OEM Windows 3.11 avaliability over in November 2008
This is a brief article about Windows 3.11 and Windows XP support for embedded platforms
Author: Matthew Wittering | Published: 10th July 2008
I picked upon on this story as I was reading through arstechnic.com and it came as a massive surprise to me that it was still possible to buy licences for the antiquated Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Operating System.
Windows 3.11 was released into the market in November 1993. I remember it running on the first family computer my father purchased Christmas 1995. I remember my father feeling ripped off after he realised that Windows 3.11 was not the most recent version of the operating system and the version we wanted was Windows 95.
Windows 95 is the operating system which has defined the basic appearance of all Microsoft operating system which have been since developed for the desktop and server markets.
I found it very interesting to read on arstechnica that despite the operating system being unavailable of client OEM purchases it has continued to be available for products running the operating system embedded on hardware.
By the time November arrives the operating system would have been available for 15 years. This week it was announced that Windows XP would continue to be support until 2014, 13 years after its launch on the 25th October 2001.
Will Windows XP go the same way as Windows 3.11 and continue to be support and sold as an OEM version for embedded products beyond the consumer support date in 2014.
Read the blog post OEM licensing for Windows 3.11 finally to end in 4 months at arstechnica.com and It's the End for 3.11!! by John Coyne on the MSDN Blog.
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence
I am a graduate of Lougborough University where I read Computing and Management BSc (Hons) earning a 2:1 classification.