Microsoft has released a new app that should appeal to technology geeks, Stranger Things fans, and nostalgia freaks alike. Windows 1.11 is an app inspired by Windows 1.0 but with a Stranger Things twist. And it’s a fantastic promotional tie-in by any metric.
Microsoft Teases the All-New Windows 1.0
At the beginning of July 2019, Microsoft started posting cryptic messages on social media. The company was teasing “the all-new Windows 1.0,” leading people to speculate as to what Microsoft was up to. After all, Windows 1.0 was originally released in 1985.
That date proved to be a big clue, as Stranger Things 3, which debuted on Netflix on July 4, is set in the summer of 1985. And as many of us guessed as a consequence, the Windows 1.0 Microsoft was teasing is actually a promotional tie-in for Stranger Things.
What Is Microsoft’s Windows 1.11 App?
The app is called Windows 1.11 in honor of the character Eleven, who is Hawkins’ best weapon against the Mind Flayer. The UI is pure Windows 1.0 though, with the original Command Prompt, versions of Paint and Write, and pixelated video footage.
Introducing the all-new Windows 1.0, with MS-Dos Executive, Clock, and more!! ? ? pic.twitter.com/guU4QxwsGG
— Windows (@Windows) July 1, 2019
The idea of the app is to work through the clues in order to help save the town of Hawkins, Indiana. You’ll need to read files, play mini-games (with graphics reminiscent of the 80s), and piece everything together. And it’s a lot of fun.
Windows 1.11 is available now. Microsoft is also running Camp Know Where events in stores this summer. There are also themes and wallpapers, and the chance to win a Stranger Things 3 arcade cabinet. See more on Microsoft’s Stranger Things site.
Download: Windows 1.11 for Windows 10
Giving Stranger Things Fans a Dose of Nostalgia
Microsoft’s Windows 1.11 app is a nice diversion, especially if you’re a fan of Stranger Things. And even if you’re not a fan of Stranger Things, the app should give people who remember using Windows 1.0 a nice fuzzy feeling of nostalgia (or bad memories).
As the Windows 1.11 app proves, Netflix is the master at promotional drives for its original programming. The only problem is those episodes fly by too quickly thanks to binge-watching, so here are the shows Stranger Things fans should watch next.
Read the full article: Microsoft’s 1.11 App Lets You Revisit Windows 1.0