10 years on: Windows 95

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10 years on: Windows 95

Postby Antony » Thu 25 Aug, 2005 11:23 am

Recently, Andrew T. pointed out [sdp=62482]Windows 95[/sdp] was launched on 24th August 1995.

It was a huge event 10 years ago. The PCs suddenly became a lot easier to use, better multi-tasking, better multimedia (when compared to Windows 3.1.x). From 16-bit to 32-bit support, from 8.3 limitation filename to long file names, and a Windows' version of Trash - called Recycle Bin... Perhaps you want to call that an eleven-year late copy of Macintosh, but it was a huge event.

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(Photo from BetaNews)

10 Years On: Windows 95 Remembered (BetaNews)

change post type to normal - Antony 8 Sept 2005
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Last edited by Antony on Thu 08 Sep, 2005 1:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 10 years on: Windows 95

Postby Pu7o » Thu 25 Aug, 2005 3:25 pm

Antony wrote:Perhaps you want to call that an eleven-year late copy of Macintosh, but it was a huge event.


You just had to spoil a perfectly good post, didn't you? :P
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Postby Antony » Thu 25 Aug, 2005 6:14 pm

Well, I remember my dad bought Bill Gate's "The Road Ahead" book. I did not really read the whole book, but some chapters are interesting.

If I remember correctly, I had Windows 95 installed on my 80486DX-66, with only 16MB of RAM. Back then, Windows 95 was so cool! It's graphic interface was a lot better than Windows 3.1x... (I did not have a Mac back then.)
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Postby Pu7o » Thu 25 Aug, 2005 7:39 pm

Windows 95's interface is a lot better than the interface of Mac OS 7/6 (which was the latest at the time windows 95 was released). Mac OS 8/9's interface was just as good as Windows 98/ME's interface (well, a bit better because it didn't have IE in the interface!), and Mac OS X's interface is a LOT better than Windows XP's. Funny how things change around 8-)
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Postby Antony » Thu 25 Aug, 2005 7:50 pm

Pu7o wrote:Windows 95's interface is a lot better than the interface of Mac OS 7/6 (which was the latest at the time windows 95 was released). Mac OS 8/9's interface was just as good as Windows 98/ME's interface (well, a bit better because it didn't have IE in the interface!), and Mac OS X's interface is a LOT better than Windows XP's. Funny how things change around 8-)
You can't judge the interface simply by the colour.

Macintosh Systems 7.x and Mac OS 8/9's interface was the one proven to be useful, and stylish.

To achieve good colour usage, it took Apple from Mac OS X 10 to 10.3 (or 10.4) for great colouring/styling.
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Postby Andrew T. » Thu 25 Aug, 2005 8:03 pm

Although I admit it's hardly perfect, I'm of the opinion that Microsoft put a lot of thought and research into matters such as the user interface of Windows 95.

In terms of usability, Windows 95 was far more intuitive than Windows 3.1x, without being weighed down with Internet Explorer-integrative tie-ins or unnecessary eye candy as in later versions.

Additionally, I'd say Windows 95 has aged better than Windows 3.1x or Mac System 7-9 over the years. In a pinch, it can even run the newest version of Mozilla Firefox.
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Postby Don_HH2K » Fri 26 Aug, 2005 12:22 am

I can't really judge, as the only time I've ever extensively used Windows 95 was on my grandparents' PC. I made the switch right from Windows 3.1 to Windows 98, and skipped 95. While 95 might have been good, it can't compare to the power of its NT4 bretheren at the time, and after Windows 2000 and XP, I really can't remember using any Windows 4.x client anymore. Of course, 95 did what it needed to do for its day and age in a common home -- surf the Internet, play multimedia, work with newer DirectX-enabled games and older DOS games at the same time, etc . . .

As for a GUI, I'd say OS X wins. But, IMHO the best one does not yet exist: cross the good looks of Aqua with the shell of KDE (wait... that's already been done!)
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Postby Antony » Fri 26 Aug, 2005 9:46 am

Don,
I guess you were too young to remember what happened 10 years ago.

Well, I was old, and now older.

Antony, 10 years ago,
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(Scanned photo, obviously the photo was not preserved very well.)
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Postby Lorraine » Fri 26 Aug, 2005 11:16 pm

I thought Windows 95 was great on my Nec 1.6 GB HD and 16 mb Ram upgraded from 8 which I bought in 1996 and used Netscape 2.02
I use it still, it is connected by router as the Compaq Win98 died but good old Win 95 still works but slow. I have Mozilla 1.6 on it, IE and probably Netscape too. I must remove all the junk in it one of these days. I haven't used it in awhile.
Time sure does fly,

-Lorraine
"Born 40 years too soon" :)
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