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An open encyclopedia of software history

Did you know...

...that Windows XP has been supported in various forms for almost 18 years, which is the longest compared to any other version of Microsoft Windows?
...that Windows Server 2003 build 2462 includes login banners for a Personal edition of Windows 2000?
...that the Start Button in Windows 95 build 302 says "Ship It!" in reference to the year 1995 being around the corner?
...that there was an E variant planned for Windows 7 in addition to K, N and KN, which didn't include Internet Explorer?
...that the Windows XP team created a decoy theme called Mallard to hide the fact they were secretly working on Luna?
...that Windows Neptune was a cancelled version of Windows that ought to bring a new user interface reminiscent of Metro later introduced in Windows 8?

Featured article

Windows Aero in Windows 7

Windows Aero is a transparent Windows visual style used from Longhorn M6 to Windows 7 (window transparency was removed in 8). The first build to have working Aero is Windows Longhorn build 4039, and the last build to use Aero (with window transparency) is Windows 8 build 8424. In Windows Longhorn, Aero effects relied on the Desktop Composition Engine (or Desktop Window Manager in newer builds), which only worked in a few builds such as 4039, 4066, and 4074. In Windows Vista and 7, it relies on a WDDM driver due to the use of hardware acceleration, otherwise the Windows Basic theme would be used. This requirement was dropped since at least Windows 8 build 7927 with the introduction of a software rendering fallback to the Desktop Window Manager.