On a past blog post, I did a Windows Tiering from Windows 1.0 to Windows 10, only including every version of Windows from the first version of Windows that would've been desktop release only. So, if you're going to ask, "Where's Server 2003" or some jazz like that... Don't waste your time. Besides, I think Server 2003 would end up being ranked exactly the same as Windows XP, so I doubt it would make much of a difference anyway.
Instead, the tiering process will be no different as to what has happened the last time I did something like this, with the notable exception of the addition of three new operating systems to the list, but not neccessairly new, unlike the case of Windows 11.
And the three newcomers are:
- Microsoft Neptune
- Microsoft Windows Whistler
- Microsoft Longhorn
So, without much further ado, let's actually get into the tiering, since I have spent at least some time exploring some of these beta Windows builds, similar to how I have some minimum experience around Windows 11. Yes, I may have said that I had nothing to say before with Windows 11 (see previous blog post, Post #6.) But, I feel that was just an initial commentary on my experience so far with Windows 11 (and not any other reason.)
UPDATE: I basically found a tool that I can use to make a tier-making chart of Windows Versions. It does seem a little incomplete for my purposes, so if I need to add some versions - I might.
Before we continue, however... The tiering ranking has changed from the old version.
Instead of simply being an S-F tiering...
It is now a SS+ - Z tiering.
SS+ - 10/10 brilliant would recommend I approve.
S - Very Good.
A - Good.
B - Above Average
C - Average
D - Below Average
E - Bad.
F - Very Bad.
Z - It is an unspeakable evil which must be stopped. Tell everyone that it has to be stopped. Tell your friends, tell your family, tell the random person who thinks they have no opinion to get your opinion as theirs to spread the word.
OK, I'll start now.
Unlike last time, I won't be going through the Windows versions in chronological order, but instead - I will be doing it from SS+ rank down, which means, Windows 98 will be the first entry on the list.
Windows 98 (Rank SS+)
Windows 98 was probably one of the best release Windows in my opinion, despite my never actually getting to do a whole lot with it in my opinion. Sure, it may be dated, and have a whole bunch of security bugs which can't be patched by the average end user, (which Microsoft assumes that the majority of people that have computing devices are anyway) but, it will always hold a special place in my heart.
If you hate nostalgia, please leave this blog. I'm about to literally lower my pants and underwear and then drop steaming hot loads all over modernity. In fact, this almost makes me think of a meme appropriate for this very situation.
So, yeah. I know that people may say, "CoMe BaCk tO ThE pReSeNt, NaThAn, ThInGs NoW aReN't AlL tHaT bAd..." but, I say, NO! If I want to relive my childhood while playing the same video games (a lot of) that I would've played during my childhood years, and then maybe discover some more that weren't exactly on my memory lane growing up, but a welcome game for me to play, for sure, then don't think for one second I'm going to put my name on an order for a brand-new, shiny Sony PlayStation 5. If anybody needs me, I'll probably be here getting hopped up on Doritos and Sprite until the sun rises playing Gran Turismo 1 (regardless of region that it was originally released in) and Einhander, and Final Fantasy well- I guess the first nine games, because by the time Square Enix released X, The actual games themselves actually moved to the Sony PlayStation 2.
Windows 3.11 for Workgroups (SS+ Rank)
Another member of the nostalgia train for me would be Windows 3.11 for Workgroups. It's not exactly a remotely modern OS, but it would be the first Windows that I would use personally. Not my "First" Windows, that would be 95. But, my first Windows that I would use to play such edutainment and pre-school games such as Aladdin's Activity Center and Math Blaster Ages 6-9 in my early youth, and revisiting it later with all the Packard Bell games thanks to the DOSBOX image of the virtual Packard Bell.
Not to mention, I always loved listening to music and playing with AudioStation. Which is precisely why I had been trying to source a Packard Bell to just restore the Windows 3.11 or 95 Recovery CD for years and years now. Maybe to just leave modernity behind and just go back to a world where it was all about bicycle riding, hand-holding, and playing games on consoles a few generations behind most of my peers, as opposed to living in the here and now and trying very hard to source a PS5 to play Elden Ring or something like that.
Microsoft Neptune (SS+ Rank)
Microsoft Neptune is the next version that gets the SS+ rank, due to it being a cancelled version. Or, in other words, a pre-XP Windows 2000 "Home" experience that we could've got, but Microsoft just had to keep the Personal OS as a not out in the open option. I mean, there is [Redacted] out there, you just need to know where to find it.
Windows 7 (SS+ Rank)
Despite my thinking I had somehow got the correct logo image for this, Windows 7 is the last "modern" and only "Modern" version of Windows to be on the tier listing. Sure, it is probably two years outdated now, but I don't care. Windows 7 was the version I had built the computer the "Katana" originally to run. I also blocked GWX from installing on the computer because I didn't want to have to deal with a version that would make me physically assault my computer and curse Microsoft for ever having had let see the light of day. Little do you and I know, that it was Windows 11 I should be worried about, not 10.
Tied for S Rank: Windows 2000 Professional/Windows Whistler
Windows 2000 Professional was the last of the good Microsoft OS from a time before people started having arguments about the inherent moral low or high ground about [Redacted]. Namely, the gray practice of simply patching activation to prevent Windows from calling home to Redmond to ensure that piracy wasn't being committed. I know this blog may be the next to disappear in the short-term future, and I likely may be moving on in life to other projects, but when I say, Windows Whistler and 2000 Professional are tied for the S rank, I mean it. Especially considering that I have to take some grade off because Whistler was the beta version of what became the most over-rated and memed OS in computing history in the early years of the 21st century.
Windows 95: (A Rank)
This version was my first Windows. It'd rank higher, but there is already a 9x version in the list, so I'm going to leave it here. Besides, there will be more added to this list.
Windows 8.1: (A Rank)
I'm only doing this because some people believe Windows 8.1 wasn't that much of a steaming pile of turds. And, honestly, I'm inclined to agree. I mean, if you use Start8 or ClassicShell, you can bring the old Start menu back, and even use the Start menu from previous versions of Windows. Sure, it was probably not much better than Windows 8, but Windows 8.x was a polarizing series of two operating systems.
(Only reason I refuse to tier any version of 8 higher than A is because - well... While some may say Windows 8.x was not "that bad", I say, "I wanted to build a computer, not a phone!" And in addition to that, "What was Microsoft thinking?")
Microsoft Windows, Codename "Longhorn" (A Rank)
Finally, we look at the final version of Microsoft Windows' Operating system families, which is surprisingly a BETA version of Windows this time, which is Windows Longhorn. Yes, I know it didn't really be intended for public use for longer than a 180 day evaluation basis by people who Microsoft intended to test their software, anyway.
But, looking through the Windows Longhorn versions, it actually is interesting to see the transition from Windows XP to Windows Vista. The earliest possible version of Longhorn to get working, actually looks far different than the Vista pre-RTM version, which would probably be the last codename Longhorn version anyway.
Of course speaking of XP...
Windows XP (C Rank)
In this tier list, B gets skipped, and it is placed on C Rank. Windows XP is probably the most over-rated, meme-spurter edgelord OS in all of computing history. While Windows 11, Microsoft's newest OS is causing the once popular OS behemoth to slowly fade into obscurity, and onto the history books where it belongs, then the reason I refuse to grade it a worse grade than C or better for that matter, is because - Monopoly Tycoon. And I already said that I won't be installing Monopoly Tycoon on Windows 11, because I already know that the performance and app behavior will be the exact same as it would have been from Windows Vista to Windows 10, anyway. Perhaps somewhat worse.
Windows 8 (C Rank)
Windows 8... Yeah, I know people might not like me disliking it, but I can't say I love it either, since if I had spent time using 8, it would've been under 8.1, not 8 itself.
Windows 3.0 & Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions 1.0, Tied for C Rank
Windows 3.0 and Multimedia Extensions are both tied for C Rank due to them being essentially the same Operating System, with the exclusion of the latter having sound compatibility with Windows 3.0 right out of the box, where as Windows 3.0 was just another graphical shell over MS-DOS similar to how Windows 1.0 and 2.0 were.
Windows 1.0 and 2.0 - Tied for C Rank
Because they are essentially the same, save for some minor adjustments, then Windows 1.0 and 2.0 also tie with each other for C Rank in this tier. End of argument, end of discussion, end of story, see you later.
Windows 10 - Final C Rank Operating System
Many have said that Windows 10 was the "last" Windows, and in the context of this blog's listing of C-Rank Operating Systems, the same is also true. But, because of this, the next OS to be added to the tier will be getting D Rank, which isn't good, but it isn't terrible either.
Windows Vista - D RANK
Okay, so here is the final logo OS that I managed to find. Windows Vista, or "Pissta" as I had referred to it in my immature mind is what made me temporarily defect from the Microsoft OS camp to the macOS environment. Windows 7 is what brought me back, but I have a feeling that I will probably flee for good to the Linux wilderness in the somewhat near future since Windows 11 may be the OS to do that. More on this later.
Ok, now that I have pretty much all of the major operating systems that I can possibly find the images of the logos for on one list, it's time to talk about some honorable and dishonorable mentions both before I finally do add the last piece of the puzzle so to speak. Although I may not be exactly be keeping with the Microsoft pattern as a rule here, I will likely also add the NT clone which has been in alpha since forever.
Honorable Mention #1: ReactOS
This is the NT clone I was talking about. If I could've found a logo for this list (perhaps a tier 2.0 might be in order to include it there?) Then it would probably be occupying a spot on B, despite not really being Windows or Linux-based, but something like the former thing it is not, and written from scratch besides.
Honorable Mention #2: SigmaOS
This would probably tie with "Windows Longhorn" due to it just being another fork of Windows Longhorn, and not really its own original OS.
Honorable Mention #3: Windows NT 4.0 Workstation
Due to it being the "NT" version of Windows 95, It would have shared the row with ReactOS. Again, something to consider for a 2.0 tier if and when I finally get around to making that tier.
Dishonorable Mentions #1, 2, 3: The "Cancelled" Windows Operating Systems
Some startup sound compilers have found other "Cancelled" Windows OS which aren't exactly Microsoft Neptune. Since I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any of these programs, then they all would be occupying both ranks E and F.
Dishonorable Mention #4: Windows Millennium Edition
Basically something which should have never seen the light of day, and people should've just stayed with 98 in the home computer world until XP. I mean, sure, if you had the right hardware Millennium Edition would run beautifully - but if not, then you would probably be always having crashing troubles. Not really the best transition from 98 to XP. If you really needed to have it transfer from 98 to XP that bad, you probably should have waited until 2001 for Microsoft to drop Windows XP.
Millenium Edition gets F.
Dishonorable Mention #5: Windows NT 3.5x Workstation
Basically the NT version of 3.x for Workgroups. Not really much interesting, unless you want to log into Program Manager every time you start Windows for productivity work.
Rank F!
So, we've saved something for last.
Windows 11 (Rank Z)
Yeah, hate me if you want, but I believe Windows 11 is just Rank Z. If experienced computer technicians believe that the right to repair will be put on the history book notes of the future, then Windows 11 isn't exactly a perfect OS, but then again I never said anything about perfection.
Windows 11 will DEFINITELY be the last version of Windows for me, despite the claims Microsoft made with Windows 10.
TPM + Secure Boot are also making me want to leave.
May the world that came up with Windows 11 come to a swift, sudden end. May that end happen before Microsoft is allowed to make Windows subscription-only, which in theory may be a good thing since it will supposedly prevent software piracy, but not everyone will be able to afford the subscription charge of $XX.99 a month to rent the OS key to their specific device, whether the device was purchased from an OEM vendor such as ASUS, DELL, or HP, or built from "custom" the ground up.
I know tools can't be inherently good or evil, which is what TPM + Secure Boot essentially are. But, I do know that this is just the case of the frog being boiled in the pan. If you put a frog in a pot of hot water, it will just jump out. But, if you put it in a pan of cold water and slowly have the heat come up, the frog will slowly die.
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