The History Of Operating Systems [INFOGRAPHIC]

Have you ever wondered how your favourite operating system got started?   Well wonder no more as the following infographic gives you all the necessary facts, going all the way back to the very first OS back in the 1950′s.

Whether it’s Windows, Mac or Linux, you’ll find some fun, cool and interesting facts below that maybe you didn’t know about before.


Created for MakeUseOf by Wix

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Aibek Esengulov

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  • Jim March 1, 2011

    Saying that UNIX is the backbone of Linux is dangerous, it implies that UNIX source code is contained in the Linux Kernel, which is not true (and has been the subject of legal threats and lawsuits in the past). Also, to credit Jeremy Ben in the creation of UNIX is gross negligence and indicates that whoever created that graphic has not read this: http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/… Please give credit where credit is due.

  • YeaSayer March 1, 2011

    You’re pretty.

    • Aibek March 1, 2011

      me? :-)

    • Ben March 1, 2011

      That was random…

  • Craig March 1, 2011

    what about Multics, GCOS, MPE, VME, 8080,8085, OS2, NeXT, Plan 9, solaris, dynix ptx, HP-UX, AIX? to name but a few…..

  • Jim March 1, 2011

    Saying that UNIX is the backbone of Linux is dangerous, it implies that UNIX source code is contained in the Linux Kernel, which is not true (and has been the subject of legal threats and lawsuits in the past). Also, to credit Jeremy Ben in the creation of UNIX is gross negligence and indicates that whoever created that graphic has not read this: http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/who/dmr/hist.html Please give credit where credit is due.

  • thor March 1, 2011

    Where are the DEC Operating systems? Tops-10/20, RSTS/E, RSX. Some of which Bill Gates and company cut their teeth on and surely influenced their later work.

  • Tina March 1, 2011

    Gotta love the quotes!

  • Gupta5548 March 1, 2011

    Hey! You forgot OS/2 the first real multitasking multithreaded GUI for the PC !

  • Amiga March 1, 2011

    … and AmigaOS

  • dantomanto March 2, 2011

    Wow, thats like totally crazy.

    http://www.privacy-tools.it.tc

  • Pavan Mysore March 2, 2011

    Its funny you have left out a major OS that created waves in the Mobile/Smartphones.
    Ofcourse it is Symbian! I think it deserves due credit!

  • Pavan Mysore March 2, 2011

    Its funny you have left out a major OS that created waves in the Mobile/Smartphones.
    Ofcourse it is Symbian! I think it deserves due credit!

    • Aibek March 2, 2011

      thanks for heads up
      we’ll try not to do better on the next one :-)

      Aibek

  • Jeff Parker March 2, 2011

    Only scrawled on Tux’s chest was OpenSuSE …but that still leaves the (original form of) NetWare Completely Missing. Novell’s NetWare was Microsoft’s bane for a decade.

    ???

  • Jeff Parker March 2, 2011

    Only scrawled on Tux’s chest was OpenSuSE …but that still leaves the (original form of) NetWare Completely Missing. Novell’s NetWare was Microsoft’s bane for a decade.

    ???

  • Ohyesh March 2, 2011

    Slackware Linux “Few supported applications”

    I don’t know if there’s more truth than there is irony in that assumption. Depending on how you look at it.

    If you like lectures, here’s one on the history of GUI’s called “Bad hackers copy, great hackers steal.” from CUSEC (the Canadian University Software Engineering Conference)

    http://vimeo.com/4763707

  • Aibek March 2, 2011

    thanks for heads up
    we’ll try not to do better on the next one :-)

    Aibek

  • Ohyesh March 2, 2011

    Slackware Linux “Few supported applications”

    I don’t know if there’s more truth than there is irony in that assumption. Depending on how you look at it.

    If you like lectures, here’s one on the history of GUI’s called “Bad hackers copy, great hackers steal.” from CUSEC (the Canadian University Software Engineering Conference)

    http://vimeo.com/4763707

  • yochai March 2, 2011

    adding iOS and not android (which is linux) seems silly… I assume the linux share does not include android.

    • Richard Carpenter March 4, 2011

      iOS is unix based also, just had to throw that out there.

      Guys it is just a brief overview, It takes forever to do these. Ones that cover everthing are boring, but ones that do not suck… man no one ever wins. :-)

      • Aibek March 5, 2011

        good point :-)

  • James Jones March 2, 2011

    Who the bleep is Jeremy Ben?

  • Morgancoxuk March 2, 2011

    As you have missed out the greatest computer ever made (Amiga) I can only assume the rest if factually incorrect.

  • Jim March 2, 2011

    Original author of Space Travel http://www.osdata.com/kind/his…

  • soumalya March 2, 2011

    i like the quotes better than the infographic.

    • Aibek March 4, 2011

      yep, the quotes are pretty cool

  • Aaron March 2, 2011

    infographics are a horrible way to present information. they serve the graphic designer’s ego, not the reader. the trend toward using these ridiculous types of graphics is a disturbing move in the dumbing down of our society.

    just say no to infographics.

  • Aaron March 2, 2011

    infographics are a horrible way to present information. they serve the graphic designer’s ego, not the reader. the trend toward using these ridiculous types of graphics is a disturbing move in the dumbing down of our society.

    just say no to infographics.

    • Aibek March 4, 2011

      infographics represent lots of data in an easy to digest and engaging manner. whats wrong with it?

  • JK March 2, 2011

    I don’t think “Supported” is accurate for Slackware. “Included” would have been a much better word – Slackware, by default, comes with everything you need to build most pieces of software in the world, which is more than I can say for certain other distros (ERROR: Missing headers. Please install comment-dev and comment-headers and try again.)

  • Guillermo Garron March 3, 2011

    Nice!
    Thanks

  • Guillermo Garron March 3, 2011

    Nice!
    Thanks

  • Jeremy Ben March 3, 2011

    What’s Mac OS 7.06? It was Mac OS 7.6

  • Aibek March 4, 2011

    yep, the quotes are pretty cool

  • Aibek March 4, 2011

    Thanks for all the feedback guys, good and bad. We’ll do better with the next one.

  • RichardCarpen March 4, 2011

    iOS is unix based also, just had to throw that out there.

    Guys it is just a brief overview, It takes forever to do these. Ones that cover everthing are boring, but ones that do not suck… man no one ever wins. :-)

  • Sidd March 4, 2011

    GEOS?

    • Richard Carpenter March 8, 2011

      It was a GUI designed for (originally anyway) Commodore 64, that was writen by Berkeley Softworks.

      Some out there are running on thier DSes.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuKIHP88GVQ

  • Steven Macarzer March 6, 2011

    what operating system was running in those Sinclair ZX..series????

  • echorse March 6, 2011

    “all the best people in the world seems to like LINUX”
    Orly? Prettu strong words

  • Anonymous March 6, 2011

    “all the best people in the world seems to like LINUX”
    Orly? Prettu strong words

  • RichardCarpen March 8, 2011

    It was a GUI designed for (originally anyway) Commodore 64, that was writen by Berkeley Softworks.

    Some out there are running on thier DSes.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

  • John Massaglia March 14, 2011

    What does “Non-debian Compatible” mean in the list of Ubuntu’s attributes?

  • Spud March 22, 2011

    “UNIX is the backbone of Linux”. I love living dangerously!!