Windows Madden

Windows Madden is a Windows Beta Insider Program. The dev channel was made to test prototype versions of Windows. It was first released to Microsoft developers and beta testers on February 22, 1989, alongside Windows 3 build 14. The Madden Developer Channel ended mainstream updates on September 30, 2014, following the announcement of Windows Insider and extended updates on October 1, 2014.
== History of Madden ==
Madden was first brought up at MSPlans '86 under the codename "Microsoft Marine." According to Microsoft, "Microsoft Marine" is the name of a new beta insider software program that will test features that might come into future releases of our latest Windows operating systems. This will hopefully be released to developers in 1989." When Microsoft Marine was announced, everyone was curious about finding out more information about the project, to which Microsoft replied, "Wait and see. The project's outcome will hopefully be good when we find a proper name for it."
That was all that was brought up on MS Marine in 1986; nothing more was said about it that year. 1987 revealed that several names were being considered for the product. Among these names was Windows Madden, and in 1988, at MSPlans '88, Windows Madden was announced as the final name for the Beta Insider Program. Madden stands for "Multiple Additional Developer Devising and Endurance of the New" in the name.
On February 22, 1989, Windows Madden was released to software testers, and Windows 3 build 14 was released as the pack-in test OS. The Madden Developer Channel was met with mostly positive and mixed reactions. Some said that it was a good way for the developers to test prototypes of Windows that were made at that time, while others criticized the fact that it was only for developers and not for everyone.
Between the years of 1990 and 2009, several beta discs were illegally taken to Microsoft employees' houses and tested on some computers. Several employees were fired because of this, and Madden was a very controversial Microsoft product. When Windows 8 began development, a watermark message was placed on the desktop. This warned employees and contingent staff that they could be fired or have their contract with Microsoft terminated if they disclosed any prototype without proper authorization. This safety enhancement made people like Madden a little more, but it wasn't enough for what was to come.
On September 30, 2014, the Windows Insider program was announced alongside Windows 10. The Windows Insider program was similar to Madden but had more personal interaction rather than being just for developers. This positive response that Windows Insider received would ultimately begin the decline of Windows Madden. That same day, at 8:20 PM, Microsoft discontinued mainstream updates, and no further updates would be issued after that date.
Microsoft acknowledged that the same day that Insider would come out, Madden would be no more. Many developers that used Madden understood that it was time to change, and Madden's install share internally at Microsoft had a sudden drop, from 24.45% to 4.45%, as Windows Insider spread like wildfire.
The developer channel was closed for good on October 1, 2014, at 9:35 a.m. Many software testers have still remained with Madden for some time, but it has slowly started coming down due to Windows Insider getting more downloads.
== List of Logos for Windows Madden ==
=== Microsoft Marine ===
==== October 1986-March 1988 ====
=== Windows Madden ===
==== April 1988-January 1989 (Pre-launch) ====
==== February 1989-December 1990 ====
==== January 1991-April 1992 ====
==== May 1992-July 1993 ====
==== August 1993-September 1994 ====
==== October 1994-August 1995 ====
==== September 1995-July 1996 ====
==== August 1996-May 1998 ====
==== June 1998-December 1999 ====
==== January 2000-June 2000 ====
==== July 2000-August 2001 ====
==== September 2001-November 2006 ====
==== December 2006-July 2009 ====
==== August 2009-February 2012 ====
==== March 2012-October 2013 ====
==== November 2013-October 2014 ====
Category:Windows
Category:Arsenii Ivanov
Category:Fictional Windows versions