What is the true meaning of "Solitaire" and "Minesweeper"





Solitaire "Solitaire," "FreeCell" and "Minesweeper" - popular games that are part of the base Windows. It's pretty simple but exciting games, some people are willing to play for hours without stopping.

Although the game exciting, but few people know, с what purpose they developed .

The oldest of these "Klondike" appeared in the version of Windows 3.0 in 1990. Although this game was invented in the late 18th century, the digital era has shown that not necessarily be available to present the deck for a simple card game. But the true meaning of "Solitaire" was quite different. It is much more modest: quietly confident to teach people to use the mouse.

The purpose of Solitaire "Klondike" was the fact that a whole generation of computer users accustomed to the text command line interface, taught themselves the concept of drag-n-drop, without even realizing it. Nick still pulls labels from place to place, and this fact proves that the plan worked.



Logic puzzle with numbers "Minesweeper" also had a specific task. She appeared more mainframe in 60-70s, where version called "Cube» (Cube) has gained wide popularity. After several decades, in 1992, a version of "Minesweeper" from Microsoft appeared in Windows 3.1 - is not to demonstrate that Windows is such a wonderful game system, and for training of precision mouse control for users.

If you think that such a secretive user training through games - it's just a coincidence and conspiracy theory, look at Windows for Workgroups 3.1, the first version of the Windows network support. There, Microsoft added a game called Hearts, which technology NetDDE could communicate with other clients on the LAN. It is not a coincidence. With the game Microsoft demonstrated the new capabilities of the operating system, I try to educate and interest.

Eventually, "Free Cell". She came out for Windows 3.1 as part of the Microsoft Entertainment Pack Volume 2 and was included with the package Win32s, which run 32-bit applications to 16-bit version of Windows 3.1. It was the touchstone by which Microsoft has tested Win32s. If the package is not installed correctly, the "FreeCell" does not start. What people thought the game really is a hidden system test.

Over time, people are so used to these games that Microsoft has decided to leave them in future versions of the OS, although they have met their objectives. Only in 2012 there was no gaming of Windows 8: the user is prompted to download solitaire games (Solitaire Collection) and "Minesweeper" by itself, with no advertising for the version you had to pay.

In the latest version of Windows 10 company Microsoft вернула "Solitaire» . If you look for other games in the search box, the user will show links to Windows Store, where you can download these games. Maybe this is also not by chance - a great motivation for users to learn how the Windows Store. Perhaps the hidden training is still ongoing, many years later?

via mental_floss i>

Source: geektimes.ru/post/260292/

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