30 years ago, the Windows 95 operating system was launched

Each year is an opportunity to highlight event birthdays with round figures. Therefore, 10 years ago as 100 years ago, they marked the little or the big story … Therefore, and sometimes find echo in our current world. Nevertheless, Today. However, the launch with great fanfare of the Windows 95 operating system, a real digital revolution, which has democratized the place of the computer in homes. Nevertheless,

30 years ago was launched with great fanfare the new Microsoft pearl: the Windows 95 operating system. In addition, Expected by millions of users. Therefore, many of which were lined up in stores to get it from midnight, the software promised to revolutionize the place of the computer in homes due to its easy -to -use interface. For example, Supported by an energetic advertising campaign. Similarly, this launch was a success 30 years ago, windows 95 for Microsoft, which sold more than 40 million in one year.

What were the news? Consequently, Nothing. however, revolutionary compared to what the market already proposed, but some features that have cut their place in almost all the following versions of Windows. Consequently, We introduce for the first time the famous “Start” button at the bottom left of the screen (which will become the star of the advertising campaign). Moreover, which allows users to easily navigate to the computer, but also to turn it off. Moreover, The taskbar. Nevertheless, a horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen, allowed for the first time to quickly launch programs and go from an application in progress to another.

It is also Windows 95 which saw the beginnings of the (now deceased) Internet Explorer web browser. the most used worldwide until the early 2000s. It was also the advent of the Microsoft Network, which has 30 years ago, windows 95 become the MSN portal.

To fully understand the popularity of Windows 95. it must be remembered that at the time, computers were mainly used in business and by experts or IT enthusiasts. Time operating systems were mainly disk operating systems (Back). without graphical interface, who asked users to type commands from a command line to navigate to the computer.

Microsoft already dominated the operating system market with its homemade back. MS-DOS, which was installed on around 80 % of personal computers of the time. Apple. for its part, competed with the Bill Gates company with more innovative computers, which offered a graphical interface and which were more intuitive navigation, since 1983. The high price of Macintosh has however slowed down their flight on the market, their shares remaining around 10 %.

However. Microsoft knew that it was necessary to embark on the boat of the graphical interface to attract a larger public. 30 years ago, windows 95 The company then launched its first versions of Windows in 1985. which were essentially MS-DOS in which it was now possible to call a graphical interface through the command line to facilitate navigation. Most software of the time were however still designed to operate on back. and not necessarily on Windows, since they were faster and less gourmet in the RAM without it.

This is where Windows 1995 came into play. Not only was the operating system directly embarked on the graphical interface. but it also allowed the plug and playwhich automatically installed connected software and hardware. No more complicated orders to memorize!

And compared to Apple, the price was rather accessible, $ 90 US.

Marc Desjardins remembers this “deep and superb” change. “I finally felt like I had access to a new world as I dreamed with a Mac. ” he writes to us.

However. he remembers the difficulty of adapting the 30 years ago, windows 95 components of his computer to properly operate the operating system, because the manufacturers did not always sell audio or video cards compatible with Windows 95. “From there is the analogy that a mac is an automatic carmale. Windows a manual chariot, where you sometimes have to [le] Build, ”he explains.

Despite everything, Microsoft succeeds in convincing the public: its income exceeded 8.67 billion Americans for the financial year ending in June 1996, an increase of 46 % compared to the previous year.

Start Me Up

The huge marketing campaign around Windows 95 was also a factor contributing to the success of the product. Using popular culture codes, Microsoft wanted to consolidate the image of its product intended for the general public.

The star: the “start” button, and all the meanings it could have. Windows 95 mainly aimed at the domestic uses of the computer. the idea was to transmit the 30 years ago, windows 95 message that the product would allow users to start making new tasks that were previously difficult, says Brian Chase, Marketing Director of Microsoft of the time, on his personal website.

Thus. the famous television advertisement with the popular song Start Me Up Rolling Stones was a success and marked the spirits. “The goal was to talk about how Windows 95 could help users start to do more. discover more, create more, play more, do more work, etc. “Writes Brian Chase.

But that didn’t stop there. Several other major advertising strokes have been made. such as the enlightenment of the Empire State Building, in New York, in Windows colors or the distribution at Microsoft costs of 1.5 million copies of the daily Times In London (twice as much as its usual draw). which contained a special notebook praising the new software.

Note also the sale of a video guide (in VHS!) Presented 30 years ago, windows 95 by actors Matthew Perry. Jennifer Aniston, then carried by the success of the new series Friendswhich humorously explained the new features of the software.

The launch of Windows 95 was the time when the general public became an essential part of the computer market. then a recreational object not just associated with productivity. Marc Desjardins remembers “this beautiful era. of the discovery, of the naivety of emerging technology, which was going to revolutionize the planet”.

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