Microsoft created Windows, the operating system first released by Microsoft in 1985.
Windows 1.0 launched on November 20, 1985, as a graphical operating environment that ran on top of MS-DOS. It included early versions of applications such as Paint, Notepad, and Calculator.
Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Its business later expanded into Office productivity software, Azure cloud computing, Xbox gaming, Surface devices, and professional networking through LinkedIn.
Windows is not the same product as MS-DOS. MS-DOS provided a text-based operating system, while early Windows supplied a graphical interface and tools that worked with it. Microsoft’s broad software and cloud businesses helped make it one of the world’s most valuable public companies.