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It is not easy to strictly define a platform to work with based on past computer technological computer developments, because computer technology has known countless concurrent developments. A computer is not one technology. It consists of a myriad of technological inventions that each have their own engineering cycles which constantly overlap.
I have chosen the time frame 1999 to 2009 based on several cycles that are at play:
- Windows OS generation
1999 to 2009 consists of WIndows 5 (Win 2000), 5.1 (Win XP) and 6 (Vista).
- privacy/telemetry
Real telemetry, where MS gets a lot of information on the users usage, was only really integrated in 2009, starting from Win7.
- network requirements
Modern internet can still run decently in WIndows 2000 (1999), but not in Windows '98, due to required www security and build advances that completely replace older ones.
- RAM
Modern computing needs minimum 4GB RAM. This amount is essential, mainly for internet usage, video streaming and photo & video editing. 4GB became usable by the end of the nineties but was very rare. By 2009 people began to exceed 4GB RAM in their computers, thanks to 64bit operating systems becoming the norm. (32bit allows for a maximum of 4GB RAM).
- cpu architecture generations
AMD x86_64 and Intel x64 (Titanium) cpu's became available from 1999. As the name suggests these AMD CPU's could run both 32bit and 64biit programs, where as this Intel 64bit CPU could run only 64bit programs. From 2003 all CPU's could, in principle, but depending on the OS, run both 32bit and 64bit applications. 32bit nevertheless remained the norm because the Windows XP version that most people used was 32bit. There was a Windows XP 64 edition pretty soon too but it had difficulties running 32bit programs. Windows XP 64bit professional came out in 2005 and this OS could run both 32bit and 64bit applications but was soon superseded by Windows Vista. Onward from Windows Vista and especially Windows 7, in 2009, 64bit became the norm for devs to develop for, and since then, although 32bit programs today can still be run on 64bit operating systems, less and less programs are created to work on 32bit and thus are unable to run on 32bit operation systems,
- video gaming generations
Video game generations are not in line with my choice for 1999 to 2009. The 3D era went roughly from 1994 to 2006 and the HD era roughly from 2006 to approximately 2015.
I have chosen the time frame 1999 to 2009 based on several cycles that are at play:
- Windows OS generation
1999 to 2009 consists of WIndows 5 (Win 2000), 5.1 (Win XP) and 6 (Vista).
- privacy/telemetry
Real telemetry, where MS gets a lot of information on the users usage, was only really integrated in 2009, starting from Win7.
- network requirements
Modern internet can still run decently in WIndows 2000 (1999), but not in Windows '98, due to required www security and build advances that completely replace older ones.
- RAM
Modern computing needs minimum 4GB RAM. This amount is essential, mainly for internet usage, video streaming and photo & video editing. 4GB became usable by the end of the nineties but was very rare. By 2009 people began to exceed 4GB RAM in their computers, thanks to 64bit operating systems becoming the norm. (32bit allows for a maximum of 4GB RAM).
- cpu architecture generations
AMD x86_64 and Intel x64 (Titanium) cpu's became available from 1999. As the name suggests these AMD CPU's could run both 32bit and 64biit programs, where as this Intel 64bit CPU could run only 64bit programs. From 2003 all CPU's could, in principle, but depending on the OS, run both 32bit and 64bit applications. 32bit nevertheless remained the norm because the Windows XP version that most people used was 32bit. There was a Windows XP 64 edition pretty soon too but it had difficulties running 32bit programs. Windows XP 64bit professional came out in 2005 and this OS could run both 32bit and 64bit applications but was soon superseded by Windows Vista. Onward from Windows Vista and especially Windows 7, in 2009, 64bit became the norm for devs to develop for, and since then, although 32bit programs today can still be run on 64bit operating systems, less and less programs are created to work on 32bit and thus are unable to run on 32bit operation systems,
- video gaming generations
Video game generations are not in line with my choice for 1999 to 2009. The 3D era went roughly from 1994 to 2006 and the HD era roughly from 2006 to approximately 2015.
