As of today, Windows 10 is actively running on over 1 Billion devices across the globe. Honestly, it's not really a surprise considering how wildly popular the OS really is. With only a handful of competing OS' out there on the market, Windows 10 was bound to hit this number.

To put things into perspective, one in every seven people across the globe is now using Windows 10. Yes, that's how popular this OS is. But it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for the evolution of older versions of Windows. Imagine using a very basic and raw build of Windows 95, or even worse, Windows 3 or something to do your work every day. Weird, right?

Well, here's a look at all the landmark features of some of the older versions of Windows because if it wasn't for those experimental features that were introduced back then, we probably wouldn't be sitting here on our computers, going about our work every day.

Windows 95 Gave Us The "Start" Button

© Wikipedia

Windows 98, the successor to the Windows 95 OS, came out on June 25, 1998. Although it wasn't all that different from Windows 95 visually, it did bring a lot of important things to the table like support for DVD players. Windows 98 was also the first OS to bring features like  Disk Cleanup, Windows Update, multi-monitor support, and Internet Connection Sharing. Imagine not being able to use Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 or having difficulty keeping your system up-to-date with all the vulnerabilities lurking around these days.

Windows Me During The Windows Movie Maker Era

© Instagram

If you talk to someone who has used a version of Windows XP, they'll probably tell you that it's the best version of the OS to ever ship. It was released in October of 2001 and brought major changes to the UI across the board. This is the year the "Start" button and the "taskbar" got a major visual overhaul and we saw the first green start button for the very first time.

Also, I'd like to take a moment here to acknowledge the fact that "Bliss" is by far the best Windows wallpaper to ever come out. No matter what kind of customization you come up with, I will always have a special place for that lush green photograph shot by Charles O'Rear. What a legend!

Windows Vista - A Buggy Release

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