People are just now realizing how Windows got its name – after the awful first title was “cancelled”.

MICROSOFT Windows is one of the most widely used software programs in the world – but how did it get its name?

It’s nearly four decades old, but its origins remain a mystery to many.

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First, it’s important to remember that early computers were very different from today’s machines.

In those early days, you only saw very basic ads on screens.

Most used command interfaces where you would just type lines of text and receive.

But as computers became more powerful, it became clear that the world needed graphics.

Because of this, graphical user interfaces began to appear – with Xerox being one of the early pioneers – that more closely resemble modern computers.

This led to the creation of the WIMP system: Windows, Icons, Menu and Pointer.

With a graphical WIMP system, you could navigate the virtual innards of the computer much more easily.

And that’s where Microsoft got its Windows name from.

Those pop-up windows on computers that we take for granted today weren’t always there.

And because the Windows operating system relied so heavily on Windows, it seemed like a perfect fit.

But when Microsoft started developing the Windows program in 1981, it had a very different name.

It was actually first known as Interface Manager.

However, Microsoft ultimately chose to announce it under the Windows name in November 1983, before officially releasing Windows 1.0 in 1985.

It initially failed to achieve mass popularity as it faced stiff competition from Apple and others.

But now Windows is a global brand.

More than 1.4 billion monthly active devices are running Windows 10 or Windows 11.

And that doesn’t count all devices that also use older versions.

Would it have had the same success if it had started under the Interface Manager name? Bill Gates is probably very happy with his choice.

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