[Software] You may not know these unfinished versions of Windows

[UltimaTexCS]

At this point, at least for the moment, no one doubts that Windows is the benchmark operating system for desktops. This does not seem to change, so Microsoft is in charge of this continue like this for many years. But there are versions of Windows that did not exist, although they were part of the Redmond plans.

With Windows 10 in the lead right now in terms of use and market penetration, the software giant has been offering systems, platforms and programs to get here for years. In fact, since the first version of what Windows is today, decades have passed, as well as successes and resounding failures for this particular firm.

Surely most of you remember fondly versions like Windows XP and Windows 7 that have now practically disappeared. On the contrary, there are also those that did not have much less the expected acceptance among the general public. This is the case of Vista or ME, among others. Of course, what perhaps not all of you know is that at the same time there were projects or versions of Windows that were finally canceled by those of Redmond.

We refer to operating systems planned or started by the software company, but eventually canceled. For those of you who do not know them, we will talk about these versions of Windows that did not exist.

File Explorer Windows 95 Windows Versions

Windows Cairo
This was a version of the operating system that Microsoft announced back in 1991 and was given the code name Cairo. Then the firm got down to work on its development in 1992, work in which it was involved until 1995. However, despite all the efforts that were put into the project, it was finally canceled.

But not all the work was in vain, since part of its characteristics passed to other projects, as for example happened later with Windows NT 4.0, which was created on that basis.

Windows Nashville
We can also mention Windows Nashville, an operating system that was initially thought to be a worthy successor to the po[CENSORED]r Windows 95. In fact, it was planned to be the second system in the Windows 9x family, all based on a 4.10 kernel. The project as such began throughout 1995 and was intended to be launched the following year. But it also ended up in oblivion, although part of it became part of Windows 98, among other projects.

Windows Neptune
Surely at the same time many of you also miss Windows NT, another of the brand's benchmarks. Well, when we talk about Neptune, we are referring to what was to be the first version of Windows NT for home users. Its development was carried out between 1998 and 1999, and its launch was planned for 2001. But this was another system that did not end well, since at the beginning of 2000 it was canceled and it joined the Odyssey project, all to end up being part of the mythical as well as beloved Windows XP.

Windows Odyssey
For those of you who don't know, this other software threat was originally going to become the successor to Windows 2000. Its development was carried out in parallel to Neptune, which we talked about before, but this was also canceled . But not everything was lost, since like the previous case, Odyssey ended up being part of XP. Therefore, as we can see, although some of these Microsoft operating system projects never saw the light of day, they were included, partly in highly important post-hoc projects.

Windows Longhorn
This is one of the projects that did not finish being launched by Microsoft that sounded the most at the time. With Longhorn we mean another of those versions of the system that was called to be part of the Windows family and that began to be developed in 2002. In principle, the plans were for it to be a minor update for Windows XP. However, over time the project began to grow and many more functions and features were added.

All this led to a project full of stability flaws, so the first tests became highly unstable and therefore invalid. It got to the point that the software company decided to re-focus development in 2004 and cancel Longhorn. Eventually all these efforts ended up leading to the controversial Windows Vista that most people liked so little.

Windows Blackcomb
Finally we will talk about Blackcomb, the operating system that was originally going to be the successor to XP) but with many other new functions that it would integrate. But as the months went by, Microsoft determined to bring several of these news to the aforementioned, Longhorn. This resulted in the fact that when the development of Blackcomb changed in focus, it ended in the Vienna project and that is how Windows 7 finally came to light, which surely many of you still yearn for.