Windows Graphical Test

Windows Graphical Test (better known as Windows GIT, with the “GIT” standing for “Graphical Interface Test) technically is the first “operating system” released by Microsoft. This version of Windows was not released to the public, because it was originally a test to see how well Windows could run on computers at the time, to prepare for the release of Windows 1.0.

Windows GIT was made in 1983, prior to the first version of Windows. The operating system is very limited, and only various applications work. Several images of the system have been released, with each one of them showing the interface of Windows GIT. This system is quite rare, as only 100 - 300 copies were sold.

In 1984, Windows GIT was officially released by Microsoft to demonstrate it’s features. Despite positive responses to its early presentations and support from a number of hardware and software makers, Windows GIT was received poorly by critics. Critics felt Windows GIT did not meet their expectations. In particular, they felt that Windows GIT put too much emphasis on mouse input at a time when mouse use was not yet widespread; not providing enough resources for new users; and for performance issues, especially on systems with lower computer hardware specifications. Despite these criticisms, Windows 1.0 was an important milestone for Microsoft, as it introduced the Microsoft Windows line. On December 31, 2001, Windows 1.0 was declared obsolete and Microsoft stopped providing support and updates for the system.