It could also be argued that Windows 95 marked the start of this complexity, at least in PC land. Prior to that, there was very little communication between the

It could also be argued that Windows 95 marked the start of this complexity, at least in PC land. Prior to that, there was very little communication between the OS and the hardware regarding configuration. When it did happen (e.g. monitor resolution, speed of a serial port, etc.), it was directed by the operating system rather than by the hardware.