W Window System

The W Window System, or simply W, is a discontinued windowing system and precursor, in name and concept, to the modern X Window System.

W was originally developed at Stanford University by Paul Asente and Brian Reid for the V operating system. In 1983, Paul Asente and Chris Kent ported the system to UNIX on the VS100, giving a copy to those working at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science.

In 1984, Bob Scheifler of MIT replaced the synchronous protocol of W with an asynchronous alternative and named the result X.

Since this time, the X window system has gone through many fundamental changes and no longer bears any significant resemblance to W.

See also

• History of free and open-source software

References

1. Windowing system
2. X Window System
3. Microsoft Windows
4. Windows Vista
5. X Window System protocols and architecture
6. V (operating system)
7. Window
8. Window function
9. Windows 10
10. History of the graphical user interface
11. Window Maker
12. Table of keyboard shortcuts
13. Microsoft Windows version history
14. X Window System core protocol
15. Windows Server 2012
16. Rear Window
17. Windows NT
18. Windows 98
19. MEX (windowing system)
20. W (disambiguation)