{"id":202410,"date":"2021-03-15T09:40:16","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T06:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/"},"modified":"2021-03-15T09:40:16","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T06:40:16","slug":"the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/","title":{"rendered":"#The 10 Greatest Versions of Windows, Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a35fe2bce985\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a35fe2bce985\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/#The_Ranking_Criteria\" >The Ranking Criteria<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/#10_Windows_30_1990\" >#10: Windows 3.0 (1990)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/#9_Windows_8_2012\" >#9: Windows 8 (2012)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/#8_Windows_NT_40_1996\" >#8: Windows NT 4.0 (1996)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/#7_Windows_98_SE_1999\" >#7: Windows 98 SE (1999)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/#6_Windows_for_Workgroups_311_1993\" >#6: Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (1993)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/#5_Windows_10_2015\" >#5: Windows 10 (2015)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/#4_Windows_XP_2001\" >#4: Windows XP (2001)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/#3_Windows_95_1995\" >#3: Windows 95 (1995)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/#2_Windows_2000_2000\" >#2: Windows 2000 (2000)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/#1_Windows_7_2009\" >#1: Windows 7 (2009)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#The 10 Greatest Versions of Windows, Ranked&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-717155\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/greatest_windows_hero_1.jpg\" alt=\"The classic Microsoft Windows logo on a blurry white background\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Over the past 35 years, Microsoft has released <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Microsoft_Windows#Timeline_of_releases\">at least 30 major versions<\/a> of the Windows operating system. But they weren\u2019t all created equal, so we thought it would be fun to rank the 10 greatest desktop versions of this essential OS.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Ranking_Criteria\"><\/span>The Ranking Criteria<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When someone says that something was the \u201cgreatest,\u201d it suggests that it had a combination of legacy, impact, innovation, and capability for its time. That\u2019s the recipe at play here in this ranking, which is not (and never could be) a definitive list to objectively prove which version of Windows is \u201cthe best.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In fact, if you wanted a list of the \u201cbest\u201d versions of Windows, you might get a list of Windows versions with the most features, the least bugs, and the most up-to-date security\u2014in other words, a list of Windows versions in chronological order (with a couple of hiccups). No, this list will be far more fun than that.<\/p>\n<p>To keep things simple, we only considered desktop versions of Windows. Mobile operating systems like Windows CE, Windows Phone, Windows Mobile 10, and Windows RT are another beast entirely, as are server versions of Windows like Windows Server 2003.<\/p>\n<p>With that out of the way, let\u2019s get ranking!<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Windows_30_1990\"><\/span>#10: Windows 3.0 (1990)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-717211\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/windows_30_htg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"490\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Windows 3.0 unified the confusingly named <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Windows_2.0\">Windows 2.x family of products<\/a> (Windows 2.03, Windows\/286, Windows\/386, etc.) into a single environment that worked on machines ranging from low-speed 8088s to those with 386 CPUs. It also included a stunning new graphical interface with a 3D-shaded look and a suite of gorgeous icons designed by graphic design legend Susan Kare.<\/p>\n<p>It also introduced Solitaire, which doesn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Windows 3.0 Is 30 Years Old: Here&#8217;s What Made It Special<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Windows_8_2012\"><\/span>#9: Windows 8 (2012)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-717216\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/windows_8_screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"383\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Change is hard, and Windows 8 made a radical departure from tradition that left many people upset. Despite poor critical reviews, Windows 8 was the most innovative version of Windows since Windows 95, daring to face the encroaching world of touch-based mobile devices like the iPad head-on. The result was a hybrid OS that could work both on tablets and desktops.<\/p>\n<p>The result wasn\u2019t the best for desktop users\u2014ditching the Start menu was a mistake\u2014but Microsoft did fix some glaring issues in Windows 8.1. And under the hood, Windows 8 was Windows 7 with a lot of overlooked security improvements.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Windows_NT_40_1996\"><\/span>#8: Windows NT 4.0 (1996)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-717212\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/win_nt_4_htg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"490\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you take the stability of the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Windows_NT\">32-bit Windows NT kernel<\/a> and add the very user-friendly interface of Windows 95 on top, you have Windows NT 4.0. Its rock-solid stability (after some patches) made it Microsoft\u2019s most popular business and academic OS for years, and dedicated NT4 users <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerworld.com\/article\/2580897\/still-on-windows-nt.html\">were reluctant to upgrade as late as 2003<\/a>. If it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it, right?<\/p>\n<p>In fact, if you were willing to forego modern interface conveniences and security updates, you could still run Windows NT 4 for some tasks today\u2014if you <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7CNrp4qS1n4\">were daring enough<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Windows_98_SE_1999\"><\/span>#7: Windows 98 SE (1999)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-717214\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/windows_98_htg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"490\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Windows 98 took the innovations introduced in Windows 95 and added an improved interface with more flexibility, while still straddling the 16-bit legacy MS-DOS world. For a time, there was no better PC gaming OS than Windows 98, since it supported DOS <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s and DirectX-based titles as well.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cSecond Edition\u201d release in 1999 added a selection of improvements (including better USB support) that kept many using 98 until Windows XP was released in 200\u2014skipping right over Windows Me. Unfortunately, Windows 98 proved wildly unstable, but that didn\u2019t keep it from being a popular upgrade for consumers.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Windows_for_Workgroups_311_1993\"><\/span>#6: Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (1993)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-717207\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/windows_31_htg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"482\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Windows for Workgroups took everything great about 1992\u2019s popular <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Windows_3.1x\">Windows 3.11<\/a>\u2014TrueType font support, multi<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> support, document embedding with <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Object_Linking_and_Embedding\">OLE<\/a>, and <em>Minesweeper<\/em> among them\u2014and added native networking support, making it the most potent consumer and small business version of Windows until Windows 95.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>30 Years of &#8216;Minesweeper&#8217; (Sudoku with Explosions)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Windows_10_2015\"><\/span>#5: Windows 10 (2015)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-717213\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/windows_10_htg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"366\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Windows 10 got off to a shaky start with press criticism over suspicious telemetry phoning home to Microsoft, built-in advertising, and forced updates interrupting people\u2019s work. But to Microsoft\u2019s credit, the firm has addressed those concerns over time and has continued to update Windows 10 at a steady pace over the past five years.<\/p>\n<p>Today, Windows 10 is a mature, stable, competent, and very popular OS with <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/news\/windows-10-is-now-on-1-billion-devices\/\">over a billion users<\/a>. As the \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2015\/5\/7\/8568473\/windows-10-last-version-of-windows\">last version of Windows<\/a>,\u201d we can expect 10 to keep growing and changing over time as the world changes with it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Windows 10 Is Great, Except for the Parts That Are Terrible<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Windows_XP_2001\"><\/span>#4: Windows XP (2001)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-717215\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/win_xp_htg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Even if you didn\u2019t like the green-and-blue motif of XP\u2019s default interface, there was something very magical about Windows XP to many consumers: stability. With XP, many PC users were upgrading away from the unstable MS-DOS roots of Windows 98 and Me for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>Along the way, they got a taste of rock-solid Windows NT tech, since the average PCs had just recently become powerful enough to run it well. And run it they did, with many XP fans <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.infoworld.com\/article\/2653788\/keep-windows-xp-alive-.html\">unwilling to upgrade away from XP<\/a> for a very long time.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Windows_95_1995\"><\/span>#3: Windows 95 (1995)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-717208\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/windows_95_htg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"490\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>For many PC users, Windows 95 was when \u201cWindows the Microsoft software product\u201d became \u201cWindows the must-have desktop OS.\u201d It was beautiful and easy to use, and included the innovative Start menu and taskbar, arguably surpassing Macintosh OS for the first time in usability.<\/p>\n<p>Windows 95 introduced many Windows standards that we take for granted today, including File Explorer, Windows keyboard shortcuts, the Recycle Bin, file shortcuts, the modern desktop, and more. It is the archetype of Windows, distilled: Anyone familiar with Windows today could easily go back and use Windows 95 without any trouble. Few software products have ever been as essential in their time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Windows 95 Turns 25: When Windows Went Mainstream<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Windows_2000_2000\"><\/span>#2: Windows 2000 (2000)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-717210\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Windows_2000_htg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"490\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Windows 2000 is an underrated masterpiece\u2014a taste of a stable and more mature Windows that felt ahead of its time for early adopters. As a \u201cprofessional\u201d version of Windows, it didn\u2019t get the splashy coverage of its consumer counterpart Windows Me. But unlike earlier versions of Windows NT, 2000 was a perfectly usable home version of Windows NT for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>It did everything you needed without too much flash, and it delivered rock-solid stability that inspired fierce loyalty in users, some of whom <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.groovypost.com\/howto\/microsoft\/windows-2000-to-windows-7-migration-tool-released\/\">didn\u2019t upgrade again until Windows 7 came out in 2009<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Remembering Windows 2000, Microsoft&#8217;s Forgotten Masterpiece<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Windows_7_2009\"><\/span>#1: Windows 7 (2009)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-717209\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/windows7_htg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>At the time of its release, Windows 7 marked Microsoft\u2019s big comeback from the disaster that was <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Windows_Vista\">Windows Vista<\/a>, which had been pilloried for its new <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach to security (UAC), its bugs, its resource-hogging nature, and its flashy \u201cI want to be more like OS X\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Windows_Aero\">Aero interface<\/a> that didn\u2019t feel like it added much to the OS.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, Windows 7 was more stable than Vista, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerworld.com\/article\/2782224\/windows-7-is-less-of-a-resource-hog-than-vista.html\">ran faster on the same hardware<\/a>, toned down the UAC issues, and refined the Aero interface to make it less flashy and more classy (and you could turn it off, if necessary). At the same time, Windows 7 kept some of Vista\u2019s improvements (like search in the Start menu) while adding others (like pinning an icon to the taskbar).<\/p>\n<p>Ironically, a big part of what still makes Windows 7 great is how it\u2019s not like Windows 10. Windows 7 has no freemium pack-in games, no advertising on the Start menu, and no pressure to link your account to the cloud. You update when you feel the time is right. Your computer feels like it\u2019s under your control, not Microsoft\u2019s. In some ways, it\u2019s the last gasp of a non-software-as-a-service era (or as a vehicle for a cut of in-app purchasing) that many are <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2021\/1\/6\/22217052\/microsoft-windows-7-109-million-pcs-usage-stats-analytics\">still desperate to cling to<\/a> despite the changing tech landscape around us.<\/p>\n<p>With Windows 7 support finally over as of January 2020, you should upgrade to Windows 10 if you are able\u2014but it remains to be seen whether Microsoft will ever match the lean utilitarian nature of Windows 7 ever again. For now, it\u2019s still the greatest desktop version of Windows ever made.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Windows 7 Dies Today: Here&#8217;s What You Need to Know<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/717105\/the-10-greatest-versions-of-windows-ranked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#The 10 Greatest Versions of Windows, Ranked&#8221; Over the past 35 years, Microsoft has released at least 30 major versions of the Windows operating system. But they weren\u2019t all created equal, so we thought it would be fun to rank the 10 greatest desktop versions of this essential OS. The Ranking Criteria When someone says&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":202411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/greatest_windows_hero_1.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-202410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}