Windows 1.0 was the first release of what eventually made it onto almost every desktop computer in the entire world. Many of you are probably unaware of this release from 1985; conceived from ideas found in the original Macintosh (1984) and Xerox Star system, Windows 1.0 was Microsoft's attempt at a graphical multitasking operating system for the IBM PC.
Effectively a frontend to MS-DOS, Windows 1.0 could run multiple DOS based applications, along with applications developed with the native, then new Windows API. Since Microsoft has a design goal of backwards compatibility, a large amount of applications targeted towards Windows 1.0 will run on modern 16-bit or 32-bit versions of Windows with no issues, and a large subset of applications can be recompiled targeting modern versions with few code changes.
Windows Premiere Edition was an interim release between the development releases and the final 1.01 version that was designated to the masses. This release was partially made to discredit claims of vaporware and to also fulfill a promise, to a degree, of shipping Windows 1.0 in the summer.
Verified Windows 1.0 Premiere Edition exists! This version has been redumped and verified. This archive has originated from community member Alias who was an intern with Microsoft at the time. According to The Secret Origin of Windows, an account of Tandy Trower the 5th project manager who ultimately shipped Windows 1.0, by the start of summer in 1985 they "were not close to being done" and Trower dubbed this Premiere Edition a preliminary release for application vendors, analysts, and the press. This was made not only to remove doubts of Windows being vaporware, but to also solicit feedback and partially deliver on a promise from Steve Balmer to ship in the summer of 1985. Many of individuals worked night and day, 7 days a week, with Gabe Newell even sleeping in his office.
This version exhibits many bugs, such as crashing when closing a larger application. It defaults to a monochrome color scheme, and has many other differences. There are also differences in the Windows API between Premiere Edition and final Windows 1.01. Fonts and device drivers are also shipped with a .EXE extension. This release includes the PIF editor although lacks Windows Write the 5th disk.
BETA This version is a pre-release, essentially a beta or a Release Candidate. Most applications written for Windows 1.01 will have problems or fail to run under Windows Premiere Edition.
Note: The Windows 2.03 PS/2 mouse driver is not compatible with this version. Either run this in an environment with a Microsoft Serial, or Mouse Systems/Visi On Serial mouse, or add the mouse driver shown below (From the Windows 2.01 Excel 2.0 runtime)
To run Windows PE under DOS 5.x or 6.x, add a SETVER entry: "SETVER C:\DOS WIN100.MID 3.31". For DOSBox, use the command "ver set 3 31"
For higher resolution graphics you can use A patch for the EGA driver to support VGA/VESA
This release is best virtualized with PCem although there are reports of VirtualBox and VMWare working to a certain degree.
Stats/Requirements
Category : Operating System
Platform : Windows
Release : 1985-07-30
End of Life : 1985-11-13
RAM : 320 KB
Disk Space : 720 KB
Required CPU: Intel 8088/8086
Type : Graphical
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