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On this day in engineering history, Microsoft released Windows 1.01, a 16-bit operating environment that featured a graphical user interface (GUI) and provided limited multitasking for MS-DOS programs. Although Windows 1.01 was not a full-fledged operating system (OS), its use of virtual memory and original device drivers replaced or complemented parts of the Microsoft Disc Operating System (MS-DOS).
Microsoft Windows 1.01 ran a shell program known as MS-DOS Executive and included a GUI calculator, calendar, cardfile, and clock. Notepad and Write provided basic text editing and word processing capabilities. Microsoft Excel, now the industry-standard spreadsheet application, was not released until 1987. System requirements for Microsoft Windows 1.01 included 256 KB RAM and two double-sided disk drives.
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