Windows versions and Operating Systems! Why so many?

Ok before I talk let me first show you the list of all operating systems we have had since Microsoft began.

  1. Windows XP
  2. Windows XP Starter Edition
  3. Windows XP Home Edition,
  4. Windows XP Home Edition N
  5. Windows XP Professional
  6. Windows XP Professional N
  7. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition,
  8. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
  9. Windows XP Media Center Edition
  10. Windows XP 64-bit Edition
  11. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, for tablet PCs
  12. Windows 2000
  13. Windows 2000 Professional
  14. Windows 2000 Server
  15. Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  16. Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
  17. Windows Me
  18. Windows 98
  19. Windows 98 Second Edition
  20. Windows NT 4.0
  21. Windows 95
  22. Windows NT 3.51
  23. Windows NT 3.5
  24. Windows for Workgroups 3.11
  25. Windows 3.2
  26. Windows NT 3.1
  27. Windows for Workgroups 3.1
  28. Windows 3.1
  29. Windows 3.0
  30. Windows 2.11
  31. Windows 2.10
  32. Windows 2.03
  33. Windows 1.04
  34. Windows 1.03
  35. Windows 1.02
  36. Windows 1.01

Right there you go. I have a list of 36 items here. Keep in mind that I have excluded the server and CE editions of windows. The first thing you will note is each OS released has different editions. And the second thing is - So many different operating systems.

The point here is why should we have so many editions? What purpose would it make? It is clear that it does sound sensible by its name but then why? And the second point, why rewrite the OS again and again with a different name or have different names in the first place. I have always known of software begin with version 1.0 and proceed to better versions with a more mature and riper software. This is how it should have been but then we end up learning the operating system again trying to adjust to its new features. And Microsoft ends up spending more resource on support and maintenance for these projects too.

To me it all seems like an overhead. I wish someday they will realise this.

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