Microsoft, 1995. Windows.
Windows 95 was released to manufacturing on 14 July 1995 and reached shops on 24 August 1995, after a marketing campaign that built a great deal of excitement. The first of the Windows 9x line, it replaced Windows 3.1 and merged MS-DOS and Windows into a single product. It also moved from its predecessor’s mainly 16-bit design, where programs had to take turns, to 32-bit preemptive multitasking.
Its new interface introduced Windows Explorer, the taskbar with the Start menu and a notification area, and shortcuts on the desktop. It added Plug and Play drivers, built-in Internet support, and file names of up to 255 characters instead of 8. One million copies shipped worldwide in its first four days, and by the end of 1998 it was the most used desktop operating system, with 57.4% of the market.
Only the original release and a Service Pack 1 reissue were sold in shops. Later editions, called OEM Service Releases, came only with new PCs, and added Internet Explorer, the FAT32 file system for disks larger than 2 GB, and USB support. Windows 98 followed three years after Windows 95, and extended support for Windows 95 ended on 31 December 2001.
When this exhibit starts, Windows 95 reports a Microsoft Networking error saying the computer’s name is already in use on the network. Press OK to reach the desktop. Sometimes a DHCP message follows, saying no network address could be found; press No to stop seeing it.