In March, states undertook dramatic and unprecedented measures to stem the spread of the SARS2-COV virus. And yet COVID-19 has claimed 100,000 lives in the U.S. Was the lockdown effective? Economists frequently address such questions in our research.

Seeing the unseen, or the path that we did not choose, is the key here. It is the fundamental challenge of economics, as illustrated by Frederic Bastiats parable of the broken window. A shopkeeper must replace a broken window. A neighbor, perhaps offering solace, points out that if windows never got broken, the town glazier would starve. To avoid believing that broken windows boost the economy, we must recognize what the shopkeeper did not buy due to replacing the window.

Economists visualize the alternative paths we could choose. What would have happened if we didnt pass NAFTA, or hadnt bailed out banks during the financial crisis, or if we raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour? The term counterfactual refers to the unchosen path.

Economists devise principles for constructing counterfactuals. Scenarios must be logically coherent and consistent with the available evidence. We must avoid overly optimistic or pessimistic alternatives.

I have never estimated potential deaths in an outbreak of a disease but have researched tornado warnings and worst case tornadoes. Like most economists, I recognize the challenges in evaluating the lockdown.

Heres a first challenge. WalletHub has scored the strictness of states COVID protection measures. The average COVID fatality rate for the ten states with the strictest lockdown policies is 686 per million residents, versus a fatality rate of 68 for the ten least strict states, or one tenth as much. The three highest fatality rate states are among the ten strictest states.

Does this show that lockdowns cause COVID-19 deaths? No. The states suffering the worst outbreaks will impose the strictest measures. This is the endogeneity of policy problem. Ignoring this issue would lead us to conclude that hospitals cause death because many people die there. Controlling for policy endogeneity is a major research focus.

Another problem arises because states imposed policies and Americans realized that COVID-19 was a serious health threat at about the same time. The NBA suspended its season March 11, people sharply reduced travel around March 15, and the first state stay-at-home order took effect March 19. We have very few data points to tease out the effect of various policies from behavioral changes.

The United States was slow in rolling out testing for COVID-19, creating another challenge. If we compared the number of COVID-19 cases in the month before and after lockdowns to test effectiveness, the total would rise simply because many more people were tested. Can we detect a decline in infections during a period of expanding testing?

Even if Marchs lockdown was effective, the policies may not be effective in another time or place. Policy effects may not transfer for several reasons. For the COVID lockdown, an important factor is peoples willingness to comply. If Americans do not favor shutting down the economy for a second wave of the virus, stay-at-home orders may prove ineffective when reimplemented.

Researchers at Columbia University have evaluated the lockdown, based on computer simulations with travel data between cities and reported cases and deaths. The policies appear to have stemmed the illness; indeed implementation of the same policies two weeks earlier could have avoided 83 percent of U.S. deaths through May 3.

The sophisticated technical analysis here, I think, obscures a bigger point. Nonpharmaceutical interventions, as epidemiologists call such policies, do not prevent COVID-19 deaths. Americans who did not get COVID this spring can still get sick next fall. Only a vaccine or effective treatment will truly prevent deaths.

Whether school closings and stay-at-home orders slow an outbreak is an important and really challenging research question. This question must be answered before we compare economic costs and health benefits. Ultimately a lockdown is merely a delaying action. Delaying actions are only worth fighting as part of a larger strategy.

Daniel Sutter is the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University and host of Econversations on TrojanVision. The opinions expressed in this column are the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Troy University.

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Dan Sutter: Did the lockdown save lives? - Alabama Today

The Beacon Hill Architectural Commission approved an application as submitted for the renovation of the Boston Athenaeums south balcony during a virtual hearing on Thursday, May 21.

The applicant, Matthew Bronski, a principal with the Waltham engineering firm Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, said the scope of the project includes removing existing waterproofing and slate paving from the balconies at the second- and fifth-floor levels at 10 Beacon St. facing the Old Granary Burying Ground and replacing them with new waterproofing and non-slip bluestone paving. The proposed work also includes the replacement of non-original existing railings on the second- and fifth floors with equivalent railings that would be up to code, as well as the installation of a new copper gutter on the fifth floor.

The commission approved an extensive renovation of the Athenaeums north faade and terrace at its previous monthly hearing, which was held virtually on April 16.

In a matter continued from September of 2018, the commission approved the applicants to plan to construct an interior staircase at a two-story carriage house owned by the Park Street School at 55-57 Brimmer St., as well as planned changes to the design of the faux carriage house doors on the adjoining one-story garage while denying the proposed window reconfiguration and additions on the garage building to preserve the integrity of the historic building.

The Park Street School intends to convert the garage into a science lab and classroom while the former single-family residence upstairs would be repurposed as a meeting room and administrative offices.

On an application for a building owned by the Park Street Church at 3 Park St to replace insulated glass in kind; to replace an existing intercom system; and to replace an existing copper chimney-cap with a vented copper chimney-cap to restore the chimney to its original use, the commission gave its approval, with the provisos that the chimney cap be made of copper and not painted black, and that the modern intercom system be housed inside a brass box in keeping with the character of the neighborhoods Historic District.

The commission also approved an application for 19 Myrtle St. to remove existing panel antennas at the roof level and replace them with new ones of similar size while painting them to match the existing structure, with the proviso that the antennas be housed inside a fiberglass screen enclosure painted the same color as the existing structure, and that the applicant submit drawings of the enclosure to staff for approval.

In another matter, the commission approved an application for 34 West Cedar St. to repair and repaint trim in kind, and to repair and replace slate in kind at the dormer level, with the proviso that the applicant provide a sample of new slate to staff for approval, and that the entire dormer be clad in slate for consistency with the district standards.

In considering an application for the installation of a new gas line at the front faade garden level at 41 Beacon St., the commission approved it, with the proviso that the connection is made beneath the building to avoid penetrating any granite walls, and that the applicant submit drawings showing a trellis wood screen painted grey to staff for approval. The applicant will also need to provide a letter from the city indicating that the location of the gas meter is the only possible option, and that it can t be installed inside the building.

The commission also approved an application to install new street numbers on the Archer Residences at 45 Temple St., with the proviso that the numbers not exceed 12.5 inches in size and match the material and color of the adjacent window mullions.

Meanwhile, the commission approved an application to install an alarm bell in the entryway of the front door at 54 Pinckney St., with the proviso that it be painted black or dark grey if permitted by the Boston Fire Department.

More:
BHAC Approves Application for Renovation of the Athenaeums South Balcony - Beacon Hill Times

Looking to save some cash and still stay entertained? Swap out all of the services you pay for -- that includes Netflix, Hulu, Apple Music, DoorDash and Grubhub -- for free alternatives. The free choices may not get you the exact same thing, but can often get you pretty close, especially if you're one of the millions of people whose employment has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and you're looking to cut costs where you can.

A lot of these free services operate with ads, unlike their paid counterparts. And the streaming services won't let you download stuff to watch or listen to offline. But some have deals to go ad-free for free during the pandemic, which you can take advantage of now.

Here's how to replace all of the services you pay for with free ones.

Replaces: Netflix

Sony's Crackle is an ad-supported streaming service that offers movies and some TV shows, including original content. You can find a variety of flicks old and new including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Adaptation, The Big Chill, Dr. Strangelove, Glory, It Happened One Night, La Bamba, The Natural, The Social Network and Star Trek: First Contact. In terms of TV, you'll find more than 100 different shows, including a lot of sitcoms such as All in the Family, Roseanne and Who's the Boss. But not every series has all seasons available.

You can stream on Crackle without signing up for an account, and can watch on virtually any device, with apps for all mobile platforms, game consoles and major streaming devices. If you do create an account, you can save favorites, get recommendations and resume playback if you switch between devices.

Read more: The best free stuff while you're stuck at home

Replaces: Hulu Plus Live TV(or your whole cable subscription)

Two big caveats here: Pluto TV is, like CNET, a division of ViacomCBS, and you'll find plenty of CNET, CBS and Viacom content on the docket here. And much of the programming on Pluto isn't the same live TV channels you'll find on pay cable or satellite, even if the channels have the same names. So, while news junkies will find live programming from CBSN, NBC News Now and Bloomberg TV, Pluto's versions of MTV, AMC and CNN are time-shifted or alternate programming from those providers.

Ultimately, none of that matters, because you're still getting a wealth of streaming video that's truly free (it's ad-supported, of course). And because there are literally dozens of in-progress streams to toggle through in real-time, Pluto offers the best analog to flipping through the myriad channels on a traditional cable system (or paid streaming alternative, like Hulu). You can also browse channels by categories like news, sports, comedy and movies, and find on-demand TV content, though it's mostly crime and reality shows.

Pluto works on desktop browsers, through a Windows client, or through apps for Android, iOS and different smart TVs and channels for Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku.

Read more:Best free TV streaming services: Roku, Sling TV, IMDb, Pluto TV, Tubi TV, Plex and more

Replaces: Apple Music

Spotify tops CNET's list of the best music streaming services thanks to its easy-to-use interface, extensive catalogue and device compatibility. Plus, you can always listen to its full music catalogue for free, with ads. And now there's even better news: In the wake of the pandemic, Spotify is letting you sign up to get three months of Spotify Premium totally free. This would normally cost you at least $9.99 per month.

You can get the free offer if you have Spotify Free or it's your first time subscribing to Spotify Premium. If you've subscribed to Premium in the past and cancelled, you can get three months for a flat $9.99.

Read more:Netflix alternatives: The 10 best free movie streaming services

Read more:Best food delivery service: DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats and more compared

Replaces: Your gym, or Peloton

Nike Training Club is a free app for iOS and Android with a variety of home workouts and programs to help you set a workout schedule. You can filter workouts based on what equipment you have at home, and find bodyweight-only exercises, yoga and training programs.

Replaces: Online classes

MasterClass offers thousands of online lessons taught by veritable masters in their fields -- we're talking Gordon Ramsey on cooking, Ken Burns on documentary making and Helen Mirren on acting. While an annual membership costs $180, you can find a series of free courses called MasterClass Live available now. These include a session on building suspenseful thrillers with Dan Brown, the importance of science with Neil deGrasse Tyson and poker tips from six-time World Series of Poker champion Daniel Negreanu.

Read more:Gym closed? Here are some of the best home workout options

Replaces: Magazine subscriptions, cooking classes

If you're spending your quarantine experimenting with cooking projects such as sourdough, banana bread or dalgona coffee, grow your cooking chops even more with the Food Network Kitchen app and subscription service. It brings live and on-demand cooking lessons from celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis and Ree Drummond to iOS and Android devices, the Amazon Echo Show 8, Fire tablets, Fire TV and Alexa. The app's goal is to become your personal kitchen companion, helping you step by step while you cook.

While the service usually costs $4.99 per month or $40 per year, Food Network is offering a 60-day free trial right now.

Now playing: Watch this: Do this first if you've been laid off or furloughed

15:52

Go here to see the original:
Money-saving tip: Replace Netflix, Apple Music and more with these free alternatives - CNET

In March, states undertook dramatic and unprecedented measures to stem the spread of the SARS2-COV virus. And yet COVID-19 has claimed 100,000 lives in the U.S. Was the lockdown effective? Economists frequently address such questions in our research.

Seeing the unseen, or the path that we did not choose, is the key here. It is the fundamental challenge of economics, as illustrated by Frederic Bastiats parable of the broken window. A shopkeeper must replace a broken window. A neighbor, perhaps offering solace, points out that if windows never got broken, the town glazier would starve. To avoid believing that broken windows boost the economy, we must recognize what the shopkeeper did not buy due to replacing the window.

Economists visualize the alternative paths we could choose. What would have happened if we didnt pass NAFTA, or hadnt bailed out banks during the financial crisis, or if we raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour? The term counterfactual refers to the unchosen path.

Economists devise principles for constructing counterfactuals. Scenarios must be logically coherent and consistent with the available evidence. We must avoid overly optimistic or pessimistic alternatives.

I have never estimated potential deaths in an outbreak of a disease but have researched tornado warnings and worst case tornadoes. Like most economists, I recognize the challenges in evaluating the lockdown.

Heres a first challenge. WalletHub has scored the strictness of states COVID protection measures. The average COVID fatality rate for the ten states with the strictest lockdown policies is 686 per million residents, versus a fatality rate of 68 for the ten least strict states, or one tenth as much. The three highest fatality rate states are among the ten strictest states.

Does this show that lockdowns cause COVID-19 deaths? No. The states suffering the worst outbreaks will impose the strictest measures. This is the endogeneity of policy problem. Ignoring this issue would lead us to conclude that hospitals cause death because many people die there. Controlling for policy endogeneity is a major research focus.

Another problem arises because states imposed policies and Americans realized that COVID-19 was a serious health threat at about the same time. The NBA suspended its season March 11, people sharply reduced travel around March 15, and the first state stay-at-home order took effect March 19. We have very few data points to tease out the effect of various policies from behavioral changes.

The United States was slow in rolling out testing for COVID-19, creating another challenge. If we compared the number of COVID-19 cases in the month before and after lockdowns to test effectiveness, the total would rise simply because many more people were tested. Can we detect a decline in infections during a period of expanding testing?

Even if Marchs lockdown was effective, the policies may not be effective in another time or place. Policy effects may not transfer for several reasons. For the COVID lockdown, an important factor is peoples willingness to comply. If Americans do not favor shutting down the economy for a second wave of the virus, stay-at-home orders may prove ineffective when reimplemented.

Researchers at Columbia University have evaluated the lockdown, based on computer simulations with travel data between cities and reported cases and deaths. The policies appear to have stemmed the illness; indeed implementation of the same policies two weeks earlier could have avoided 83 percent of U.S. deaths through May 3.

The sophisticated technical analysis here, I think, obscures a bigger point. Nonpharmaceutical interventions, as epidemiologists call such policies, do not prevent COVID-19 deaths. Americans who did not get COVID this spring can still get sick next fall. Only a vaccine or effective treatment will truly prevent deaths.

Whether school closings and stay-at-home orders slow an outbreak is an important and really challenging research question. This question must be answered before we compare economic costs and health benefits. Ultimately a lockdown is merely a delaying action. Delaying actions are only worth fighting as part of a larger strategy.

Daniel Sutter is the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University and host of Econversations on TrojanVision. The opinions expressed in this column are the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Troy University.

Continued here:
Did the lockdown save lives? - The Troy Messenger - Troy Messenger

Posted on May 24, 2020 at 1:20 pm by West Sider

A 21-year-old Upper West Side artist named Benjamin M. has been home during the quarantine and he decided to draw the view outside his bedroom window.

His view is dominated by the Schwab House, which is on the block bordered by 74th Street to the north, 73rd Street to the south, Riverside Drive to the west, and West End Avenue to the east. Maltz also drew the same view as if he was sitting in the same room in 1940, when the Schwab House was actually Charles Schwabs mansion and was known as Riverside. The comparison is striking. He explained more about his interest in drawing and history:

Hey all! My name is Benjamin, and I was born and raised on the Upper West Side. Ive always liked to draw throughout my 21 years, although recently during quarantine Ive been combining my artisticinclinations with my love for New York City history. Some time ago I learned that the Schwab House on 73rd-74th Streets between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue (across the street from my apartment) replaced the original Schwab House, a 75-room mansion built for businessman Charles Schwab at the turn of the twentieth century. With that in mind, here are two drawings I made of the view from my bedroom: The first features the current Schwab House (built 1948-50) and the second features the preceding structure (built 1902-06, demolished 1948) drawn amidst present surroundings (themselves relatively unchanged since the 1930s). Oh, to be able to see the river!

See the drawings below:

Read more from the original source:
A Young Quarantined Artist Draws the View Outside His Window, Then Imagines the Same View in 1940 - westsiderag.com

Have you ever struggled with this dilemma should you keep the kitchen window open when you cook so the ventilation keeps your place smelling alright or should you keep the window closed so that pollution is now the spice accidentally added to your dish? This suspended kitchen lamp is an air purifier that keeps the space ventilated and particles controlled without needing to open your window!

We all have wanted to open the windows at some point when cooking not because of the smell but because of the particles that will be circulated everywhere otherwise. The Keling is a conceptual air purifier combined with a kitchen lamp. The bottom is designed to absorb the fine dust generated while cooking while the top emits purified air. The height is adjustable and replacing the filter is more convenient than cleaning the bulky exhausts. You can also sync it with your smartphone to get control lighting, fine dust, cooking, filter, and wind direction through the mobile app.

This sleek device keeps the outside polluted air away from your food while making sure you arent breathing in any pepper dust!

Designer: Kikang Kim

See the rest here:
No more opening kitchen windows with this suspended light that doubles as an air purifier - Yanko Design

As temperatures climb to summer-like heat, PG&E offers these tips to help customers stay safe and comfortable while saving energy at home.

Air conditioning accounts for more than 40 percent of summer residential energy usage so set your thermostat at 78 degrees in the summer, health permitting.

Cool down with a fan: Fans keep air circulating, allowing you to raise the thermostat a few degrees and stay just as comfortable while reducing your air conditioning costs.

Replace filters as needed: Dirty air filters make your air conditioner work harder to circulate air. By cleaning or replacing your filters monthly, you can improve energy efficiency and reduce costs.

Close shades in the summer: Sunlight passing through windows heats your home and makes your air conditioner work harder. Block the heat by keeping blinds closed on sunny days.

If nighttime or early morning temperatures are cool, turn off air conditioners and open windows to let in cool air and use a whole-house fan to draft hot air out of attics.

Turn off lights and TVs when not in use.

Plug all personal electronics into a power strip and simply turn off the power strip when electronics arent in use.

Run washers, dryers and dishwashers on full loads instead of partial loads. Hang dry clothes.

When not in use, unplug small appliances and electronics, like coffee makers and printers. Completely turn off TVs and game consoles.

Turn down the brightness of your TV. Factory settings are typically brighter than needed.Use smaller screens, like tablets, to stream media.

Read this article:
Utility offers tips on staying cool during the heatwave - Red Bluff Daily News

With rising temperatures in California, here are some tips utility companies suggest to help minimize costs.

SACRAMENTO, California During the coronavirus pandemic, as millions of people are being asked to adhere to stay-at-home guidelines, you might be wondering if you're going to pay more for you electric bill next month.

Electric companies like SMUD, PG&E, and Roseville Electric Utility have payment-assistance programs that could help people who are struggling financially:

While those programs can help, there are other ways consumers can decrease their energy usage and bill. Here are simple ways to save energy and money while trying to stay cool while you stay home:

Add layers to windows

Adjust your thermostat

Cool down with a fan

Manage your electronics, appliances and lighting

Replace filters as needed

FOR THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS, DOWNLOAD OUR APP:

Stay In the Know! Sign up now for theDaily Blend Newsletter

Read more:
Ways to save money on your electricity bills during a heatwave - ABC10.com KXTV

WISH FM is to disappear from the airwaves and will be replaced as Greatest Hits Radio.

The station for Wigan and St Helens has been acquired along with others in Cheshire and Greater Manchester by Bauer Media.

And it will join the Hits Radio Brand Network from September ending the station's Wish brand. The station ended its popular live rugby league commentary last year.

The integration will mean that stations including Wire FM, Bolton-based Tower FM, and Signal 2 will rebrand as Greatest Hits Radio.

Jobs are affected and a period of consultation is under way.

Signal 1, covering South Cheshire and Stoke, will retain its local branding, while becoming part of the wider Hits Radio Network.

A spokesman said: "All stations will deliver the optimum mix of local content that listeners highly value alongside content from nationally known presenters. For advertisers, the move will provide significant scale whilst also retaining local advertising windows for clients.

"Where possible, stations who previously were only accessible via FM or AM radio will secure a multi-platform digital future, with access to DAB digital radio. This is a crucial move in a radio market which is seeing a significant shift towards consumption on digital platforms and allows extended coverage for audiences."

Dee Ford CBE, group managing director radio, Bauer Radio comments, Audiences love and trust radio. Expanding the Hits Radio Brand Network will ensure listeners to these acquired stations benefit from multi-platform digital distribution meaning they can continue to broadcast in an increasingly competitive, digital and voice-activated world. This ensures the provision of local news and information, traffic and travel as well as access for advertisers to highly valued audiences.

Greatest Hits Radio offers classic hits from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s alongside regional drive time and networked breakfast shows.

The spokesman added: "These changes do unfortunately mean that some roles will be put into consultation and freelance contracts reviewed.

"Bauer Media is fully committed to supporting all affected employees throughout this period and will be working closely with them over the months ahead.

"A period of consultation with employees potentially affected will commence today."

Graham Bryce, Group Managing Director Hits Radio Network Brand, said: We are committed to ensuring the future of radio in local markets and serving the needs of our listeners and advertisers. However, our top priority right now will be to support those affected through this period.

View original post here:
Wish FM to disappear and be replaced by Greatest Hits Radio - St Helens Star

Thirty years ago this month, Microsoft released Windows 3.0, a graphical environment that represented a dramatic leap over its predecessors in terms of capability and popularity. Heres what made Windows 3.0 special.

In the early days on IBM PC compatible machines, most PCs ran Microsoft MS-DOS, a command-line based operating system that typically could only run one program at a time. As computers grew in power in the early 1980s, multitasking became a huge buzzword in the industry. Magazine editorials spoke of the productivity increases that would come from being able to run two applications at the same time.

Around that time, ideas about graphical and mouse-based computer interfaces that had been pioneered on the Xerox Alto had begun to filter down into the personal computer industry. After witnessing several early GUI-based operating system approaches, Microsoft released its own graphical mouse-based interface, Windows 1.0, in 1985. It ran on top of MS-DOS and provided a bitmapped display with non-overlapping application windows.

Neither Windows 1.0 nor Windows 2.0 proved successful in the market. Then came Windows 3.0 in 1990, another GUI shell that ran on top of MS-DOS. It allowed multitasking of both MS-DOS programs and specially written Windows applications. Unlike previous versions of Windows, it proved to be a hit, selling over 10 million copies. Third-party application support followed, and Microsoft cemented its PC market operating system dominance.

Here are some of the elements that came together to make both Windows 3.0 unique and successful.

RELATED: PCs Before Windows: What Using MS-DOS Was Actually Like

In todays Windows, the Start Menu provides a quick and easy way to organize and launch installed applications. In Windows 3.0 that job was held by Program Manager, which was also the main interface (shell) for Windows.

As a shell, Windows 2.0 had used MS-DOS Executive, which was basically a glorified list of files with no support for application icons. Compared to that, the large 16-color icons in Windows 3.0 felt like a revelation, bringing icon detail matching expensive color Macintosh computers to relatively inexpensive PCs.

Also, Program Manager was easy to use. Compared to MS-DOS by itself, or Windows 2.0s MS-DOS Executive shell, Program Manager provided a very non-intimidating interface. Users could easily find and launch applications while being mostly shielded from accidentally messing up its file-based underpinnings.

If you did want to manage files in Windows 3.0, you needed to launch a separate application called File Manager. Today, File Explorer serves as both the main interface and the file manager of Windows 10.

By now, Solitaire is so heavily associated with Windows that its hard to picture the two apart. The famous partnership first came together in 1990 when Microsoft shipped its first-ever version of Solitaire with Windows 3.0. With its detailed cards (and amusing card backs), Solitaire proved an able example of Windows graphical capabilities. And of course, it was also a great way to kill time between tasks in the office.

Solitaire featured card faces designed by Susan Kare, who had previously designed many graphical elements and fonts for the Macintosh. She also designed many icons for Windows 3.0. Microsoft used Kares card graphics all the way up to Windows XP, finally replacing them in Vista.

Windows 3.0 also included the game Reversi with every copy. While Microsoft dropped Reversi in Windows 3.1 (in favor of Minesweeper), Solitaire shipped with Windows all the way up to Windows 7. (Now its a weird pay-to-play parody of itself, but thats another topic entirely.)

Windows 3.0 included advanced memory management that let it use large amounts of RAM, allowing both larger programs and true cooperative multitasking for the first time. When it came to multitasking MS-DOS programs (which many people still used frequently), Windows 1.0 and 2.0 served basically graphical application launchers. In Windows 3.0, users could run multiple MS-DOS applications simultaneously, which felt like magic at the time.

What kind of MS-DOS applications were people running in 1990? Thanks to backward compatibility, anything and everything, from Lotus 1-2-3 to Captain Comic. Windows proved a boon to multi-node BBSes at the time as well, allowing multiple instances of DOS-based BBS software to run easily on one machine.

It seems amazing today, but Windows 3.0s buttons represented serious eye candy for a PC graphical interface at the time. They included simulated highlights and shadows that gave the illusion of depth, and as a result, most people referred to the buttons as being 3D.

Overall, the cleanly-executed Windows 3.0 interface felt crisp and professional, with detailed icons, well-thought-out window arrangements, and nice fonts. For the first time, Windows matched (and arguably surpassed) the visual fidelity of Mac OS, which most considered the benchmark GUI of the time. That visual flair helped make Windows 3.0 so massively popular.

Windows 3.0 represented a turning point in the evolution of PC compatibles when machines capable of a good graphical interface (and all of the peripherals involved) had become low cost enough for mainstream users. In 1990, you could buy a low-end PC capable of running Windows 3.0 for under $1000, while the cheapest color Macintosh was about $2400 at the time. With a PC, a mouse, and a $149 copy of Windows, you could build an almost Mac-like machine on the cheap.

When more people buy a platform, more companies want to develop for it, and thats exactly what happened to Windows 3.0. While third-party support had been few and far between in the Windows 1.0 and 2.0 eras, many software vendors hopped aboard to support Windows 3.0, including Aldus with its popular desktop publishing software Aldus PageMaker. For office productivity, Microsoft itself released excellent versions of PowerPoint, Word, and Excel for Windows 3.0, among others. You could get real work done in Windows 3.0.

As we close our look back at Windows 3.0, who can forget the glorious 16-color high-resolution (640480!) wallpaper Microsoft included with every copy?

In an era where VGA cards were finally going mainstream, many users began running the environment in higher resolutions such as 640480. Suitably, Microsoft included CHESS.BMP, a graphical showcase that depicts a handful of chess pieces flying through the air over a seemingly endless checkerboard plane. Windows users didnt get built-in screensaver support until Windows 3.1 in 1992, so we took what small pleasures we could get. CHESS.BMP fit the bill perfectly.

Happy birthday, Windows 3.0!

For a blast from the past, well show you how to install Windows 3.1 in DOSBox and run it on a modern PC. Windows 3.1 was released a few years after Windows 3.0 and featured a similar interface.

RELATED: How to Install Windows 3.1 in DOSBox, Set Up Drivers, and Play 16-bit Games

Read more:
Windows 3.0 Is 30 Years Old: Heres What Made It Special - How-To Geek