The Evolution of Desktops
1984 - 1986
January 1984: Macintosh System 1
April 1985: Macintosh System 2
November 1985: Microsoft Windows 1.0
November 1985: Microsoft Windows 1.0
January 1986: Macintosh System 3
1987 - 1989
March 1987: Macintosh System 4
1987: Macintosh System 5
December 1987: Microsoft Windows 2.0
December 1987: Microsoft Windows 2.0
April 1988: Macintosh System 6
1990 - 1994
May 1990: Microsoft Windows 3.0
May 1991: Macintosh System 7
August 1992: Microsoft Windows 3.1
August 1992: Macintosh System 7.1
1995 - 1997
March 1995: Macintosh System 7.5
August 1995: Microsoft Windows 95
July 1997: Mac OS 8
1998 - 1999
June 1998: Microsoft Windows 98
July 1998: KDE 1.0
October 1999: Macintosh System 9
2000 - 2001
October 2000: KDE 2.0
September 2001: Mac OS X 10.1
October 2001: Microsoft Windows XP
2002 - 2006/7
November 2005: KDE 3.5
Mac OS X 10.5
Microsoft Windows Vista
posted by Room 101 at 3:11 PM
358 Comments:
Thanks for the memories!
I miss TOS/GEM personally :P
That's not Mac System 5: it's GS/OS for the Apple IIgs, an entirely different beast.
you missed windows 2k and windows NT
That Mac System 5 shot looks a lot more like GS/OS - the OS for the Apple ][gs, which you could also add to the list since it went through 6 versions of it's own. :)
Thanks for this wonderful collection.
I was hoping to see some X-windows and Motif and/or Sun "Openview".
nice..I was born in 1980 and didn't get my first computer until 1998. so it is good to see such a nice reflection.
Eh, most desktops are left out. What about AmigaOS, TOS, Geos?
OK I got me some popcorn, just gonna sit back and wait for the rabid Amiga fans to come whinging for missing out Workbench ;)
You could have had some of the Xerox PARC stuff at the beginning.
You miss GEM, which was an early desktop, as used by the Atari ST - Falcon, as well as running on PCs at the time.
AmigaOS should have been included because it was first to have many technologies.
RISCOS is another OS that could have been included, including Arthur, its precursor.
Why only KDE? Where's Gnome? How about CDE on Solaris? NextSTEP? GEOS?
And what about OS/2? It had stuff I still miss in Microsoft's shabby clone.
I'd like to see a real desktop - preferable with oak veneer with and a few coffee stain rings here and there.
Make sure it's got Pen and Paper 1.0...
JB
you missed SunOS/Openwindows, IRIX, HPUX, Digital Unix, all the original X11's... the list goes on and on.
LOL!
they're all converging to one look!
It is interesting that there was a bit more distinction between OS 'personalities' then. Seems the natural counterpart to upgrade is homogeny.
Where's GNOME? GNOME is a very popular DE as well. (I also prefer it over KDE personally, but that's beside the point)
very nice nostalgic trip down memory lane. It presents a pretty unglamorous early windows, but hey, it really was in its default state. Thanks for posting it.
You forgot the most innovative of all operating systems, Microsoft's BOB...lol!
It appears your screenshot for System 7 is actually 7.5.x.
I had an LCIII back in the early 90s, and I remember gloating to the MS fans about how much better the Mac GUI was.... thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Where did you get that system 6 image form and do you have a disk imgae of it?
Where did you get that system 6 image form and do you have a disk imgae of it?
Ah, the memories. So old school... Takes me back in the day. My dad use to have Windows 3.1.
A perfect example of how something so simple has evolved to something much more complex... and don't forget about Dual Core...
Please add Gnome coz currently, Gnome has been equally popular with KDE and lots of people like it because of its simplicity. Also looks very different coz you see the Panel and the "Main Menu" on top
You totally left out Amigas, which had a very modern and usable UI, capable of serious multimedia quite early on, especially in terms of responsiveness. I've never used it, but I hear that RiscOS is also worth serious consideration.
On Vista... it's not out yet, and has no place here, unless you're also including screenshots of other unfinished designs, such as KDE 4.0, the next version of Mac OS, etc.
Finally, it might have been nice to see some of the rarer systems, like NeXT, DEC Alphas doing live video as you drag windows early on, BeOS, etc.
Where's our Miggy?
Seriously - it makes MacOS and Windows look dated when compared in the 80s.
People.. he didn't say it was an all-inclusive documentary. There's thousands of different GUI's out there, if you want to get technical about it. He's not getting paid to write this blog, so you can't EXPECT him to track down every OS in existence just for a stupid blog post. Christ.
Your general point was made with this post, anyway. Microsoft stole the idea for Windows from Mac, and then made more money with it.. and now everything's trying to look like everything else.
I don't understand how you could have an incomplete GUI history slashdotted. This is just a mislabled Mac vs PC Gallery.
This site has a lot more complete history than your gallery does.
http://escience.anu.edu.au/lecture/cg/Import/GUI_Timeline/thumbalto.gif
whoops that last link was this
Cool. I like the early screens. They really show how behind Microsoft was when compared to Apple.
Am I misremembering or is that screenshot of "System 6" actually System 7? I don't remember the help menu appearing until System 7.
Where is Amiga's Workbench?
:(
Missing OS/2 WPS.
2009 called...
...they want material for their OS nostalgia piece before Google owned it all.
Poster above is correct. The Mac "System 6" screen shot is actually System 7. v6 didn't have any color icons or menus, and the baloon help was a highly advertised feature of v7.
As others have noted, where's GEM and Amiga Workbench? Both were widely used in their day (MUCH more so than Windows 1.0 or 2.0.) Also, where's BeOS? NextStep?
Left out BeOS, NeXT, and Amiga GUI's
nice work. But i miss OS/2 and Gnome as major GUI's. Maybe BeOS and Nextstep.
Your macintosh system 5 pic is actually Apple IIgs System 6. Oops!
Where is Fluxbox ???
Much too selective!
You forgot X Windows before "KDE" which includes Motif and Athena and fvwm95, you forgot Gnome entirely. And you forgot FBUI, the Linux in-kernel windowing system.
Give the poor guys a break about Bob.
Microsoft Bob is what got Microsoft Bill laid!
(he met his wife while she was working on that project)
Why not gnome?
whyn not amiga?
why not [put your favorite GUI here]?
Guys, why don't think about there are no screens of a 1981 amiga/sun/whatever available?
if you are a fanboy, do your gallery yourself and post the link.
awesome compilation!
The screenshots could be bigger ;)
A revised version with all the DE mentioned by others would be fantastic.
> The screenshots could be bigger ;)
Actually, in many cases, they could not. Lots of the older shots are posted in their native resolution, you're just looking at them on an overpowered monitor ;)
I agree that you cannot post all of people's favorite UI's.
With Microsoft and Apple ones it's OK, but you included KDE, if you did that you should at least put GNOME, and possibly X-windows.
That's what I think, great post anyway.
WoW KDE was ahead of the game even when it first set its foot into the game
Why don't all the people who whine about all the ones he's missed-out put together their own galleries and submit them? It could grow into something really interesting. And if you can't be bothered then don't post your pointless moans.
I miss Amiga Kickstart/Workbench and NeXTstep/OpenStep.
There is a lot of other UI, but the one that brings the most and that I was expected to see is NeXTStep.
Could be in black and white in 1988 or in color in 1990. It bring so much and doesn't seem outdated like the Windows 2.x and System 6 of its time.
It would show what happen when you create a new operating system by choosing the best technology in each domain...
Missing X-window, XGL next big thing!
To those wanting the GEM / TOS atari desktop, look at a Mac System 1 thru 3 but with a green background. Apple sued Digital Research to remove some functionality from Graphics Environment Manager as it was to much like Mac System.
And you shouldn't forget the Lisa OS and 7/7
you missed windows 2k and windows NT
I agree. Huge misses.
How can you find the Windows 1.0 screen, is it from an emulator?
And Geos,Tos,NextStep,BeOs,......AMIGA?!?!?!!?
nice (:
Very nice, but do you remember de cde in sun os?... thats a nice memory...
Nice work, but please do fix the "Mac System 5" screenshot to properly credit GS/OS. It is definitely GS/OS running on an Apple IIGS.
Nice job. I wonder what the future will bring us?
Nice trip down Memory Lane...
Thanks for sharing...
Youshould also have put the old Amiga screenshots for comparison so we could see just exactly how far behind apple and microsoft were at the same time
hmm... Good job, but your missing some other ones. But 2000, NT aren't very different from 95.
Ah.. the good old days. Sad not to see OS/2 though.
Impressive. Although I must say that Windows always stands out as the ugliest of them all, and by that I even mean Vista. Vista looks like kde 1.0. But even uglier.
This is not an evolution of Desktops and shouldn't be called such. This is an evolution of Macintosh and Windows desktops, with a couple of KDE screenshots thrown in, which obviously don't belong here.
If you wanted to do an evolution of Desktops, you should have looked past the obvious. Missing are Apple Lisa, GEM, GEOS, AMIGA, XEROX PARK, Non-KDE X11 based Desktop systems, and NeXT, to name a few.
hah! microsoft was waay behind Mac.. then suddenly the Windows 95 jump happened!!
anyways... apple shud have sued ms long ago!
Microsoft rules!
i mean.. suck!!
To add to the "X-windows before KDE" comments, you forgot Enlightenment which used a bit of everything but still had features KDE and Gnome are struggling to emulate.
Of course on a 486sx25 back then it was gawdaweful slow...
Irix had a lot of innovations over the mac and windows. Toolchest, buttonfly and more. And the HP150 as one of the first heavily used touch screens (would you like fries with that?)
Where's the Amiga? ;)
(Apart from dead)
That is a good memory for all
you should definitely include some other things. Such as OS/2, and any other system that could really be used to improve upon what currently is in use
MAN those old os's were ugly as hell!! personally, i felt windows me was one of the worst things microsoft ever made. that damn thing gave me nightmares.
Umm....you forgot about xfce.
it's interesting that between 2001 and 2005 the most changes happened in the linux desktop, then apple got revisions of OS X, and Microsoft has been postponing every year.
(pd. I am an amiga fan, but i understand, this not my blog :)
it's interesting that between 2001 and 2005 the most changes happened in the linux desktop, then apple got revisions of OS X, and Microsoft has been postponing every year.
(pd. I am an amiga fan, but i understand, this not my blog :)
The interesting thing is how little guis have changed since MacOS 7 in 1991 15 years ago. Sure the actual OSs are better with protected memory, pre-emptive multitasking, TCP-IP stacks, etc, but the basics of the gui of desktop, icons, file explorer, control panel, and program menus have not changed in a significant way other than getting flash and polish in FIFTEEN years, sad. And I say this as a big fan of OS X Tiger but isn't it time to actually start using the capacities of our fancy graphics cards and dual core cpus for something new?
good post, its great to see the gui progression.
In the last two years, you could include screenshots of Ubuntu releases. That would give you a good Gnome comparison to the KDE/Mac/Win trio currently on display.
Great work!
Gnome? Add it to your awesome collection!
One of the best GUI galleries by far is Marcin Wichary's GUIdebook: Graphical User Interface Gallery.
This page has a very nice overview of three major GUIs (Mac/Win/KDE) but GUIdebook is far more comprenensive -- covers all manner of GUIs including EIKON, RISC OS, AmigaOS, CDE and GS/OS. And the rather bizarre Breadbox system.
And it's a lot more reliable :)
One of the best GUI galleries by far is Marcin Wichary's GUIdebook: Graphical User Interface Gallery.
This page has a very nice overview of three major GUIs (Mac/Win/KDE) but GUIdebook is far more comprenensive -- covers all manner of GUIs including EIKON, RISC OS, AmigaOS, CDE and GS/OS. And the rather bizarre Breadbox system.
And it's a lot more reliable :)
I'm glad one of the first comments was about "1987: Macintosh System 5" actually being GS/OS. Which I loved. Good old GS. :-)
Nice trip down memory lane, BUT, I would have added Amiga screenshots too. The Amiga was really only beat by stupid managment who didn't understand what they had.
All Windows screenshots show the dull gray boring interface and all Mac screenshots show the funny things in life. Please show more _comparable_ screenshots, this looks like a Mac ad campaign :-)
This is kinda weird - I'm only 19, and I remember using at least 1 OS from each timeframe (pretty much every one, in fact). Also, I must ask - where's the GNOME?
workbench is where
That isn't System5 for Mac as mentioned. System 6 did not have balloons and labels (both new for system7) so that one is wrong too. Don't know why 10.5 is included really.
I thought Windoze1 was TOS/GEM at first glance!
os/2?
Gnome?
Enlightenment?
AmigaOS?
I miss all the NeXTSTEP / OPENSTEP stuff (OS X predecessor)
what about OS/2 Warp? PC-DOS? DR-DOS? Gnome?...
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the screenshot you posted of "Macintosh System 5" isn't really System 5...it's a different GUI designed for the Apple IIgs that just happens to look like MacOS.
the people that whine about missing screens are of course always welcome to create their own gallery, and then get it /.ed so that we fanboy fags can tell you everything you missed. otherwise, stfu and enjoy the historic trip down a past of thievery.
and r-101, good job, it's nice to talk a trip back to the future every once in a while.
although not "complete" .. nice compilation .. maybe someone could start a wiki for this and then it would be complete ..
OS/2, anyone?
It's worth noting some of the things that OS/2 really brought to the desktop first [though many existed in various unices first], like the right-click context menu.
Great to see that mighty desktop of the ealry Macs. HP-UX and OS/2 notable omissions but hey! Well done. Thinking about getting my first Mac in 20 years. Would love to get a new iMac but with a System 2 look. Limited market but how funky running OS X with a monchrome flat icon GUI. Does anyone do a utility to achieve this reto look?
Very nicely done. I'm curious, where did you get all of these shots? And, did it take a long time to put together? (... "The Making of 'The Evolution of Desktops'")
To all the comments about "you left out..." versus "Stop whining...", the post is entitled "The Evolution of Desktops". I would therefore have expected at least a complete list for the three environments included - Mac OS, Windows, and KDE.
At the least the Xerox STAR and Apple Lisa screens would help those who have never seen those machines undestand where the MAC OS 1 came from. Same with NextStep for OSX. Win NT 3.51, 4.0 and 2000/XP would be easier to do of course (compared to getting one from a STAR workstation; I haven't even seen one since 1983). Finally, UNIX screens to KDE and Gnome would be useful as well for the Linux crew.
So perhaps it would have been *better* to do three versions of this? One for each main stream? Just a thought.
this is one proof that microsoft has always follow the steps of mac...
What about GEOS? The Amiga? Atari ST? And corporate UNIXES during that era? GS/OS?
Seems biased toward the Crapintosh and KDE, which have always been sort of boring to me. Where's the history, man?!?
You Missed...
Windows NT
Windows 2000
BEoS
GNOME
Coleco Adam
Solaris
etc....
excellent start though
What about TWM and associated variants.
What about VisiOn -- it predated all these, though not the Alto which others have noted should be there.
http://toastytech.com/guis/vision.html
Has some screen shots
Lovely. I remember my first mac. Ahhh... and my first Windows and the day i switched to windwos...
Vista looks coolest for the next gen GUIs.
kde looks so good for its age
Yeap that 1987 Sys 5 is definitely GSOS... one of the first 256 color "hires" windowed systems maybe even the first. This was the beginning of Apple's disloyalty to its customers.
Apple ][gs was a marvel... Wouldn't mind seeing some Atari ST and Amiga OS desktops here... or maybe even WindowMaker which pre-dates KDE. CDE also should be represented as a showing of how bad a desktop can be when all vendors agree.
Alec
hehe you missed many windows versions. And you need more windows screenshots. This blog more dominated with MAC :)
Windows ME, Windows 2000.. Hmm But very nice memories!
Probably already said in one of the 109 comments, but I miss Gnome? Furthermore it's highly fascinating to see the developments of the GUI's!
I miss the UNIX GUI's.
were is XGL?!?!
It was over quickly, but I was hoping to see the GEOS for C64. THAT was a brave experiment for a 4MHz CPU with a 170Kb floppy drive!
PS.
I just checked at Wikipedia and yup it's on there (from 1986)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEOS_%288-bit_operating_system%29
"At its peak,