Windows Resource Kit (1991) 8 Utility Windows

The Microsoft Windows Resource kit is a set of supplementary tools for managing and deploying Microsoft Windows. The first Windows Resource kit was released in 1991 for Windows 3.0. Most, but not all, Windows versions after that had corresponding Resource Kits. These were often freely downloadable from Microsoft.

• 3.x
• 95
• NT 4.0
• 98
• 2000

Visio (1992) 3 Graphics Windows

Visio is a flow-chart diagramming program for Microsoft Windows originally from Shapeware/Visio Corp. Visio was specifically designed as a flow charting tool rather than a generic drawing tool. It featured easy to use drag-and-drop diagram creation, and shipped with a wide variety of stencils. In 2000 Visio Corp was acquired by Microsoft. It competed with Aldus Intellidraw and Micrografx Snapgraphics and Meta Software's MetaDesign.

• 2.0

BackOffice Server (1994) 21 Windows

BackOffice was Microsoft's Windows NT along with an array of server side applications like SQL server, ISA server, et al. It was succeeded by Small Business Server.

• 1.5
• 2.0
• 4.0
• 4.5

Visual J++ (1996) 1 Windows

Visual J++ was Microsoft's proprietary dialect of the Java programming language which ran on Windows under Microsoft's Java virtual machine. It was part of the Microsoft Visual Studio product lineup. It included an Integrated Development Environment and many language extensions, such as the ability to make efficient use of the Win32 APIs. The primary advantage of J++ and Java was the ability to run on a byte-code virtual machine (pioneered by languages like the UCSD P-System ) at a time when Intel was threatening to cut off x86 compatibility in favor of 64-bit instruction sets.

• 1.0

Microsoft Exchange (1996) 7 Chat PIM Server Windows

Exchange is a proprietary e-mail and groupware server software from Microsoft for Windows Server. The first version publicly sold was Exchange Server 4.0. The number 4.0 was used as it was a replacement for Microsoft Mail 3.x. At release, unlike other desktop/lan e-mail solutions it featured client/server communications rather than using file sharing, used a powerful messaging protocol, and stored all message and address book information in a database. It eventually evolved to include scheduling and many other functions. The Exchange Client (later Microsoft Outlook) supported rich text formatting, and the ability to create such things as e-mail forms.

• 4.0
• 5.5
• 2000

Bookshelf (1987) 3 Reference DOS Windows MacOS

Microsoft Bookshelf is a CD-ROM based multimedia reference tool from Microsoft, including a dictionary, thesaurus, quotations, atlas, and other types of references. Some versions were included and integrated with Microsoft Office, albeit sometimes stripped down.

• 87
• 91
• 92
• 94
• 95
• 96-97
• 98
• 2000

Windows 2000 High Encryption Pack (1999) 0 Windows

The Microsoft Windows 2000 High Encryption pack adds 128-bit encryption to Windows 2000 RTM. It was provided as a separate package from Windows 2000 RTM due to silly crypto export laws.

• Win2000

Windows Neptune (1999) 24 Windows

Windows Neptune was a canceled version of Windows 2000 oriented towards the home market. It had featured elements brought over from Windows ME as well as new concepts such as activity centers. No final release of Neptune shipped and most work was rolled into Whistler

• Build 5111

Microsoft Vizact (1999) 0 Publishing Windows

Microsoft Vizact 2000, was an application used to create HTML+TIME documents, adding effects such as animation.

• 2000

Microsoft MapPoint (1999) 0 Reference Windows

Microsoft MapPoint is a business oriented mapping program. It includes geographic and demographic data across the US and enables integration with external databases or programs. It was targeted towards businesses as a lower cost solution than a full blown Geographic Information System (GIS).

• 2000

Microsoft Windows Customer Support and Diagnostic Tools (1999) 0 Windows

The Microsoft Windows 2000 Customer Support Diagnostics package consists of important tools and data for diagnosing in-depth Windows 2000 system problems. debugger software, and related debugging tools. This CD was shipped with server versions of Windows 2000.

• 2000

Microsoft Visual Studio (1996) 161 Windows

Visual Studio is an IDE (integrated development environment) for Microsoft Windows that allows developers to develop a variety of applications. It is a bundle of seperate programming products, including Microsoft Visual C++, Microsoft J++, Microsoft Visual Basic, and Foxpro

• 97 (5.x)
• 6.0

Microsoft Visual Basic (1991) 779 Windows DOS

First released in 1991, Microsoft Visual Basic was a programming environment where one could build an application by visually creating the user interface first, and then adding code. In contrast, even the smallest Visual Basic basic programs could take reams of program code to write in C or C++. Visual Basic was extremely popular for business application programming. The language itself was an interpreted BASIC dialect, however speed was maintained through the use of reusable compiled libraries (DLLs and VBX controls). These however, limited application development to Microsoft Windows.

• 1.0
• 1.0 for DOS
• 2.0
• 3.0
• 4.0
• 5.0
• 6.0

Encarta (1993) 77 Reference Windows MacOS

Microsoft Encarta was a home oriented interactive encyclopedia that was often sold with new OEM machines. Unlike a paper encyclopedia, Encarta took full advantage of being on a computer, with updates from the Internet, sound clips and movies, interactive charts and games, and good navigation.

• 1994
• 1995
• 1996
• 1997
• 1998
• 1999

Microsoft Plus! (1995) 88 Utility Novelty Windows

Microsoft Plus! was an add-on package to Windows that added desktop themes, screen savers, sound effects, power-toys, and other assorted goodies for the home user. Plus! 95 also included Internet Explorer 1.0, which was not included in all Windows 95 distributions.

• 95
• 98

Visual C++ (1993) 141 Windows

Visual C++ is a greatly enhanced and re-branded version of Microsoft C/C++. The Visual C++ line is primarily aimed at Windows development on 386 CPUs. 5.0 and later were bundled as a part of Microsoft Visual Studio.

• 1.x
• 2.x
• 4.x
• 5.x
• 6.x

Microsoft Outlook (1997) 3 Communications PIM Windows MacOS

Microsoft Outlook (not to be confused with Outlook Express) is an enterprise grade e-mail client. It is primarily intended for use with Microsoft Exchange Server. It was available as both a stand-alone product and as part of Microsoft Office.

• 97
• 98

Microsoft FrontPage (1995) 28 Publishing Windows

Microsoft FrontPage is a WYSIWYG HTML editor/Cuisinart for Microsoft Windows.

• 97 (v2)
• 98 (v3)

Microsoft Mouse (1984) 32 DOS Windows OS2

These are drivers provided by Microsoft for the Microsoft BusPort, serial, and PS/2 mice. Introduced in 1983, The Microsoft Mouse is historically important as it was one of Microsoft's earliest hardware products (The other being an Apple II Z-80 CP/M card). The first Mouse for the IBM PC was actually from Mouse Systems, not Microsoft. However, most clone mice emulated Microsoft's serial protocol and DOS driver software interface. The first Microsoft application designed to make full use of the mouse was Microsoft Word for DOS, and they hyped a product called "Microsoft Windows" (not released until several years later) that was to compete against the upcoming Apple Macintosh and the Mouse Systems based Viscorp Visi On.

• 1.0
• 2.x
• 4.x
• 5.x
• 6.x
• 8.x
• 9.x
• 11.x

MSDN (1996) 33 Windows

MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) is the documentation for Microsoft's development tools, API's and SDK's.

• VS 6.0

Age of Empires (1997) 71 MacOS Windows

Age of Empires is a civilization simulator strategy game where different empires fight to rule.

• 1.0
• Gold Edition

Microsoft Pinball Arcade (1998) 3 Windows

Microsoft Pinball Arcade is a pinball video game from Microsoft for Windows 95 - 98. It was released on December 15, 1998 for Microsoft Windows and in 2001 for the Game Boy Color. The game is a collection of seven real pinball tables licensed by Gottlieb. These include: Baffle Ball (1931), Humpty Dumpty (1947), Knock Out (1950), Slick Chick (1963), Spirit of '76 (1976), Haunted House (1982), and Cue Ball Wizard (1992).

• 1.0

Picture It! (1996) 14 Graphics Windows

Picture It!, from Microsoft, is a photo image adjustment tool for novice users. It includes a number of standard touch-up functions such as red-eye adjustment, resizing, brightness, contrast, and cropping. It can make direct use of scanners and digital cameras. All functions are presented as a dumbed down step-by step series of tabs and menus. Picture-It competed against Adobe Photodeluxe.

• 1.0
• 2.0
• 99

Microsoft Greetings (1997) 0 Publishing Novelty Windows

Microsoft Greetings is a greeting card maker for Microsoft Windows 9x/NT. It was made in conjunction with Hallmark.

• Workshop 2.0
• 99 (3.0)

Windows 95 (1994) 1160 Windows

Windows 95 offered, at long last, a well designed document-oriented desktop shell that worked much like the 1984 Macintosh Finder. It also included a new way of finding installed applications through a "Start" menu. And it included the same networking abilities as Windows for Workgroups. | 1.0 | 2.x | 3.x | NT 3.x | 95 | NT 4.0 | 98 | 2000 | ME | All |

• 95 Demo
• OSR 2
• OSR 2.1
• OSR 2.5