Back in December 1983, with the Apple Lisa in the marketplace and the Mac having been announced in October of 1983 (it went on sale in January 1984), Microsoft was quietly working on its own Windows system. Here is what appears to be the very first real review of Microsoft Windows.

Microsoft Windows 1983 pre-Version 1.0 demo

From the article’s conclusion:

Microsoft Windows seems to offer remarkable openness, reconfigurability, and transportability as well as modest requirements and pricing. As a result, the desktop metaphor and mouse, intended to bring computing power to nontechincal people, are finally going to reach the hands of many such people. Barring a surprise product introduction from another company, Microsoft Windows will be the first large-scale test of the desktop metaphor in the hands of its intended users.

The most interesting thing about the review is its emphasis on “openness” – the ability to run on all sorts of hardware. In retrospect, that turned out to be a genius decision…

See also this Windows 1.0 ad featuring Steve Balmer:

Here you can see Windows 1.0 in action:

PS – it is also interesting to compare the review cycle of Windows 1.0 with what it would look like today. There were really only one a handful of places you could go in 1983 to read a review. Today this product might be reviewed by thousands.

[See previous BFTP]