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CLI were originally developed for interfacing with computers over teletype machines in the 1950s
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All applications used CLI
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The first operational Alto computer is completed at Xerox PARC
The Alto is the first system to pull together all of the elements of the modern Graphical User Interface Notable Features:
3-button mouse
Bit-mapped display
The use of graphical windows
Ethernet network -
Xerox introduces the Star, the commercial successor to the Alto
New features: double-clickable icons, overlapping windows, dialog boxes -
Apple introduces the Lisa
Pull down menus and menu bars -
Visi Corp releases Visi On, the first integrated graphical software environment for IBM PCs
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Apple introduces the Macintosh
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Digital Research announces its GEM icon/desktop user interface for 8086- and DOS-based computers. It also was later ported to the Atari ST
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Microsoft finally releases the first version of Windows
Windows can not be overlapped, but are instead "tiled".
Windows are not allowed to cover an area at the bottom of the screen that is reserved for "iconized" programs. -
Apple threatens to sue Digital Research because the GEM desktop looked too much like Apple's Macintosh.
Digital Research cripples the desktop application so Apple will not sue -
Apple introduces the Apple Macintosh II, the first color Macintosh
640*480*256 color with 24 bit color card available -
Microsoft releases the second version of Windows, version 2.03
Finally has resizable / overlapping windows and new windowing controls -
Apple releases Finder 1.0 for their Apple IIGS ProDOS 16 v1.3 (Later changed to GS/OS) operating system
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IBM releases OS/2 1.10 Standard Edition (SE) which added a graphical user interface called Presentation Manager
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The NeXT Computer is released
Included a 25 MHz '30 processor, 8 MB RAM, 250 MB optical disk drive, math coprocessor, digital processor for real time sound, fax modem, and a 17" monitor Price: $6500 -
Commodore releases Amiga Workbench 2 for the A3000
New 3d effects, a revised menu system and many other improvements -
Windows 3.0 released by Microsoft
New features: Program Manager shell -
IBM releases OS/2 Version 2.0, a true 32-bit OS
Features a new "Workplace Shell", an object oriented user interface that is heavily integrated with the rest of the OS -
Microsoft introduces Windows 3.1. The user interface is basically the same as Windows 3.0 but now includes their "multimedia" enhancements
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Amiga Workbench 3 released for AGA Amigas
Images for backgrounds, color pallet remapping -
May 1993 Microsoft releases the first version of Windows NT, their 32-bit OS
available for Intel, Power PC, Alpha, and MIPS systems -
Microsoft introduces Windows 95
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IBM Releases OS/2 Warp 4 with a significant facelift for the Workplace Shell
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Microsoft releases Windows NT 4.0 with the same user interface as Windows 95
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Mac OS 8 is finally released
best-selling software in that period with 1.25 million copies in less than 2 weeks -
Microsoft releases Windows 98
Internet Explorer Web browser application takes over the role of the Windows shell, advertising right on the desktop, entire help system replaced by Internet Explorer -
KDE 1.0 released
A very Windows 9x like environment for Linux -
Shane Brooks Releases 98Lite, an installer that removes or prevents the installation of Internet Explorer with Windows 98
Features No Internet Explorer or advertising, all the hardware support of Windows 98, faster boot time, and the more responsive Windows 95 shell -
Apple releases Mac OS X Server, a Unix based OS with their Macintosh GUI
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Microsoft Windows 2000 (AKA Windows NT 5) becomes available in stores
The Internet Explorer web browser application finally takes over the Windows NT UI -
Microsoft releases Windows XP (AKA Windows NT 5.1)
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Microsoft releases Windows Server 2003 (AKA Windows NT 5.2 and for a time called "Windows.NET server")
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Microsoft releases Windows Vista (Windows NT 6.0)
3D hardware-rendered user interface like MacOS X.
Bundles IE 7, unremovable as always
Increased Digital Restrictions Management that tries to prevent playback or duplication of unlicensed audio and video material -
Windows 7 (NT 6.1) released - relatively little difference over Vista
You can "pin" icons to the Taskbar.
Ribbons replace menus in some applications. -
Microsoft releases Windows 8 (NT 6.2), placing a minimalist interface optimized for mobile devices over its Vista/7 desktop interface
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Microsoft releases Windows 10, mostly reverting back to a traditional desktop