The reason Solitaire is no longer distributed with Windows is because it is now freely available in the Microsoft Store, which is Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s genius invention of the App Store. While it is technically possible to move the Solitaire program files from one platform to another, in the modern computing era in which we live, I don’t really see the point. Now that you know more about the history of computer Solitaire than you probably ever wanted to, let’s get on to answering your question. That makes it one of the most widely distributed and most played computer game titles in the entire world! Is it any wonder people don’t want to lose touch with this old friend when they upgrade their operating system? It was included with every version of Windows sold between 19, which means that it shipped with over 1 billion copies of Windows. Solitaire first appeared with Windows as part of version 3.0, released on May 22, 1990.

It also allows Solitaire junkies to claim that they are just honing their computer skills when their spouse yells at them for spending too much time playing on the computer. The whole thing is presented in a way that’s not boring, so it’s a rather ingenious method of teaching mouse skills. It was a good choice, as the game incorporates all the basic mouse functions, and causes the player to use them over and over again. Tech help: Gmail's format doesn't translate well to all cellphones | It's Geek to Me But back when Windows was in its infancy, these were relatively new concepts to people, and Microsoft developed the computerized version of the venerable old card game to give users a means to practice using the mouse.Ĭhanging technology: Keeping up with today's TV technology is not easy | It's Geek to Me Nowadays, skills like basic mouse usage, such as clicking on things on the screen and performing drag and drop operations is second nature to us. The answer is really quite interesting, and steeped in the skills, or rather lack of skills, of people who were early adopters of home computers. Windows is a computer operating system and graphical user interface, not a gaming platform.

Windows 10 games solitaire