This isn't just a Windows thing, it goes back through DOS, but the alternatives are older.
Back in the day, it might have been problematic to handle the different styles, code size was an issue and RAM could be very limited. Once we got Win95 it was time to fix this. Win98 looks to be the big missed chance.
33 years... It should have been fixed 30 years ago
Biting the hand that feeds IT
