1 month until Windows 95's 20th anniversary - Should Microsoft re-release it?

Should Microsoft re release Windows 95 this August / September but include a service pack so that it will run well on todays laptops / pcs?

I have fond memories of this OS. Did anybody have the Packard bell navigator shell?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YABFz8nEVrM

Then there was Microsoft Plus!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TY_f0uhFZo

and these music videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqL1BLzn3qc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kemivUKb4f4

Windows 95 (codenamed Chicago) is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft,[4][5] and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products. During development, it was referred to as Windows 4.0 or by the internal codename Chicago.

Windows 95 integrated Microsoft's formerly separate MS-DOS and Windows products. It featured significant improvements over its predecessor, Windows 3.1, most notably in the graphical user interface (GUI) and in its relatively simplified "plug-n-play" features. There were also major changes made at lower levels of the operating system, such as moving from a mainly 16-bit architecture to a pre-emptively multitasked 32-bit architecture.

Accompanied by an extensive marketing campaign,[6] Windows 95 was a major success in the marketplace at launch and shortly became the most popular desktop operating system. It also introduced numerous functions and features that were featured in later Windows versions, such as the taskbar, the 'Start' button, and the way the user navigates. It was also suggested that Windows 95 had an effect of driving other major players (including OS/2) out of business, something which would later be used in court against Microsoft.
Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95[edit]


Windows 95 with Microsoft Plus boot screen
This was the first version of Plus! and included Space Cadet Pinball, the Internet Jumpstart Kit (which was the introduction of Internet Explorer 1.0), DriveSpace 3 and Compression Agent disk compression utilities, the initial release of theme support along with a set of 12 themes, dial-up networking server, dial-up scripting tool, and the graphical improvements such as anti-aliased screen fonts, full-window drag, the ability to stretch or shrink the wallpaper to fit the screen and highcolor icons. Task Scheduler as it is present in later Windows versions was included as System Agent. A utility to notify the user of low disk space (DiskAlm.exe) also ran as part of System Agent. Plus! for Windows 95 was initially marketed for adding features for high-performance computers so Windows 95 could meet the minimum system requirement of an 80386 CPU with 8 megabytes of RAM.[citation needed] Later releases of Windows 95 (OSR2 and onwards) included DriveSpace 3 and Internet Explorer 3.0. Windows 98 included all of the enhancements included in Plus! for Windows 95. The Pinball game was not installed by default, but included on the Windows 98 CD.

The screen-saver and wallpaper files include images from the Codex Leicester, which Microsoft founder Bill Gates bought in 1994.
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Comments

  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,404
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    It was good for its time but it's been superseded in terms of both features and security by newer operating systems. The magic of Win 95 can be relived though by running it in a virtual machine (l might do the same for dear old Win XP one day).
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    I know it's a long time since I did maths at school but 1995 plus 20 is 2015 and last time I looked this year is 2014?
  • JasonJason Posts: 76,557
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    I always wonder with things like this why they don't release it to open source and just open it up to anyone who wants to have a crack at developing it or doing something with it.

    I suppose there's probably too much proprietary stuff in there for that to ever happen though.
  • starry_runestarry_rune Posts: 9,006
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    chrisjr wrote: »
    I know it's a long time since I did maths at school but 1995 plus 20 is 2015 and last time I looked this year is 2014?

    :confused:
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    Its clearly a long time since you had English too. If you read the OP it clearly states Win 95 was released in Aug 1994.

    From the quote in the OP which appears to have been lifted from Wikipedia
    It was released on August 24, 1995

    My bold.

    And this from Microsoft themselves
    On August 24, 1995, Microsoft releases Windows 95, selling a record-setting 7 million copies in the first five weeks.
    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/history#T1=era4
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,404
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    I always wonder with things like this why they don't release it to open source and just open it up to anyone who wants to have a crack at developing it or doing something with it.

    I suppose there's probably too much proprietary stuff in there for that to ever happen though.

    I can't see Redmond ever doing that either. There is ReactOS, which has been out there for years, but it's still at an early, buggy stage of development and l'd never install it on my PC or laptop.

    Link: http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=reactos
  • cnbcwatchercnbcwatcher Posts: 56,681
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    The 20th Anniversary isn't until next year, but it would be fun if they did :p I have fond memories of Windows 95 and 98. W98 (original edition) was the first Windows I used and I think I might run it in a VM sometime just for nostalgia :D 98SE was a great OS and was usable well into the XP era. I know people who used it until 2004/2005. I think they should make Windows 3.1, 95 and 98SE open source. It would be fun to try and develop it and make them run on modern computers. It would still be better than Windows 8!
  • call100call100 Posts: 7,264
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    Nostalgia isn't what it used to be...:cool:
  • zx50zx50 Posts: 91,227
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    How could they release this again? Everything about it utterly ancient. It's best left in the past.
  • bri160356bri160356 Posts: 5,147
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    Should Microsoft re release Windows 95 this August / September but include a service pack so that it will run well on todays laptops / pcs?

    I have fond memories of this OS. Did anybody have the Packard bell navigator shell?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YABFz8nEVrM

    Then there was Microsoft Plus!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TY_f0uhFZo

    and these music videos
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqL1BLzn3qc
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kemivUKb4f4

    Windows 95 was deigned to run on very early coal and steam driven computers.

    Even with updates Win95 would be totally unsuitable for modern ‘lectric operated computers and todays interweb.

    Much better waiting until 2018 (or 2017??) for the 20th anniversary of Win98.

    To make it a worthwhile celebration, it would have to be Win98 Second Edition........ but that was actually released in ’99.;............. why didn’t they call it Win99 First edition? (Microsoft didn’t think it through).

    What year would we celebrate Win98’s 20th Anniversary?; 2017,2018 or 2019....it needs clarification................confused now.............:confused:
  • mred2000mred2000 Posts: 10,050
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    Quick, we're not really too late to celebrate 20 years of Win 3.11 (last release Dec 31st '93...) They could re-release that! Woo!
  • Mr DosMr Dos Posts: 3,637
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    The Rolling Stones 'Start me up' TV advert showcasing the Windows 95 start button - how excited we were !

    20 years later and we have Fisher Price Windows 8 - how disappointed we are.
  • hyperstarspongehyperstarsponge Posts: 16,563
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    You can use a taskbar and start menu from Windows 95 up to Windows 7. Windows 8 replaces start menu with start screen no one likes.
  • mred2000mred2000 Posts: 10,050
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    Mr Dos wrote: »
    ... - how excited we were !

    Speak for yourself :D
    ...Windows 8 replaces start menu with start screen no one likes.

    It's subjective and certainly not unavoidable...
  • GeordiePaulGeordiePaul Posts: 1,323
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    call100 wrote: »
    Nostalgia isn't what it used to be...:cool:

    Indeed, even 10 or more years ago if was reliving my youth with the likes of Amiga workbench, which, while was wonderful for the time, is painfully limited and primitive now. Why anyone would want to subject themselves to a really old OS for anything other than nostalgia is beyond me :D

    Even windows 7 feels pretty old these days even if it it perfectly functional.

    Windows 95... Most systems were only running 640x480 when that came out! :D

    Amiga workbench and Atari were running 320x256 or similar.

    Beyond that we were looking at half again with text interfaces.

    Nobody under the age of about 25 will remember what most of that was like :o

    And I'm only 35.
  • henrywilliams58henrywilliams58 Posts: 4,963
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    mred2000 wrote: »
    Quick, we're not really too late to celebrate 20 years of Win 3.11 (last release Dec 31st '93...) They could re-release that! Woo!

    No need. I still have a machine that runs (last time I checked) Windows 3.1 .
  • ZenithZenith Posts: 3,868
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    Nice to see those links to the 2 videos. I used to play them all the time on my machine, specially the Edie Brickell one. I used to use it to tweak the settings on my various graphics cards untill the video played as smoothly as possible.

    I found the Weezers one a bit strange, as it was obviously bits & pieces of different episodes cobbled together to make the video, & none of the main characters (apart from Al) are seen in the same shot with the band.
  • scruffpotscruffpot Posts: 4,570
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    windows 95 and 98 were ace..I had a frankinstein pc on life support that died the other year running 98se was great for dos games..
    I might see what parts i have in the loft to build something once again
    hated xp
    liked vista to an extent (better looking then xp even though at times it was as clunky) but win7 is where its at.
  • !!11oneone!!11oneone Posts: 4,098
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    Anyone wanting some nostalgia, and maybe some help with Windows 95 Tips, Tricks and Tweaks would do well to have a look at http://windows95tips.tumblr.com/
  • cnbcwatchercnbcwatcher Posts: 56,681
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    bri160356 wrote: »
    What year would we celebrate Win98’s 20th Anniversary?; 2017,2018 or 2019....it needs clarification................confused now.............:confused:

    If it's the original one then 1998, but if it's 98SE then 1999. I think 98SE was always regarded as the best OS in the Windows 9x family. Many people used it well into the XP era. It was a good OS for its time.
    No need. I still have a machine that runs (last time I checked) Windows 3.1 .

    Wow! Does it still work? :D I have an old 1987 DOS laptop lying around (belonged to my dad) but it hasn't worked since 2003.
  • Mark SmithMark Smith Posts: 2,728
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    I no longer have access to any machines that run Windows 95 but one of our computers at work still runs Windows 98SE, and is used regularly. It's no longer connected to the Internet, or to any other machine except an ancient label printer that we use as part of our production process.

    I don't know what we'll do when it finally expires, I doubt the old printer will work with modern computers so we'll probably have to replace both when the time comes.

    My first PC ran Windows 95, I think I still have it in the garage but not sure if it still works as it's been in there for about 15 years.
  • s2ks2k Posts: 7,410
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    !!11oneone wrote: »
    Anyone wanting some nostalgia, and maybe some help with Windows 95 Tips, Tricks and Tweaks would do well to have a look at http://windows95tips.tumblr.com/
    I don't remember Win95 being quite that tumblry :o
  • bri160356bri160356 Posts: 5,147
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    If it's the original one then 1998, but if it's 98SE then 1999. I think 98SE was always regarded as the best OS in the Windows 9x family. Many people used it well into the XP era. It was a good OS for its time.



    .

    Thanks for clearing that up.........2017 it is then!

    Really excited now.......just can’t wait.....!
  • PencilPencil Posts: 5,700
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    Microsoft should never re-release Windows 95.

    Instead, with every new version of Windows, the skin from all previous versions should be included. So Windows 9 should have the ability to look and feel like Windows 95, along with XP, Windows 8, Vista and Windows 3.1 if that's your thing.
  • bri160356bri160356 Posts: 5,147
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    Pencil wrote: »
    Microsoft should never re-release Windows 95.

    Instead, with every new version of Windows, the skin from all previous versions should be included. So Windows 9 should have the ability to look and feel like Windows 95, along with XP, Windows 8, Vista and Windows 3.1 if that's your thing.

    Brilliant idea.

    Just hook-up with someone who has the relevant skills and you could be on to a winner...............Dragons Den?
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