Microsoft discontinues Windows 3.1 :(

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Gone but not forgotten.  Just like with sex, you'll never forget your first GUI:

http://gizmodo.com/5077047/windows-3x-discontinued

Believe it or not, up to November 1st many could and still were buying licenses for Windows 3.x (mainly for embedded systems like cash registers and airline entertainment systems from companies like Virgin). But on that day, Microsoft discontinued their licensing of the product. After 18 years, the iconic Windows platform is no more.

Requirements for the OS included a 8086/8088 processor with clock speed of 10MHz, 7MB of storage (better move Police Quest to a floppy) and 640KB of RAM.

[T234]

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Whatever colors you have in your mind
Ill show them to you and youll see them shine

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Until the break of day, let me see you make him smile
His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean
And youre the best thing that hes ever seen

Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Why wait any longer for the world to begin
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love
When hes standing in front of you

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
I long to see you in the morning light
I long to reach for you in the night
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead

[Don Flamenco]

I came here with a simple dream: a dream of killing all humans. And this is how it must end? Who's the real seven billion ton robot monster here? Not I. Not... I. 


Good night sweet prince.

[tiesto]

The OS I first used, upon getting into computers for the first time... wow, can't believe it's still (kind of) in use. Although I know OS/2 is still in use in many ATM machines throughout the country.

[Bocsius]

First we elect a black muslim socialist terrorist, and now this.  :'(

[TakingBackSunday]

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Whatever colors you have in your mind
Ill show them to you and youll see them shine

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Until the break of day, let me see you make him smile
His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean
And youre the best thing that hes ever seen

Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Why wait any longer for the world to begin
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love
When hes standing in front of you

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
I long to see you in the morning light
I long to reach for you in the night
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead

 

[Joe Molotov]

The OS I first used, upon getting into computers for the first time

Me too, on my Packard Bell 486/25mhz PC.

[xnikki118x]

Ecro was just playing around with an old-ass IBM laptop with like a 7-inch screen that had Windows 3.1 on it. He nearly shat himself when he found AOL 1.1, Sim City, Monkey Island 2, and King's Quest on it. He was like 9 years old when Windows 95 came out but remembers his dad pre-ordering it and getting a Windows 95 t-shirt and being all excited about it, lol.

I had an old Tandy with Windows 3.1 on it. We used it to run AOL 3.0, and I'd play Chip's Challenge and Pipe Dream. This was in 1994, and the harddrive was less than half a gig. It's so funny to think about.

[Vizzys]

chips challenge was so awesome

[Joe Molotov]

How much did it cost for a Win3.1 license?

[xnikki118x]

chips challenge was so awesome

Dude I still have it at home. It's definitely held up as a fuck awesome game.

[DJ_Tet]

Chips Challenge is the best Lynx game.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

The OS I first used, upon getting into computers for the first time

Me too, on my Packard Bell 486/25mhz PC.

my Compudyne was 486/33

IN YO FACE

[TVC15]

Chips Challenge is better than anything on the N64, GC, or Wii.

[Brehvolution]

Thanks for letting me make a living off you, Windows.

[recursivelyenumerable]

The OS I first used, upon getting into computers for the first time... wow, can't believe it's still (kind of) in use. Although I know OS/2 is still in use in many ATM machines throughout the country.

C64 for me.  Until next month I never knew Microsoft made the BASIC interpreter for C64 and other 8-bit computers.

[Arbys Roast Beef Sandwich]

chips challenge was so awesome

I still have the damn game on my laptop. That and Ski Free.

[Don Flamenco]

I will have my revenge on the ski free monster.

i used 3.1 at a friend's house, but my first PC was win95. 

[laesperanzapaz]

is this the one that ripped off the earlier apple OS?

true noob quetsion ehre

[TVC15]

is this the one that ripped off the earlier apple OS?

true noob quetsion ehre

IIRC (and my memory is foggy on this one) that controversy started with an earlier version.  I want to say 2.  But the "ripped" allegation has to do with (things that are today considered) very basic UI operations.  Not saying that MS didn't rip them off, but it was one of those things that every GUI OS since has ripped off.  It had to do with the basics of Window management and mouse control and all.  Apple's lawsuit went on for a while, so it may have stretched into the 3.1 days, though.

[recursivelyenumerable]

The suit was actually originally for Windows 2.0 when MS added things like OMG OVERLAPPING WINDOWS. 

[TVC15]

I have never used pre-3.1 Windows.

My first PC was a 386.  16Mhz.  20 on turbo.  4 megs of RAM.  I mostly used DOS because Windows ate resources.  I'd think that back then, proportionately speaking, it probably ate more resources than XP or Vista.

[Van Cruncheon]

386DX or SX?

[TVC15]

SX.  I remember my bud getting a 486DX a year later and feeling jealous.

Just think, back then, we were using like 14 inch monitors.

[cloudwalking]

we had windows 3.1 on the cash register at one of my jobs. it is very much still in use at small businesses especially, where people don't have the money to upgrade their point of sale system.

[recursivelyenumerable]

here you go

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[Bloodwake]

Wow, 3.1 is dead.

It's actually pretty sad. I still remember 3.1 quite well. Pre-start bar.

You will be remembered!

[Eric P]

windows 3.1 was nice

but it was no GeOS

[Powerslave]

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

[Rman]

I started on DOS myself, primarily for its gaming support.