Microsoft Windows 1.01, the first public version of Windows, was released on November 20, 1985. It is shown here running on an IBM PC XT (Model 5160) with an EGA Display. You can also run Windows 1.01 with a Debugger or a CGA Display.
The Microsoft Word word processor was first introduced for MS-DOS in 1983. Its design made use of a mouse and WYSIWYG graphics. Its crude WYSIWYG/mouse support was a direct response to the Apple Lisa/Mac, and VisiCorp Visi On. Initially it competed against many popular word processors such as WordStar, Multimate, and WordPerfect. Word for DOS was never really successful.
The Mac version was introduced in 1985 where it acquired a friendlier user interface and gained some popularity. A Microsoft Windows version was introduced in 1989, although Palantir WinText, NBI Legend, and Samna AMI/AMI Pro had beaten them to their own Windows platform. For a time Word for Windows competed with WordPerfect for Windows. There were also ports to OS/2, the Atari ST, and Unix.
The DOS, Mac, and Windows versions are quite different from each other, and each restarted their version numbering at '1.0'. Later versions are bundled with Microsoft Office. Also see a complete list of word processors archived on Winworld.
In 1989, after several other word processors were already available for Windows, Microsoft released the first version of Word for Windows.
Visually, Word for Windows has little in common with the DOS versions, more closely resembling the Mac version, and restarts the version numbering at '1.0'.
The source code to Microsoft Word 1.1a has been made available via the Computer History Museum
Word For Windows Free Download
Installation instructions
This version is designed to run under Microsoft Windows 2. Word for Windows 1.1 adds extra support specifically for Windows 3.0.
Windows 10 Microsoft Word Free
Wanted: Manual scan.