Do you remember Windows 3.11 ? The first Microsoft Windows with it’s first Graphical User Images?

Finally Microsoft decided to officially “shutdown it” by stopped issuing licenses for the software. Windows 3.11 started its debut on May 1990 in the US. It makes Microsoft set the trends for how it makes revenues, and drives the company until the present day.

For many computer users 3.x was the first Windows-based operating system they used, and the software established the iconography of Microsoft’s flagship product.

As it was updated the software started to make PCs a serious rival to Apple machines, as it could take advantage of much improved graphics, had a broader colour palette, and could use multimedia extras such as sound cards and CD Rom drives.

Microsoft maintained support for Windows 3.x until the end of 2001, and it has lived on as an embedded operating system until 1 November 2008.

As an embedded system, it was used to power such things as cash tills in large stores and ticketing systems.

One of its more glamorous uses as an embedded operating system is to power the in-flight entertainment systems on some Virgin and Qantas long-haul jets.

Goodbye 3.11, I’m not gonna miss you

Here are the sources of this post :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/ go/ rss/ -/ 1/ hi/ technology/ 7707016.stm

http://www.jasonslater.co.uk/2008/11/05/so-long-windows-3x/