Short Message Service (SMS)

Short Message Service or Silent Messaging Service (SMS) is a communication service standardized in the GSM mobile communication system, using standardized communications protocols allowing the interchange of short text messages between mobile telephone devices.

Types of SMS:

1. SMS:TEXT
2. SMS:WAPPUSH
3. SMS:OPLOGO
4. SMS:OPLOGOXML
5. SMS:BARCODE
6. SMS:RINGTONE
7. SMS:CALLERICON
8. SMS:PICTUREMESSAGE
9. SMS:VCARD
10. SMS:VCALENDAR
11. SMS:INDICATION

Short cut of message:

• are~ r
• we~ v
• you~ u
• because~bcz
• already~ ady
• oh i see~ oic
• goodbye~ 88
• tonight~ 2nite
• why~ y
• okay~ ok

SCCT 1023 Group A 30/09/09

Today is the last to write this blog. It is because lecturer said that publish the last post for our blog assignment. Today i come late to the class, because i sleep late. Yesterday i have a project DPP about the pesta tanglung. I finished it, and went back to my room was already 2am. That time was so tired! So i missed my class at 9.30am.

Today the chapter is about the digitalization data. In this chapter, we can learn that text era, audio era, video era, and digital publishing era. Text can uses it at SMS, Email, Website and document Trade. Audio Era has 2 types of audio, such as analog audio and digital audio. Video is refer to capture, manipulate and stored picture which can be display in a computer screen. Publishing is that which being done from the material given by the public with the help of electronic devices.

SCCT 1023 Group A 27/09/09

Today is the first day opening school after Hari Raya. Today we learn about the title is about the multimedia. Multimedia is any combination of text, graphic art, sound,animation and video delievered to you by computer or other electronic means. multimedia has 2 types, they are linear multimedia and interactive multimedia. Linear multimedia is that users have very little control over the presentation. Interactive multimedia is that users dictate the flow of delivery.

The secord part is about the multimesia system characteristics. Multimdia systems must be computer controlled. All multimedia components are intergated. The interface to the final user may permit interactivity. The information must be represented digitallly. The reasons of represent information in digital form are storage, transmission and processing.

The third part is about multimedia building block. In this block has 5 elements, such as text. sound, image, animation and video.

RCA

RCA Corporation, founded as Radio Corporation of America, was an electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. Currently, the RCA trademark is owned by the French conglomerate Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. The trademark is used by Sony Music Entertainment and Thomson SA, which licenses the name to other companies like Audiovox and TCL Corporation for products descended from that common ancestor.

An RCA connector, sometimes called cinch plug or lotus plug, is a type of electrical connector that is commonly used in the audio/video market. The name "RCA" derives from the Radio Corporation of America, which introduced the design by the early 1940s to allow mono phonograph players to be connected to amplifiers.
For many other applications it began to replace the older jack plugs used in the audio world when component high fidelity started becoming popular in the 1950s.
The corresponding plug is called an RCA plug or phono plug, for "phonograph". The name "phono plug" is often confused with a "phone plug" which refers to a jack plug or TRS connector.

SCCT1023 Group A 13/9/09

Today is the last day before celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri. It also is pass up the third individual assignment day. Today, lecturer was late come in class. But she starts the new chapter is about video production and multimedia network. Video is technology of electronically, capturing, recording, process, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scences in motion. Analog signal transmission format has three, they are composite video, component video and S-video. Analog Video Stardards format also has three, such as NTSC, PAL, and SECAM. When we finish the class, we pass up our own assignment, then say goodbye and "Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri".

SCCT1023 Group A 9/9/09

That day, the class continued the chapter 6 for the end. The topic is about facsimile system and paging system. Fax is telecommunications technology used to transfer copies of documents. Pager is a simple personal telecommunications device for short messages. The types of pagers are numeric pagers, alphanumeric pagers and two ways alphanumeric pagers. Numeric pagers and alphanumeric pagers are used operators for help, but two ways alphanumeric pagers don’t have use the operators as it can send the text message typed in with a small keyboard. After finish the chapter, lecturer said that she was very kind person because she will cancel class at next Wednesday. All the classmates were so happy to hear this good news and clapped their hands including me. Then, l asked lecturer about the reference and appendices. It was because the third individual assignment, I almost finished the assignment, but just only the reference and appendices are haven’t do them.

SCCT1023 Group A 6/9/09

Today we continue our chapter 6. It is about telephone and cellular phone system. telephone is a telecommunications device that is used to trsnsmit and receive sound (most commonly speech). Telephone has 2 types of information, they are signal and voice. Telephone switchboard was a device used to connect a group of telephone exchanges or pivate branch exchanges(PBXs). Cellular phone system uses a network of specialized base stations known as cell sites. Cellular network is a radio network made up of a member of radio celles each served by a fixed transmitter, known as a cell site or base station. After finish this chapter, lecturer said that our group discussion and presentation is start at next month. Then, there has a few classmates want lecturer to cancel class on next wednesday. But for me, it isn't matter, because i don't go anywhere, just at university to do my assignment.

RAZAKSAT

RazakSAT

RazakSAT is a Malaysian satellite carrying a high-resolution camera. It was launched into low Earth orbit by a Falcon 1 rocket on July 14, 2009. It was placed into an unique near-equatorial orbit that presents many imaging opportunities for the equatorial region.
This satellite is Malaysia's second remote sensing satellite after TiungSAT-1, which was launched in September 26, 2000 on a Ukrainian Dnepr rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
Originally called MACSAT, RazakSAT's payload is mainly electro-optical, carrying a Medium-sized Aperture Camera (MAC) which is a pushbroom camera with five linear detectors (one panchromatic, four multi-spectral) weighing approximately 50 kg. The entire satellite weighs at about 180 kg.
The then-Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad renamed the satellite to RazakSAT in tribute to the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdul Razak or known as the "Bapa Pembangunan Malaysia" (Father of Malaysian Development) for his contribution to Malaysia's development. This was held officially during Mahathir's working visit to Astronautic Technology (M) Sdn. Bhd. (ATSB) in 2003 at its premise in Technology Park Malaysia (TPM) in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. It has since moved to its new premises at Hicom-Glenmarie Industrial Park, Shah Alam, Selangor. ATSB is a wholly-owned company of the Minister of Finance Inc. (MOF) and reports to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Malaysia.

SCCT1023 Group A 30/8/09

Today, we continue our topic of data communication. We learn the topology and network. Network has 2 or more computers linked together to exchange data and share resource, they are LAN and WAN. Computers connected to a LAN are called workstations or nodes. LAN has 2 types, are peer-to-peer and client-server. The physical layout of a LAN is called its topology. Topologies resolve the problem of contention, which occurs when multiple users try to access the LAN at the same time. They have 5 types as ring, bus, star, tree and Mesh. We need to find out tree and mesh topology and paste it.

Mesh networking is a way to route data, voice and instructions between nodes. It allows for continuous connections and reconfiguration around broken or blocked paths by “hopping” from node to node until the destination is reached. A mesh network whose nodes are all connected to each other is a fully connected network. Mesh networks differ from other networks in that the component parts can all connect to each other via multiple hops, and they generally are not mobile. Mesh networks can be seen as one type of ad hoc network. Mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) and mesh networks are therefore closely related, but MANET also have to deal with the problems introduced by the mobility of the nodes.
Mesh networks are self-healing: the network can still operate even when a node breaks down or a connection goes bad. As a result, this network is very reliable. This concept is applicable to wireless networks, wired networks, and software interaction. The animation at the right illustrates how wireless mesh networks can self form and self heal. For more animations see History of Wireless Mesh Networking
Wireless mesh networks are the most topical application of mesh architectures. Wireless mesh was originally developed for military applications but have undergone significant evolution in the past decade. As the cost of radios plummeted, single radio products evolved to support more radios per mesh node with the additional radios providing specific functions- such as client access, backhaul service or scanning radios for high speed handover in mobility applications. The mesh node design also became more modular - one box could support multiple radio cards - each operating at a different frequency.

Tree Topology
Among all the Network Topologies we can derive that the Tree Topology is a combination of the bus and the Star Topology. The tree like structure allows you to have many servers on the network and you can branch out the network in many ways. This is particularly helpful for colleges, universities and schools so that each of the branches can identify the relevant systems in their own network and yet connect to the big network in some way.



A Tree Structure suits best when the network is widely spread and vastly divided into many branches. Like any other topologies, the Tree Topology has its advantages and disadvantages. A Tree Network may not suit small networks and it may be a waste of cable to use it for small networks. Tree Topology has some limitations and the configuration should suit those limitations.

Tree Network topology Benefits
A Tree Topology is supported by many network vendors ad even hardware vendors.
A point to point connection is possible with Tree Networks.
All the computers have access to the larger and their immediate networks.
Best topology for branched out networks.

Tree Topology Limitations
In a Network Topology the length of the network depends on the type of cable that is being used.
The Tree Topology network is entirely dependant on the trunk which is the main backbone of the network. If that has to fail then the entire network would fail.
Since the Tree Topology network is big it is difficult to configure and can get complicated after a certain point.
The Tree Topology follows a hierarchical pattern where each level is connected to the next higher level in a symmetrical pattern. Each level in the hierarchy follows a certain pattern in connecting the nodes. Like the top most level might have only one node or two nodes and the following level in the hierarchy might have few more nodes which work on the point to point connectivity and the third level also has asymmetrical node to node pattern and each of these levels are connected to the root level in the hierarchy. Think of a tree that branches out in various directions and all these branches need the roots and the tree trunk to survive. A Tree Structured network is very similar to this and that is why it is called the Tree Topology.
Tree Topology Features
There will be at least three levels of hierarchy in the Tree Network Topology and they all work based on the root node.
The Tree Topology has two kinds of topology integral in it, the star and the linear way of connecting to nodes.
The Tree Topology functions by taking into account the total number of nodes present in the network. It does not matter how many nodes are there on each level. Nodes can be added to any level of the hierarchy and there are no limitations a far as the total number of nodes do not exceed.
The higher levels in the hierarchy are expected to perform more functions than the lower levels in the network.



Tree Topology Conclusion
The signals that are being transmitted by the root node are received by all the nodes at the same time. This increases the efficiency of the over all functioning of the network. The Tree Network topology can be extended easily to function and there are no limitations to how big it can be extended. Additional root nodes can be added and they can be interconnected within one single network.

UTP and STP

scct1023 Group A 26/8/09

That day, we get the result of quiz. I think that I will get bad result. But I surprised that I can get six marks in fifteen marks. After that, we started our class with new chapter about data communication. Then, we took our result to lecturer and checked the marks and also answer. I knew that the reason I get wrong. I will do my best in my assignments and final exam to get good result.


Twisted Pair
advantages
· Inexpensive and readily available
· Flexible and light weight
· Easy to work with and install
disadvantages
· Susceptibility to interference and noise
· Attention problem:
~for analog, repeaters needed every 5-6km
~for digital, repeaters needed every 2-3km
· Relatively low bandwidth (3000Hz)
Coaxial Cable
advantages
· Higher bandwidth
· Can be tapped easily
· Much less susceptible to interference than twisted pair
disadvantages
· High attenuation rate makes it expensive over long distance
· bulky
Fiber Optic Cable
advantages
· greater capacity
· smaller size and lighter weight
· lower attenuation
· immunity to environmental interference
· highly secure due to tap difficulty and lack of signal radiation
disadvantages
· expensive over short distance
· requires highly skilled installers
· adding additional nodes is difficult

SCCT1023 Group A 23/8/09

Today our topic is about the world wide web(www), search engine and browser, email, newsgroup, bulletin board and network technology. Internet and Web are different. Internet is part of the system that is primarily hardware infrastructure. However, the web is part of the system that contains intellectual property in many multimedia formats. We use the web browsers such as IE, Firefox, Opera, Netscape Navigator and Camino (Mac OSX). for me, i always use IE. Search engines are from different web crawler. Network technology is a series of points or nodes interconnected by communication paths. This thing is always i use it, now i know that what thing i am using and more understand the web and internet.

SCCT1023 group A 12/8/09

That day is quiz day. But lecturer hasn't come becouse she is sick. However my other course paper's lecturer is Mr. Mot come to replace her. My quiz is poor, because i forget all the thing. before that day , i was busy for activity CAS day and disscussion and also night class. I was only remember a few. Haih..... i want to cry as my result is bad!!wuwuwuwuwu............

SCCT1023 Group A 9/8/2009

Today we can go back early as lecturer finishes chapter early. Today we still learn with chapter four. This is about that online annoyances and internet and www. Online annoyances has spam, pop-ups, cookies, malware, spyware, phishing and hoaxes. We also know that the internet. Internet is a worldwide system of interconnected computer. It is a system represents any collection of components that interact to accomplish a common goal. The origin of the internet has a few kind such as ARPANET, TCP/IP, NSFNET, and InterNIC. Computer can connects internet with a few connections such as hardware, modem, telephone line, ISP and internet software. We also can use broadband to connect internet. If you are poor, you can use the satellite connections. But its signal is affected by location and weather. I always use UUM Zone to connect the internet. Now my room can connect it. I'm not need to go out for online.

Myeg portal and Rilek portal

That day we learned new chapter about that computer communication. We know that internet communication has a few types. They are instant messaging, VoIP, weblogs, Podcasts, webcasts and wikis, chat rooms, newsgroups and E-mail. In this chapter, we more know detail with internet communication. We also learn about conducting business over the internet. It has e-commerce. In the e-commerce, we can use electronic commerce, business-to-business, business-to-consumer, consumer-to-consumer, and secure transaction. E-commerce has learn in marketing which I take this course paper last semester. Lecturer ask us to find out the Myeg portal and Rilek portal. I find them such as:
MyEG Services Berhad is a concessionaire for the Malaysian E-Government MSC Flagship Application. MyEG role as a Service Provider for the E-Services component essentially provides the electronic link between the Government and citizens/businesses. Through MyEG portal, MyEG offer the Malaysian public a single point of contact between the Government and the people it serves. MyEG portal enables Malaysians to dynamically interact with numerous agencies within the Federal, State and the Local Government machinery providing services ranging from information searches to licence applications. To cater the services which require physical presence/interaction, MyEG has set up E-Service Centres located throughout the country to complement our online presence. We believe that through this dual approach, we can enhance the relationship and quality of interaction between the Government of Malaysia and it’s citizens. MyEG Services has established the electronic link between the Government and citizens/businesses. This website enables the Malaysian public a single point of contact between the Government and the people it serves. There are a few other services currently being offered at the website.
Introducing RILEK as the revolutionary way to perform all your e-government services: Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) ,Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM), Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TMB)
and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). We provide easy transactions electronically via various delivery channels. RILEK offers JPJ Driving Licences services, summons payments and inquiries on Kejara points. Our services include electronic utility bill payment for TNB and Telekom bills. Go online and experience hands-on the technologically advanced payment method, minus the hassle, queues, and frustrations. You can complete all your billing payments and inquiries in an instant, comfortably from anywhere. RILEK represent reliability, simplicity and security. RILEK is equipped with high-end multimedia facilities and system support to accommodate heavy traffic flow. In addition, it is capable of processing information at an efficient and high-speed rate. RILEK promotes a hassle-free and innovative lifestyle that is designed to eliminate queues and frustrations. RILEK combines advanced technology and human proficiency to enhance your lifestyle.

B2B C2C B2C

Business-to-business (B2B) describes commerce transactions between businesses, such as between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer. Contrasting terms are business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-government (B2G).The volume of B2B transactions is much higher than the volume of B2C transactions. The primary reason for this is that in a typical supply chain there will be many B2B transactions involving subcomponent or raw materials, and only one B2C transaction, specifically sale of the finished product to the end customer. For example, an automobile manufacturer makes several B2B transactions such as buying tires, glass for windshields, and rubber hoses for its vehicles. The final transaction, a finished vehicle sold to the consumer, is a single (B2C) transaction.

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) (or citizen-to-citizen) electronic commerce involves the electronically-facilitated transactions between consumers through some third party. A common example is the online auction, in which a consumer posts an item for sale and other consumers bid to purchase it; the third party generally charges a flat fee or commission. The sites are only intermediaries, just there to match consumers. They do not have to check quality of the products being offered.

Business-to-consumer (B2C, sometimes also called Business-to-Customer) describes activities of businesses serving end consumers with products and/or services.
An example of a B2C transaction would be a person buying a pair of shoes from a retailer. The transactions that led to the shoes being available for purchase, that is the purchase of the leather, laces, rubber, etc. as well as the sale of the shoe from the shoemaker to the retailer would be considered (B2B) transactions.

e-government and e.commurce

e-Government (short for electronic government, also known as e-gov, digital government, online government or transformational government) is a diffused neologism used to refer to the use of information and communication technology to provide and improve government services, transactions and interactions with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.
Electronic Commerce, commonly known as (electronic marketing) e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the transaction's lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well.
A large percentage of electronic commerce is conducted entirely electronically for virtual items such as access to premium content on a website, but most electronic commerce involves the transportation of physical items in some way. Online retailers are sometimes known as e-tailers and online retail is sometimes known as e-tail. Almost all big retailers have electronic commerce presence on the World Wide Web. Electronic commerce that is conducted between businesses is referred to as business-to-business or B2B. B2B can be open to all interested parties (e.g. commodity exchange) or limited to specific, pre-qualified participants (private electronic market). Electronic commerce that is conducted between businesses and consumers, on the other hand, is referred to as business-to-consumer or B2C. This is the type of electronic commerce conducted by companies such as Amazon.com. Electronic commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of e-business. It also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of the business transactions.

SCCT1023 Group A 2/8/09

That day was tired for me. Why? It is because I come back to uum at that morning. I afraid I was late to my class. Luckily, I reached the class at 9.30am. I wasn’t late. Hehe ….
At the second class for cct1023, I felt tired and asleep because I ran too fast to my first class. When lecturer was teaching, I felt asleep but I still at class to learn the input and output device. Lecturer said that if you wanted to go out for rest also can, but I did not do that. I still stayed in class to listen until finish class. Before mid semester break, we have a quiz. Oh my god, I still havn’t prepare it!!!

micrisoft window

Learn more about citing Wikipedia.
Candidates are currently being accepted for the Wikimedia Board of Trustees Election. Become a candidate.
[Hide] [Help us with translations!]
Microsoft Windows
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"Windows" redirects here. For the part of a building, see Window. For other uses, see Windows (disambiguation).



This article needs additional citations for verification.Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007)

Microsoft Windows


Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs).[1] Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal computer market, overtaking Mac OS, which had been introduced previously. At the 2004 IDC Directions conference, it was stated that Windows had approximately 90% of the client operating system market.[2] The most recent client version of Windows is Windows Vista; the most recent server version is Windows Server 2008. Vista's successor, Windows 7 (currently a release candidate), is scheduled to be released on October 22, 2009.
he term Windows collectively describes any or all of several generations of Microsoft operating system products. These products are generally categorized as follows:
Early versions
Main articles: Windows 1.0, Windows 2.0, and Windows 2.1x
The history of Windows dates back to September 1981, when the project named "Interface Manager" was started. It was announced in November 1983 (after the Apple Lisa, but before the Macintosh) under the name "Windows", but Windows 1.0 was not released until November 1985.[3] The shell of Windows 1.0 was a program known as the MS-DOS Executive. Other supplied programs are Calculator, Calendar, Cardfile, Clipboard viewer, Clock, Control Panel, Notepad, Paint, Reversi, Terminal, and Write. Windows 1.0 does not allow overlapping windows, due to Apple Computer owning this feature. Instead all windows are tiled. Only dialog boxes can appear over other windows.
Windows 2.0 was released in October 1987 and featured several improvements to the user interface and memory management.[3] Windows 2.0 allowed application windows to overlap each other and also introduced more sophisticated keyboard-shortcuts. It could also make use of expanded memory.
Windows 2.1 was released in two different flavors: Windows/386 employed the 386 virtual 8086 mode to multitask several DOS programs, and the paged memory model to emulate expanded memory using available extended memory. Windows/286 (which, despite its name, would run on the 8086) still ran in real mode, but could make use of the high memory area.
The early versions of Windows were often thought of as simply graphical user interfaces, mostly because they ran on top of MS-DOS and used it for file system services.[4] However, even the earliest 16-bit Windows versions already assumed many typical operating system functions; notably, having their own executable file format and providing their own device drivers (timer, graphics, printer, mouse, keyboard and sound) for applications. Unlike MS-DOS, Windows allowed users to execute multiple graphical applications at the same time, through cooperative multitasking. Windows implemented an elaborate, segment-based, software virtual memory scheme, which allowed it to run applications larger than available memory: code segments and resources were swapped in and thrown away when memory became scarce, and data segments moved in memory when a given application had relinquished processor control, typically waiting for user input.[citation needed]

Windows 3.0 (1990) and Windows 3.1 (1992) improved the design, mostly because of virtual memory and loadable virtual device drivers (VxDs) which allowed them to share arbitrary devices between multitasked DOS windows.[citation needed] Also, Windows applications could now run in protected mode (when Windows was running in Standard or 386 Enhanced Mode), which gave them access to several megabytes of memory and removed the obligation to participate in the software virtual memory scheme. They still ran inside the same address space, where the segmented memory provided a degree of protection, and multi-tasked cooperatively. For Windows 3.0, Microsoft also rewrote critical operations from C into assembly, making this release faster and less memory-hungry than its predecessors.[citation needed] With the introduction of the Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows was able to bypass DOS for file management operations using 32-bit file access.[citation needed]
Windows 95, 98, and Me
Main articles: Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me
Windows 95 was released in 1995, featuring a new user interface, supported long file names, could automatically detect and configure installed hardware (plug and play), natively ran 32-bit applications, and featured several technological improvements that increased its stability over Windows 3.1. Windows 95 uses pre-emptive multitasking and runs each 32-bit application in a separate address space. This makes it harder for a single buggy application to crash the whole system. It was still not a secure multi-user operating system like Windows NT as a strict separation between applications was not enforced by the kernel. The API was a subset of the Win32 API supported by Windows NT, notably lacking support for Unicode and functions related to security. Windows 95 was now bundled together with MS-DOS 7.0, however its role was mostly delegated to that of a boot loader.
There were several releases of Windows 95; the first in 1995, with Service Pack 1 following in December which included Internet Explorer 2.0. Subsequent versions were only available with the purchase of a new computer and were called OEM Service Releases. OSR1 was equivalent to Windows 95 with SP1. OSR2 (also called Windows 95 B) included support for FAT32 and UDMA and shipped with Internet Explorer 3. OSR 2.1 included basic support for USB and OSR 2.5 (also called Windows 95C) shipped with Internet Explorer 4.0.
Microsoft's next release was Windows 98 in 1998. Microsoft released a second version of Windows 98 in 1999, named Windows 98 Second Edition (often shortened to Windows 98 SE).
In 2000, Microsoft released Windows Me (Me standing for Millennium Edition), which used the same core as Windows 98 but adopted some aspects of Windows 2000 and removed the "boot in DOS mode" option. It also added a new feature called System Restore, allowing the user to set the computer's settings back to an earlier date. Me is also the last DOS-based Windows release which does not include Microsoft Product Activation.
Windows NT family
Main article: Windows NT
The NT family of Windows systems was fashioned and marketed for higher reliability business use, and was unencumbered by any Microsoft DOS patrimony. The first release was MS Windows NT 3.1 (1993), numbered "3.1" to match the consumer Windows version, which was followed by NT 3.5 (1994), NT 3.51 (1995), NT 4.0 (1996), and Windows 2000 (2000). 2000 is the last NT-based Windows release which does not include Microsoft Product Activation. NT 4.0 was the first in this line to implement the "Windows 95" user interface (and the first to include Windows 95’s built-in 32-bit runtimes). Microsoft then moved to combine their consumer and business operating systems with Windows XP, coming in both home and professional versions (and later niche market versions for tablet PCs and media centers); they also diverged release schedules for server operating systems. Windows Server 2003, released a year and a half after Windows XP, brought Windows Server up to date with MS Windows XP. After a lengthy development process, Windows Vista was released toward the end of 2006, and its server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 was released in early 2008. In 2009, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 entered beta. Microsoft plans to release Windows 7 in late October 2009.
Windows CE, Microsoft’s offering in the mobile and embedded markets, is also a true 32-bit operating system that offers various services for all sub-operating workstations.
64-bit operating systems
Windows NT included support for several different platforms before the x86-based personal computer became dominant in the professional world. Versions of NT from 3.1 to 4.0 variously supported PowerPC, DEC Alpha and MIPS R4000, some of which were 64-bit processors, although the operating system treated them as 32-bit processors.
With the introduction of the Intel Itanium architecture, which is referred to as IA-64, Microsoft released new versions of Windows to support it. Itanium versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 were released at the same time as their mainstream x86 (32-bit) counterparts. On April 25, 2005, Microsoft released Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and x64 versions of Windows Server 2003 to support the AMD64/Intel64 (or x64 in Microsoft terminology) architecture. Microsoft dropped support for the Itanium version of Windows XP in 2005. Windows Vista is the first end-user version of Windows that Microsoft has released simultaneously in x86 and x64 editions. Windows Vista does not support the Itanium architecture. The modern 64-bit Windows family comprises AMD64/Intel64 versions of Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008, in both Itanium and x64 editions. Windows Server 2008 R2 drops the 32-bit version, although Windows 7 does not.
Windows CE
Main article: Windows CE
Windows CE (officially known as Windows Embedded), is an edition of Windows that runs on minimalistic computers, like satellite navigation systems, and uncommonly mobile phones. Windows Embedded runs as CE, rather than NT, which is why it should not be mistaken for Windows XP Embedded, which is NT. Windows CE was used in the Sega Dreamcast along with Sega's own proprietary OS for the console.
History
Main article: History of Microsoft Windows


The Windows family tree.
Microsoft has taken two parallel routes in its operating systems. One route has been for the home user and the other has been for the professional IT user. The dual routes have generally led to home versions having greater multimedia support and less functionality in networking and security, and professional versions having inferior multimedia support and better networking and security.[citation needed]
The first version of Microsoft Windows, version 1.0, released in November 1985, lacked a degree of functionality and achieved little popularity, and was to compete with Apple’s own operating system.[citation needed] Windows 1.0 is not a complete operating system; rather, it extends MS-DOS. Microsoft Windows version 2.0 was released in November, 1987 and was slightly more popular than its predecessor. Windows 2.03 (release date January 1988) had changed the OS from tiled windows to overlapping windows. The result of this change led to Apple Computer filing a suit against Microsoft alleging infringement on Apple's copyrights.[10][11]


A Windows for Workgroups 3.11 desktop.
Microsoft Windows version 3.0, released in 1990, was the first Microsoft Windows version to achieve broad commercial success, selling 2 million copies in the first six months.[12][13] It featured improvements to the user interface and to multitasking capabilities. It received a facelift in Windows 3.1, made generally available on March 1, 1992. Windows 3.1 support ended on December 31, 2001.[14]
In July 1993, Microsoft released Windows NT based on a new kernel. NT was considered to be the professional OS and was the first Windows version to utilize preemptive multitasking.[citation needed]. Windows NT would later be retooled to also function as a home operating system, with Windows XP.
On August 24, 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95, a new, and major, consumer version that made further changes to the user interface, and also used preemptive multitasking. Windows 95 was designed to replace not only Windows 3.1, but also Windows for Workgroups, and MS-DOS. It was also the first Windows operating system to use Plug and Play capabilities. The changes Windows 95 brought to the desktop were revolutionary, as opposed to evolutionary, such as those in Windows 98 and Windows Me. Mainstream support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2000 and extended support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2001.[15]
The next in the consumer line was Microsoft Windows 98 released on June 25, 1998. It was substantially criticized for its slowness and for its unreliability compared with Windows 95, but many of its basic problems were later rectified with the release of Windows 98 Second Edition in 1999.[citation needed] Mainstream support for Windows 98 ended on June 30, 2002 and extended support for Windows 98 ended on July 11, 2006.[16]
As part of its "professional" line, Microsoft released Windows 2000 in February 2000. The consumer version following Windows 98 was Windows Me (Windows Millennium Edition). Released in September 2000, Windows Me implemented a number of new technologies for Microsoft: most notably publicized was "Universal Plug and Play". During 2004 part of the Source Code for Windows 2000 was leaked onto the internet. This was bad for Microsoft as the same kernel used in Windows 2000 was used in Windows XP.
In October 2001, Microsoft released Windows XP, a version built on the Windows NT kernel that also retained the consumer-oriented usability of Windows 95 and its successors. This new version was widely praised in computer magazines.[17] It shipped in two distinct editions, "Home" and "Professional", the former lacking many of the superior security and networking features of the Professional edition. Additionally, the first "Media Center" edition was released in 2002,[18] with an emphasis on support for DVD and TV functionality including program recording and a remote control. Mainstream support for Windows XP ended on April 14, 2009. Extended support will continue until April 8, 2014.[19]
In April 2003, Windows Server 2003 was introduced, replacing the Windows 2000 line of server products with a number of new features and a strong focus on security; this was followed in December 2005 by Windows Server 2003 R2.
On January 30, 2007 Microsoft released Windows Vista. It contains a number of new features, from a redesigned shell and user interface to significant technical changes, with a particular focus on security features. It is available in a number of different editions, and has been subject to some criticism.[citation needed]


Security
Security has been a hot topic with Windows for many years, and even Microsoft itself has been the victim of security breaches.[citation needed] Consumer versions of Windows were originally designed for ease-of-use on a single-user PC without a network connection, and did not have security features built in from the outset.[22][23][24]
Windows NT and its successors are designed for security (including on a network) and multi-user PCs, but were not initially designed with Internet security in mind as much since, when it was first developed in the early 1990s, Internet use was less prevalent.[25]
These design issues combined with flawed code (such as buffer overflows) and the popularity of Windows means that it is a frequent target of computer worm and virus writers. In June 2005, Bruce Schneier’s Counterpane Internet Security reported that it had seen over 1,000 new viruses and worms in the previous six months.[26]
Microsoft releases security patches through its Windows Update service approximately once a month (usually the second Tuesday of the month), although critical updates are made available at shorter intervals when necessary.[27] In Windows 2000 (SP3 and later), Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, updates can be automatically downloaded and installed if the user selects to do so. As a result, Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, as well as Service Pack 1 for Windows Server 2003, were installed by users more quickly than it otherwise might have been.[28]
Windows File Permissions
All Windows versions from Windows NT 3 have been based on a file system permission system referred to as AGLP (Accounts, Global, Local, Permissions) AGDLP which in essence where file permissions are applied to the file/folder in the form of a 'local group' which then has other 'global groups' as members. These global groups then hold other groups or users depending on different Windows versions used. This system varies from other vendor products such as Linux and NetWare due to the 'static' allocation of permission being applied directory to the file or folder. However using this process of AGLP/AGDLP/AGUDLP allows a small number of static permissions to be applied and allows for easy changes to the account groups without reapplying the file permissions on the files and folders.
Windows Defender
On January 6, 2005, Microsoft released a beta version of Microsoft AntiSpyware, based upon the previously released Giant AntiSpyware. On February 14, 2006, Microsoft AntiSpyware became Windows Defender with the release of beta 2. Windows Defender is a freeware program designed to protect against spyware and other unwanted software. Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users who have genuine copies of Microsoft Windows can freely download the program from Microsoft's web site, and Windows Defender ships as part of Windows Vista.[29]
Third-party analysis
In an article based on a report by Symantec,[30] internetnews.com has described Microsoft Windows as having the "fewest number of patches and the shortest average patch development time of the five operating systems it monitored in the last six months of 2006."[31] Furthermore the number of vulnerabilities found in Windows has significantly increased— Windows: 12+, Red Hat + Fedora: 2, Mac OS X: 1, HP-UX: 2, Solaris: 1.
A study conducted by Kevin Mitnick and marketing communications firm Avantgarde in 2004 found that an unprotected and unpatched Windows XP system with Service Pack 1 lasted only 4 minutes on the Internet before it was compromised, and an unprotected and also unpatched Windows Server 2003 system was compromised after being connected to the internet for 8 hours.[32] However, it is important to note that this study does not apply to Windows XP systems running the Service Pack 2 update (released in late 2004), which vastly improved the security of Windows XP.[citation needed] The computer that was running Windows XP Service Pack 2 was not compromised. The AOL National Cyber Security Alliance Online Safety Study of October 2004 determined that 80% of Windows users were infected by at least one spyware/adware product.[33] Much documentation is available describing how to increase the security of Microsoft Windows products. Typical suggestions include deploying Microsoft Windows behind a hardware or software firewall, running anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and installing patches as they become available through Windows Update.[citation needed]
Windows Lifecycle Policy

This section needs additional citations for verification.Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009)
Microsoft has stopped releasing updates and hotfixes for many old Windows operating systems, including all versions of Windows 9x,[34] and earlier versions of Windows NT. Windows versions prior to Windows 2000 are no longer supported. No new updates are created for unsupported versions of Windows.
Emulation software
Emulation allows the use of some Windows applications without using Microsoft Windows. These include:
Wine — a free and open source software implementation of the Windows API, allowing one to run many Windows applications on x86-based platforms, including Linux and Mac OS X. Wine developers refer to it as a "compatibility layer";[35] and make use of Windows-style APIs to emulate the Windows environment.
CrossOver — A Wine package with licensed fonts. Its developers are regular contributors to Wine, and focus on Wine running officially supported applications.
Cedega — TransGaming Technologies' proprietary fork of Wine, designed specifically for running games written for Microsoft Windows under Linux. A version of Cedega known as Cider is used by some video game publishers to allow Windows games to run on Mac OS X. Since wine was licensed under the LGPL Cedega has been unable to port the improvements made to wine to their proprietary codebase.
Darwine — A bundling of Wine to the PowerPC Macs running OS X by running wine on top of QEMU. Intel Macs use the same Wine as other *NIX x86 systems.
ReactOS — An open-source OS that is intended to run the same software as Windows, originally designed to simulate Windows NT 4.0, now aiming at Windows XP compatibility. It has been in the development stage since 1996.
Windows4all - online virtual operating system that simulates Windows Vista in interner browser.
See also