Windows 3.x shuts down for the last time

It's hard to believe, but it truly is the end of an era. BBC reminds us that as of November 1, the venerable Windows 3.x is no longer for sale of any kind.

While consumers bemoan the rapidly vanishing Windows XP, it's practically an infant next to the grizzled old Windows 3, which first went on sale in May 1990. Windows 3 (in its various incarnations), was the first version of Windows that was a success for Microsoft, and it finally brought the company into the world of the GUI.

So who exactly has been running Windows 3 for all these years? Standalone computers have almost universally ditched the OS (though one of the computers at my son's preschool still has it up and running... on a full tower no less), as support for 3.x was discontinued in 2001. But the software has found an extended life as an embedded system OS (sort of like Windows CE for bigger machines). For example, the BBC notes that it has been used in cash registers, ticketing systems, and even in-flight entertainment systems.

Now manufacturers relying on Windows 3 for those back-end systems are going to have to finally upgrade: Microsoft says it is no longer issuing licenses of any kind for 3.x. (Though you shouldn't discount bootleg copies, either...)

For a little sense of history: Windows 3.x had system requirements of at least a 10MHz 8086 CPU, 640KB of RAM, 7MB of hard drive space, and a VGA video card. The original price: Up to $89 (as near as my research can tell) with all the trimmings. Current price on eBay: About $4.