Windows 95

(operating system)

(Win95) Microsoft's successor to their Windows 3.11 operating system for IBM PCs. It was known as "Chicago" during development. Its release was originally scheduled for late 1994 but eventually happened on 11 Jul 1995, followed by Service Release 1 on 1995-12-31 and OSR2 (OEM Service Release 2) on 1996-08-24.

In contrast to earlier versions, Windows 95 is a complete operating system rather than a graphical user interface running on top of MS-DOS.

It provides 32-bit application support, pre-emptive multitasking, threading and built-in networking (TCP/IP, IPX, SLIP, PPP, and Windows Sockets). It includes MS-DOS 7.0, but takes over completely after booting. The graphical user interface, while similar to previous Windows versions, is significantly improved.

Windows 95 has also been described as "32-bit extensions and a graphical shell for a 16-bit patch to an 8-bit operating system originally coded for a 4-bit microprocessor, written by a 2-bit company that can't stand 1-bit of competition".

The successor to Windows 95 was Windows 98.

This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)

Windows 95

The first 32-bit Windows operating system and a major upgrade to Windows 3.1. Introduced in August 1995, it added a completely redesigned user interface featuring the Start menu and Taskbar. The Windows 3.1 interface (Program Manager and File Manager) was also included as an option. Windows 95 became popular very quickly.

Major Improvements
Windows 95 improved networking and added long file names and Plug and Play, the latter a welcome relief for users. Memory limitations, plaguing users in Windows 3.1, were greatly diminished. Windows 95 also included preemptive multitasking, which allowed programs to be timeshared together more effectively than in Windows 3.1.

No More Booting DOS First
Windows 95 was the first Windows that booted directly. Previously, Windows 3.1 was loaded after the machine booted into DOS. In Windows 95, DOS was built in. See Windows, Win95B and Win 9x/3.1 Differences.

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References in periodicals archive

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The low-key approach to the product launch stands in stark contrast to the global hype two years ago when Microsoft founder Bill Gates made sure that Windows 95, the predecessor to Windows 98, was made a household word across the globe.

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The minimum system requirements for these products were a 486/33 MHz or Pentium class CPU, 16 MB RAM, 32-bit video/sound card, and Windows 3.x (Windows 95 was recommended and Windows NT was frequently supported).

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Last quarter's column generated quite a bit of e-mail activity in response to my experiences with and recommendations concerning Windows 95. I also got some suggestions on how to solve my "Problem of the Quarter," a problem I was having with Excel.

The PC corner

PC: 486 DX-33MHz or higher microprocessor; 8MB RAM (12MB recommended for Windows 95); MPC-compatible double-speed CD-ROM drive and sound card; mouse; SVGA 256 color display [16 bit color preferred]; loudspeakers or headphones; Microsoft Windows version 3.1 or Windows 95.

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