Microsoft

Microsoft's logo.

Microsoft Corporation is an American tech company founded in 1975 and headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA. The company began as a developer of programming languages, and slowly expanded to operating systems, office applications, entertainment, and hardware. They currently hold a dominant lead on the operating system of desktop computers, Windows.

I have been using Microsoft products since the late 1980s when I first encountered MS-DOS. My family's first computer came loaded with MS-DOS v5.0 and Windows 3.0 with media extensions. Since then, I have used nearly every subsequent version of DOS and Windows as well as a large variety of Microsoft office, programming, and gaming software. However, my use of Microsoft is not because I prefer their products, in general, I tend to hate them, and think they've steadily gotten worse in the past 15 years. Instead, I use Microsoft because they have such a huge market share, that it's difficult to have access to all the software I like without using their products.

Software

These are programs that have a particular importance to me.

Applications

I used to use the majority of Microsoft applications, but over the years, I have found superior free replacements for nearly all of their apps.

Games

Microsoft rarely develops games in-house, but pays third-party developers to make games, and then publishes them.

DOS

Windows 3

Windows

Operating Systems

Programming Languages

Logos

(1975-1980)
It's hard to read, especially at smaller sizes, the S breaks the theme of having the thicker line on the outside, and it just reeks of the 70s.
(1980-1982)
Far too jagged.
(1982-1987)
The full-width Cs and Os make it look odd with the otherwise tight kerning.
(1987-2012)
This logo is fantastic. Like any good logo, it's legible at varying sizes. The italic Helvetica is plain, but the notch taken out of the o gives it flair. This is the first logo I viewed, and it's my favorite.
(2012-Present)
Bleh. Not only is it using the ugly redesign of Windows, but it's associating the whole of Microsoft to only one of their products. Bad idea.