List of Windows 1.0 OEM releases

Despite the known fact that Windows 1.0 was quite a commercial failure, you'd be surprised to know how many OEMs shipped it with their hardware.

This ist is by no means exhaustive or complete, but it is a nice piece of trivia and goes to show Microsoft's marketting might back in the day. Some of the OEMs mentioned below already signed up for Windows when it was first announced in November 1983 and many more joined the cause despite constant delays and objectively better offerings from the competition. Please note that not all of these OEMs have actually shipped Windows with their machines, but they were at least considering it at some point, according to various sources. Confirmed OEMs (via available copies, screenshots, photos, etc.) are listed in bold.

  • ACT Apricot: known releases include 1.03 (ACT designations "VB1.03" and "VR1.03") for their XEN, XEN-i and XEN-i 386 machines, pre-release version supposedly ran on the Xi, versions for other models are also possible.
  • Ainsi: a french magazine article from May 1984 says they signed the contract to ship Windows 1.0.
  • Altos: a PC Mag article from June 1984 says they demonstrated a pre-release build on their machines at a technical seminar.
  • AT&T: according to period magazines, Windows 1.0 ran on the PC 6300 already in December 1984. Retail version 1.03 added drivers for the 6300 and 6300 Plus, so a separate AT&T OEM release seems unlikely.
  • Bull: a French magazine article said their Micral 30 model shipped with Windows, a photo is available online.
  • Burroughs: a PC News article from December 1983 says they signed up to support Windows.
  • Bytec: a PC News article from December 1983 says they signed up to support Windows.
  • Bytes-Comterm: a PC Mag article from June 1984 says they demonstrated a pre-release build on their machines at a technical seminar.
  • Columbia Data Products: a PC Mag article from June 1984 says they demonstrated a pre-release build on their machines at a technical seminar.
  • Compaq: no release by them is confirmed, though it seems quite possible, considering Compaq was an early MS-DOS adopter and later worked closely with Microsoft on Windows/386. Also mentioned in a PC Mag article from June 1984.
  • Computer Devices: a PC News article from December 1983 says they signed up to support Windows.
  • Convergent Technologies: a PC News article from December 1983 says they signed up to support Windows.
  • Data General: a PC News article from December 1983 says they signed up to support Windows.
  • DEC: includes 1.01 (DEC designation "1.01.11") and 1.03 ("1.03.08") for their VAXmate, as well as what appears to be an unofficial port of 1.03 to the Rainbow 100.
  • Eagle: a PC News article from December 1983 says they signed up to support Windows.
  • Goupil: a french magazine article from May 1984 says they signed the contract to ship Windows 1.0 for their model 3.
  • Honeywell: a PC Mag article from June 1984 says they demonstrated a pre-release build on their machines at a technical seminar.
  • HP: release 1.03 (HP designation "A.01.03") for the Vectra and 150. Both in English, though a German release could also exist.
  • IBM: a runtime release of 1.04 came with their "Collegiate Kit" for PS/2 Model 25. Model 30 has the "Personal Publishing System" with Windows 1.04 included. A proper 1.04 IBM release is also available. Earlier versions seem unlikely due to IBM's competing TopView product and long-time refusal to endorse Windows.
  • ICL: version 1.03 was bundled with their release of multitasking DOS 4.10.
  • Intel: Windows 1.0 was bundled with their Above Board, though it appears to be a standard retail copy.
  • ITT Qume: a PC Mag article from June 1984 says they demonstrated a pre-release build on their machines at a technical seminar. Final version seen running on their Xtra/286 ATW in an issue of InfoWorld.
  • Kontron: a french magazine article from May 1984 says they signed the contract to ship Windows 1.0.
  • Mindset: their impressive PC model was to ship with Windows 1.0, but delays and commercial failure make it questionable, remains to be found. Also mentioned by a PC Mag article from June 1984.
  • NCR: a PC News article from December 1983 says they signed up to support Windows.
  • NEC: version 1.03 in Japanese shipped with some PC-98 models, versions 1.01 and 1.02 were also confirmed but remain to be found. A release for the PC-100 is also possible. A magazine ad also shows PC-98 pre-release versions in Japanese.
  • Nokia: a french magazine article from May 1984 says they signed the contract to ship Windows 1.0. File listing for the disks of their 1.02 release are available online. Also confirmed for their Nokia-Luxor ABC 1200 and Mikro Mikko 3.
  • Northern Telecom: a french magazine article from May 1984 says they signed the contract to ship Windows 1.0.
  • Olivetti: version 1.03 (Olivetti designation "1.02") in German shipped with their M24 machines, but only photos and screenshots are available online. Release for M21 also said to exist, pre-release versions ran on the M24 and M21, other versions and languages are also possible.
  • Olympia: a french magazine article from May 1984 says they signed the contract to ship Windows 1.0.
  • Orchid: included a free copy of Windows 1.0 (presumably the retail package) with their TurboEGA cards.
  • Quadram: Windows 1.0 coupons were bundled with their Quad EGA cards.
  • Philips: version 1.02 for their P3102 is available, a version for their :YES computer was also confirmed but remains unavailable.
  • Polo Microsystems: a PC Mag article from June 1984 says they demonstrated a pre-release build on their machines at a technical seminar.
  • Rana Systems: pre-release versions reportedly ran on their 8086/2 drives for the Apple II, also mentioned by a PC Mag article from June 1984.
  • RM: versions 1.02 and 1.03 for their PC-186 machines are availanle, along with the SDK for 1.02. A beta version from May 1985 was also supposedly released for their machines.
  • Seequa: a PC News article from December 1983 says they signed up to support Windows.
  • Siemens: versions 1.02 (Siemens designations "Release 1.01" and "Release 2.01") in English and German for PC-D, as well as versions 1.02 and 1.03 in German for PCD-2 are available. Version 1.03 in German for an unknown Siemens machine also confirmed, but not available, other versions and languages also possible.
  • Symag: a french magazine article from May 1984 says they signed the contract to ship Windows 1.0 with their Orchidee.
  • Tandem: a copy of version 1.01 was sold on eBay.
  • Tandon: two copies of their release of 1.03 were sold on eBay a while ago and are available online.
  • Tandy: pre-release versions were ported to their 2000 model and also ran on the 1000, the former being shown in advertisements from late 1984. Final version was shipped in the form of a special driver disk that updates the installation disks of a standard PC-compatible release to work on the 2000 and is available online. A release for their 1000 series is also possible.
  • TeleVideo: a PC Mag article from June 1984 says they demonstrated a pre-release build on their machines at a technical seminar.
  • Texas Instruments: a PC Mag article from June 1984 says they demonstrated a pre-release build on their machines at a technical seminar.
  • Thomson: a french magazine article from May 1984 says they signed the contract to ship Windows 1.0 with their MicroMega 16.
  • Toshiba: Windows 1.0 was supposedly an optional upgrade for the T3200.
  • Triumph-Adler: a french magazine article from May 1984 says they signed the contract to ship Windows 1.0.
  • Tulip: version 1.03 is available in French and Dutch for their PC-compatibles, German release also confirmed but unavailable. Earlier versions, designated as 1.xx, 1.xy and TC 1.00 have also been confirmed and are available. English releases (as well as 1.02) could also be possible.
  • Video-7: included a retail copy of Windows 1.03 with their VEGA Deluxe EGA cards.
  • Wang: a copy of version 1.03 was sold on eBay a while ago. Wang was also present at Comdex 1983, where they showcased a pre-release version of Windows 1.0 running on their machines.
  • Zenith: version 1.01 came with Z-100 series machines (includes PC-compatible and incompatible models), 1.03 also for PC-compatible Z-100 models. An early pre-release version was demonstrated on the Z-100. Version 1.03 for the original Z-100 mentioned in a newsgroup discussion.

I'm sure there were also others I haven't come across yet, but even at this point, the list is rather impressive in my opinion. If you know of any others I haven't listed, please contact me and provide the relevant information, so that I may update the list if necessary. I do intend to have a look at each of the available releases eventually, once I finish with the Evolution of Windows 1.0 series of posts.

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