My first post-Commodore 64 computer came with Windows 3.1, and it was pretty common for people to own these pre-built OEM computers. It was even fairly common for people to own MS-DOS based PCs before that time. The only reason I didn't have one a lot sooner is because I was a poor college student.

Yes, some people built their own computers back then. But I wouldn't say that anywhere near the majority of computer owners built their own computers. We bought them pre-built, just like we do now. I remember dreaming about owning one of the many computers we sold when I worked at Sams Club back in 1991. Though there weren't very many laptops back then, and most of them were monochrome.

I will agree that the internet didn't become more widespread until Windows 95, though.

 

[KSoD]

The version of Windows that would have been 4.1 is Win95 actually. The development of it took much longer than expected and they released it as Win95 instead of 4.1. Unless you are thinking of NT4 that was out there. But that was a Server based OS. So it wasnt a home based OS and wasnt widely used as such either.

@Forrest

I am thinking much before even 1991. I am thinking of the Mid to late 80's. Even before Win3.1 was released. Back when the internet consisted of dialing to another PC using a 9600BPS (Baud per second) modem. Back when DOS was still the main OS in use and Windows was still in heavy development. Before Commodore64 was ever released. Back in that time is when building a PC consisted of getting a box and building it from scratch using blueprints. In the early 90's they did start doing the pre-builts like we have now. Plus being a hard core geek like i am, i went that route over getting a pre-built cause i wanted to build my own. So yes while you are right, I am also thinking of earlier times before the times you mention. Heck i still have a box in storage of Punch Cards for one of the first PC's that was ever built that used those to operate. So even though i am only Mid 30's i was around PC's almost all of my life and enjoyed them even that young. I was fortunate enough to know people who had them and allowed me to mess with them back in the 80's.

 

[forrestcupp]

I am thinking much before even 1991. I am thinking of the Mid to late 80's. Even before Win3.1 was released. Back when the internet consisted of dialing to another PC using a 9600BPS (Baud per second) modem. Back when DOS was still the main OS in use and Windows was still in heavy development. Before Commodore64 was ever released. Back in that time is when building a PC consisted of getting a box and building it from scratch using blueprints.

Well, you confused me because it sounded like you were talking about Windows 3.1 not being widespread, and I know better than that.

My C64 had a 2400 Baud modem, which was top of the line back then. Most people still had 1200 Baud or even 600. I remember the days of BBSs very well. I was lucky enough to have a membership to Quantum Link, which was like a very simple AOL for the Commodore.

 

[patonb]

Man I had an Apple IIc and no OS.

Just boot with the 5 1/4

 

[KSoD]

Windows 3.1 i dont consider wide spread. While it was out there it was not in nearly as many homes as it could have been. There was only a small fraction of people who ran Win3.1 compared to even those that ran Win95. Yes Win3.1 was the start for them, but it was not nearly where it could have been. You really had to be into PC's to know how to recover it when Win3.1 crashed. Which it did quite often. Not even taking the price point into consideration.

Plus you and myself were also a part of a very tight nit group back then. There was far more people that didnt have PC's of any kind in their home than did, including the Commadore 64 Units. Even including the Apple IIe's that Paton talked about. Of all my friends back when i was a kid, only 1 was even slightly interested. So they may have been very common with the group of people we associated with, but they were the same group of people that make up the PC enthusiast now. A very small fraction of the acutal PC user population. I dont kid myself into thinking that there was more of us than there really was. I knew we were a very tight nit group to allow the others to dial into us and freely share files like we did.

 

[patonb]

Then I was an oddity..... In grade 4... bout '85, we had a lab of 15 Apple IIe's or was it gs's...

 

[forrestcupp]

Plus you and myself were also a part of a very tight nit group back then. There was far more people that didnt have PC's of any kind in their home than did, including the Commadore 64 Units. Even including the Apple IIe's that Paton talked about. Of all my friends back when i was a kid, only 1 was even slightly interested.

I won't deny that back in the day there was a lot smaller percentage of households that had computers. Times have definitely progressed to where even my grandma, who is technically ignorant, has two computers in her house.