Do you remember Windows 1.0? Chances are, your answer is “no.” When Microsoft released the very first version of Windows nearly 25 years ago, on Nov. 20, 1985, it was late to the game and little used.

Ever wondered what owning a computer in the 1980s was like? Outside of nostalgia, it wasn’t the best. Until 1984, unless you were in some kind of strange lab or university, nearly everything was ...