Looking back - The 25th Anniversary of Windows 95

[Brink]

Windows 95 was launched on August 24, 1995, introducing us to many of the experiences our customers still use to interact with their PCs today such as the Start menu and Taskbar. Over the past 25 years, we have evolved these experiences, building on this rich history of innovation. Join us in looking back at how Windows has changed over the years to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more!



In addition to this video looking back at Windows 95, we have also done a special two-part episode of this month’s Windows Insider Podcast where Jason Howard interviews two engineers who worked on Windows 95 and still work at the company:

• The Start of Something Different, Part 1: In the first part of this month’s two-part episode, Jason is joined by Raymond Chen, a Principle Software Engineer in Windows. He reflects on the history of Windows 95 and the early days of application compatibility and testing. You can also read more Windows history from Raymond through his blog here called The Old New Thing.
• The Start of Something Different, Part 2: In the second half of this month’s two-part episode, Jason is joined by Chris Guzak, a Principle Software Developer in Windows. They explored the history of iconic Windows 95 experiences including the Start menu, Taskbar, and the early days of software usability testing.

I was a 12-year-old aspiring Windows geek when Windows 95 came out and after it did, all my neighbors were getting their first PCs so they could get on the Internet. I was obsessed with learning the in’s and out’s of Windows 95 and after I did, I was going to all my neighbors houses and helping them learn how to use their PCs and browse the web. Do you have a favorite Windows 95 memory? Share it with us by replying to us on Twitter with the #Windows95 hashtag!


Thanks,
BLB

Source: Looking back—The 25th Anniversary of Windows 95 | Windows Experience Blog

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[RoWin7]

I first met Win95 in 1996, age 50. I don't do Twitter, so I'm excluded from sharing my experience.

 

[ian50]

That was also the beginning of the end of OS/2, which had up to that point been a co-development between MS and IBM, in public at least.



My experience at that stage was that OS/2 was a superior system, offering the ability to run DOS, Windows and native OS/2 programs as well as multi-tasking. That last ability, multi-tasking, was critical to me and I had attended one of those promotional "breakfasts" run by MS where the MS speaker assured us that we didn't need multi-tasking. I didn't stay for a second croissant.


I've never seen an adequate explanation for MS' abrupt dumping of OS/2, so I've just thought it likely that Gates double-crossed IBM in order to grab a huge market share of the population demographic that is bedazzled by gee-whizzery. If so, well it worked. Though not so much for Win10, perhaps.



NT, Win2000, XP and Win7 (still) have since resolved the multi-task issue, of course.

 

[Snick]

Dad still on Win 95!

Don't use Twitter either!

 

[RoWin7]

I'm on Win7, not planning to change, and not because I'm an old fogie. I don't do any social networking, prefer real friends in the flesh.

 

[file3456]

Hard to believe it's been that long. Back when I was 15 or 16 a family friend used to live with us and had a computer that ran Windows 95. Since I absolutely loved computers and wanted one for myself, but was too poor to afford one, I'd play around on his. He would always lock it, but I'd still manage to find a way in. LOL Back then he had FS95 installed and I loved that game. On Macintosh I loved the games Simcity 2000 and Lode Runner. And even in school with the At Ease system in place on all the Macs, I still tried hacking in.

Thinking about all this sure puts me back. Good times.

 

[RoWin7]

I used my friend's computer for a year till I decided to buy my own. They were over $1200, so I waited. Meanwhile I joined the county computing club, and I'm still there, 24 years later. We had over 650 members in 1996, mostly people with their first computers. This is it today:
"https://www.wpcug.org."

Comparison of 2014 and 2020 General Meeting topics:
"https://www.wpcug.org/Downloads/Join%20WPCUG%21.pdf"

In 1996 there were stores where you could buy computing time by the hour.

Viruses could be transmitted on floppy disks.

HD's were 4.5 GB.

I think 32 MB RAM was sufficient. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Downloading pictures was a long, laborious process, requiring great patience.

 

[flavallee]

I purchased my very first computer in August 1997.
It was a HP Pavilion 8160 which came with:
Windows 95 OSR2
Intel Pentium 2.33 MHz processor
32 MB(16 MB x 2) EDO RAM
6 GB IDE hard disk drive
CD-ROM disc drive
ATI integrated graphics(2 MB video memory)
56K modem

It sold for $1,899.00, and a HP 15" monitor and HP printer added another $698.00 to the cost.

I later spent several hundred dollars more on an ATI graphics card(16 MB video memory) and Creative Labs sound card and Linksys ethernet card and 128 MB(32 MB x 4) of EDO RAM.

I personally didn't have a happy experience with Windows 95 OSR2.
It wasn't until I upgraded to Windows 98 SE in May 1999 that I had a happy experience.