Microsoft marks four decades since the debut of its Windows operating system. The project began as “Interface Manager,” a graphical layer built atop DOS. It was renamed “Windows” shortly before its official release in 1985.
Windows 11 Reaches One Billion Active Users
At Ignite, Microsoft announced that Windows 11 now manages one billion active devices. This milestone follows Windows 10’s achievement of one billion users in March 2020 and 1.3 billion in April 2021.
Windows 11 launched in October 2021, introducing a redesigned interface, centered taskbar, and enhanced touch and pen input support. It requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, raising hardware standards compared to previous versions. Windows 11 integrates Microsoft Copilot directly into the taskbar, offering AI-assisted productivity through natural language commands. It supports DirectStorage for faster game loading and Auto HDR for enhanced visual fidelity on compatible displays. The operating system also enforces stricter app sandboxing and default secure configuration policies to reduce attack surfaces.
Recent announcement at Microsoft Ignite only confirm company's focus in AI integration and security improvements.
Besides, Microsoft announced that the number of Windows 11 users has approached the 1 billion mark. It took the operating system four years to reach this milestone.
It's worth noting that company representatives used a rather unusual formulation: "almost a billion users trust Windows 11."
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