Windows 3.0 is the third major release of<
Microsoft Windows, and was released on 22 May
1990. It became the first widely successful
version of Windows and a rival to Apple
Macintosh and the Commodore Amiga on the GUI
front.
Windows 3.0 succeeded Windows 2.1 and included
a significantly revamped user interface as well
as technical improvements to make better use of
the memory management capabilities of Intel's
80286 and 80386 processors. Text-mode programs
written for MS-DOS could be run within a window
(a feature previously available in a more
limited form with Windows/386), making the
system usable as a crude multitasking base for
legacy programs. However, this was of limited
use for the home market, where most games and
entertainment programs continued to require raw
DOS access.
It was followed by Windows 3.1.
