Wii U GamePad: Nintendo's tablet-style controller for the Wii U Wii U GamePad A compact overview of the Wii U GamePad: design, hardware features, use in asymmetric gameplay and Off-TV Play, reception, and its role with Amiibo and motion controls.
Wii Zapper: the Wii Remote shooting shell Wii Zapper A plastic shell accessory for the Nintendo Wii that holds the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to provide a pistol-like aiming experience for pointer-based shooter games.
WiiWare — Nintendo's downloadable game service for the Wii WiiWare WiiWare was Nintendo’s 2008 digital distribution channel for original downloadable games on the Wii. It enabled smaller developers to publish compact, creative titles and used Wii…
Wikidata: the Wikimedia structured knowledge base Wikidata Wikidata is a free, collaborative, multilingual knowledge base created by the Wikimedia movement. It stores structured data about people, places, concepts and identifiers for reuse…
Winchester Model 1887 Lever-Action Shotgun Winchester Model 1887 A late-19th-century lever-action repeating shotgun designed by John Browning and produced by Winchester. Noted for its rifle-style lever mechanism, early repeating capability, and…
Winchester Model 1897 A widely used pump-action shotgun designed by John Browning, notable for its exposed-hammer design, military 'trench gun' role, and long service in civilian and armed forces roles.
Windowing system A windowing system is the part of a graphical user interface that controls how programs and dialogs are drawn in movable, resizable windows and how users interact with them.
Windows 10 — overview, history, editions, features and support Windows 10 Comprehensive encyclopedia article on Windows 10: development, editions, UI, features, security, servicing model, LTSC variants, deployment considerations and lifecycle guidance.
Windows 10 Mobile: Microsoft's mobile operating system (discontinued 2020) Windows 10 Mobile Overview of Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft's mobile OS that adapted Windows 10 features for phones and small tablets, supported ARM and x86 devices and UWP apps, and reached end of s…
Windows 2000 — Microsoft Windows NT–family operating system Windows 2000 Windows 2000 is a business-oriented 32-bit operating system from Microsoft, released in 2000. It introduced improved stability, security, and management features for desktops and s…
Windows 7 — overview, features, history and support lifecycle Windows 7 Windows 7 is a major Microsoft desktop operating system released in 2009. This article explains its features, editions, development timeline, support lifecycle and legacy in person…
Windows 8 — Microsoft operating system introduced in 2012 Windows 8 Windows 8 is a 2012 version of Microsoft's operating system that introduced a tile-based Start screen, touch-oriented design and an app platform; later updated as Windows 8.1 and s…
Windows 95 Microsoft's Windows 95, released in August 1995, modernized the PC desktop with the Start menu, taskbar and long file names. It blended MS‑DOS compatibility with new 32‑bit compone…
Windows 98 — Overview, features, history and legacy Windows 98 Windows 98, released by Microsoft in 1998, updated the Windows 95 line with tighter web integration, FAT32 support, new utilities and a notable antitrust controversy; it remained i…
Windows 9x: the consumer Windows family based on MS-DOS (1995–2000) Windows 9x Overview of Windows 9x — the Microsoft consumer operating systems built on MS‑DOS (Windows 95, 98, ME): architecture, major versions, features, legacy, and differences from the NT…
Windows CE (Windows Embedded Compact) — lightweight, real-time OS for embedded systems Windows CE Windows CE, later Windows Embedded Compact, is Microsoft's modular real-time operating system for small, dedicated devices. It powers handhelds, industrial systems and some consume…
Windows Defender — Microsoft’s built-in security platform for Windows Windows Defender Windows Defender is Microsoft’s integrated security component that provides real‑time protection, malware detection, quarantining and remediation across modern Windows releases.
Windows Home Server: overview, features, history and legacy Windows Home Server Windows Home Server was a Microsoft consumer server product that offered centralized storage, automated PC backups, remote access and media sharing for home networks. This article…
Windows ME (Millennium Edition) Windows ME Windows ME, released in 2000, was Microsoft’s last MS‑DOS–based consumer operating system, intended for home users and notable for System Restore, multimedia tools and a mixed crit…
Windows Mobile — discontinued Microsoft mobile operating system Windows Mobile Windows Mobile was a family of mobile operating systems by Microsoft, evolved from Pocket PC and Windows CE, used on PDAs and early smartphones and succeeded by Windows Phone in 20…
Windows Neptune — Microsoft’s unreleased consumer version of Windows Windows Neptune Windows Neptune was an unreleased Microsoft project (circa 1999–2000) intended as a consumer-oriented version of Windows built on the Windows NT kernel. One build leaked; features…
Windows NT: Microsoft's New Technology family of operating systems Windows NT Windows NT is the Microsoft operating-system family introduced as a new, more robust and secure Windows architecture. It introduced a hybrid kernel, NTFS, and the foundation for mo…
Windows NT 6.x — the Vista through Windows 8.1 family Windows NT 6.x A concise overview of Microsoft Windows NT 6.x, the operating-system family that spans Windows Vista, 7, Windows 8 and 8.1: design goals, major features, development lineage and it…
Windows on Windows (WoW): compatibility for legacy 16‑bit Windows programs Windows on Windows Windows on Windows (WoW) is a compatibility layer in x86 editions of Windows NT that enables many 16‑bit programs written for Windows 3.x and earlier to run on newer Windows system…
Windows Phone — Microsoft mobile operating system (discontinued) Windows Phone Windows Phone was a mobile operating system family by Microsoft, known for its Live Tiles and Metro design. Development ended in 2019–2020 and it lost market share to Android and i…
Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2003 is a Microsoft server operating system released in 2003, designed for business networks with enhanced scalability, security improvements, and a range of server…
Windows Server 2012: overview, features, history and editions Windows Server 2012 Windows Server 2012, released in 2012, is Microsoft’s server OS focused on virtualization, cloud integration, storage resiliency and centralized management; it introduced Hyper-V u…
Windows Server 2016 — Overview, Features and Uses Windows Server 2016 Windows Server 2016 is a Microsoft server operating system released in 2016. It introduced containers, Nano Server, Shielded VMs, Storage Spaces Direct and other enterprise feature…
Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2019 is a long-term servicing release from Microsoft that added hybrid-cloud, container, storage and security features to the Windows Server line.
Windows Task Manager Overview of Windows Task Manager: its purpose, key tabs and controls, history and evolution across Windows versions, common uses and differences with related system tools.
Windows To Go: Portable Windows Environments on USB Drives Windows To Go Windows To Go lets a full Windows workspace boot and run from certified USB drives. Introduced with Windows 8, it provided portable Enterprise-ready installations, later deprecated…
Windows Update — Microsoft system update and patch service Windows Update Windows Update is Microsoft’s service for delivering security patches, feature upgrades, drivers and definition updates to Windows devices, with options for automatic or managed de…
Windows Vista: overview, features, history and legacy Windows Vista Windows Vista is the sixth major Microsoft Windows release. Introduced as Longhorn, it added new graphics, security, and system features but faced criticism for compatibility and r…
Windows XP: overview, editions, features, lifecycle and legacy Windows XP Windows XP (released 2001) unified Microsoft's consumer and business desktop lines. This article summarizes its architecture, editions, notable features, market adoption, security…
Winglet: Aircraft wingtip device that reduces drag and saves fuel Winglet A winglet is a vertical or angled extension at a wingtip that reduces induced drag, improving efficiency, range, and noise characteristics for many types of aircraft.
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) Wired Equivalent Privacy Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is an early IEEE 802.11 security algorithm for wireless LANs, now considered obsolete because of multiple cryptographic weaknesses and replaced by WP…
Wireless access point A wireless access point is networking equipment that provides Wi‑Fi connectivity by bridging wireless clients to a wired network; used in homes, businesses, and public spaces for l…
Wireless Markup Language (WML): overview, structure, history, and uses Wireless Markup Language Wireless Markup Language (WML) is an XML-based markup for early mobile devices (WAP). This article explains its structure (decks/cards), syntax rules, history, uses, and how it dif…
WonderSwan Color (Bandai handheld console) WonderSwan Color A compact color handheld game console by Bandai released in 2000, notable for its portrait play options, backwards compatibility with WonderSwan titles, and Japan-only market prese…
Word (computer architecture) In computer architecture, a word is the fixed number of bits that a processor handles as a unit; it shapes register width, instruction and address size, alignment, and system inter…
Word Processor — functions, features, history and common uses Word processor An overview of word processors: what they are, typical features, historical development, common uses and distinctions between basic editors, modern suites and desktop publishing to…
WordPad — Microsoft's basic word processor included with Windows WordPad WordPad is a lightweight word-processing application bundled with Microsoft Windows. It supports basic text formatting using Rich Text Format and is intended for simple document cr…
WordPress: overview, architecture, history, and common uses WordPress WordPress is a widely used open-source content management system written in PHP, notable for themes, plugins, and an extensive ecosystem supporting blogs, sites, and e-commerce.
World Community Grid: distributed volunteer computing for scientific research World Community Grid World Community Grid is an IBM-coordinated volunteer computing project that uses donated idle computer time to support scientific research in health, environment and materials scie…
Wrecking ball (demolition tool) Wrecking ball Heavy steel ball swung from a crane to demolish structures. Overview of design, history, operation, decline, alternatives, and safety/environmental issues in modern demolition prac…
Writing tools: instruments, media, and their development Writing tool Survey of physical and digital writing tools, their parts, historical development, common examples, uses, preservation concerns, and trends in ergonomics and software-enhanced writ…
WYSIWYG — What You See Is What You Get: definition, history, and uses WYSIWYG Overview of WYSIWYG editors: definition, components, history from early GUIs to web editors, typical uses, limitations, and comparisons with markup-based workflows.
X Window System (X11): networked windowing for Unix-like systems X Window System X Window System (X11) is a network-transparent windowing protocol and toolkit layer widely used on Unix-like operating systems to manage graphical displays, input, and windowing.
