But as Windows has evolved, it’s added a lot of productivity-enhancing features.
However, it did make some big improvements over DOS.
One of the most important was theability to switch between running programs.
With DOS, you had to quit your current app before launching another one.
Windows 1.0 also automatically resized open windows to fit the space available.
Windows 2.0 (1987)
Windows 2.0 built on the framework that the previous version started.
If you don’t take advantage of keyboard shortcuts today, you’re missing out.
Check out tons of useful ones in ourultimate Windows keyboard shortcuts guide.
And as Windows began to come into its own, it added features that would shape its future.
Two of the biggest productivity features from Windows 3.0 still around today are theProgram ManagerandFile Manager.
The former is a shell that provided groups of icons representing installed programs for launching.
These made it easy to browse your installed programs and files.
Can you imagine having to navigate through the Command Prompt to do everything today?
It was the last major release until Windows 95 launched.
One of the biggest improvements in Windows 3.1 wassupport for TrueType fonts.
This allowed programs to scale their fonts without relying on a third-party program.
Also, Windows 3.1 is notable for introducing the Registry, which stores OS and program information.
It’s the first version of Windows with looks resembling what it is today.
As it does today, Windows kept your running programs at the bottom of the screen for easy access.
And the Start Menu organized your programs, files, and system utilities into an easy-to-browse hierarchy.
While a rudimentary Task Scheduler existed in Windows 95, it was only part of the separate Microsoft Plus!
Windows 98 marked the first time it was a full-fledged part of Windows.
Having the ability to run tasks automatically in the future is a huge time saver for tedious tasks.
you’ve got the option to stillsave lots of time with the Task Schedulertoday.
This feature allows you to roll back changes to your Windows system with just a few clicks.
Windows XP (2001)
Now we’re reaching more modern versions of Windows.
The beloved Windows XP added many new features, as well as refinements and upgrades to prior utilities.
The handiest productivity feature award, though, goes toFast User Switching.
With multiple people sharing a computer, this is a huge convenience.
This isn’t as noticeable a feature as some others, but it’s still around today.
Every family computer has benefited from it.
Far and away the biggest advancement Vista made to productivity was the newInstant Searchfeature.
While prior versions (like XP) had search functionality, it was slow, unintuitive, and limited.
Today, with more refinements,Windows Search can find whatever you’re looking forin just a moment.
While it was a relatively incremental upgrade, it still offered plenty of new tools to use.
One of the best features still available today is the Libraries organization in Windows Explorer.
This allows you to group similar folders together and browse their contents together.
It’s a great solution if you keep, say, photos in several different places on your PC.
With its full-screen Start Menu and emphasis on touch controls, it left many users confused.
But that doesn’t mean it was all bad.
Windows 8.1, released in 2013, was essentially a service pack that fixed several annoyances with Windows 8.
It didn’t add any significant productivity features worth mentioning here.
Windows 10 (2015)
Finally, we come to the latest Windows offering.
It doesn’t require any expensive extra software, and Cortana regularly improves as Windows 10 evolves.
For more like this, check outways Windows has become more user-friendly over time.
