Despite the fact that the latest version of the Windows operating system, Windows 11, was released on October 5, 2021, Windows 10 remains the most popular Windows OS for desktop computers, with over a billion active devices still using it. Even with the newer, sleeker Windows 11, Microsoft continues to support Windows 10 through service updates until October 14, 2025. But why, after 8 years (Windows 10 was officially released on July 29, 2015), does Windows 10 still hold the reputation as the best Windows OS for desktops?
To answer this, we need to delve into the past. As you may know, every Windows operating system consists of a kernel that manages all processes in the computer, drivers that enable device functionality, configuration files (settings and preferences set by the user), a command processor that interprets commands into executable OS instructions, and a GUI - graphical user interface. Since the release of Windows 7 on October 22, 2009, each subsequent Windows OS (specifically the kernel) has been an evolution of the previous one. The differences lie primarily in the GUI, bundled software, and settings. Interestingly, this subtle variation determines the pricing of different Windows OS versions.
Before the release of Windows 10, Microsoft made a significant announcement: Windows 10 would work across all devices and be the final version of Windows. There would be no more new Windows OS versions; instead, Windows would evolve through upgrades, similar to how Linux distributions operate. Honestly, back in 2015, this saddened us as Windows users who always anticipated the next big release. Despite that, we also appreciate using Linux distributions.
The second piece of news that definitely had a significant impact on Windows users transitioning to the Windows 10 operating system was the marketing statement that Windows 10 would be free. However, we later realized that this offer only applied to those who had Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 installed. Despite many users expecting Windows 10 to work exclusively on 64-bit processor architecture, it turned out that you could install Windows 10 even on a 32-bit processor. From its release until December 2017, you could download a small program and upgrade your previous Windows OS to Windows 10 with just one click.
A few years before the release of Windows 10, we were fortunate. Thanks to substantial savings, we visited a computer store, purchased their most powerful machine, and requested additional upgrades. Back then, having such a PC in Serbia was rare. Even the technicians assembling the computer were a bit envious. We bought a licensed Windows Professional 7 Edition OS and didn’t regret spending that much money. During that time, Windows 8 and 8.1 were mainly seen in computer schools or pre-installed on newer laptops. However, they were definitely not as popular as Windows 7. Believe it or not, there are still people today who have an old computer with Windows 7 installed. So, we welcomed the summer of 2015 by transitioning from Windows Professional 7 Edition to Windows Professional 10 Edition.
Which versions of the Windows 10 operating system have been released?
