{"id":8573,"date":"2015-08-24T13:00:14","date_gmt":"2015-08-24T17:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=8573"},"modified":"2015-08-24T13:00:14","modified_gmt":"2015-08-24T17:00:14","slug":"20-years-later-windows-10-follows-in-windows-95s-footsteps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2015\/08\/24\/20-years-later-windows-10-follows-in-windows-95s-footsteps\/","title":{"rendered":"20 years later, Windows 10 follows in Windows 95\u2019s footsteps"},"content":{"rendered":"

Windows 95 turns 20 years old today, and for Microsoft it\u2019s more than just ancient history.<\/p>\n

The launch of Windows 10 last month has plenty of parallels to the operating system Microsoft released a couple decades ago. If you can look past the massive gap in capabilities (Windows 95 PCs required a 386DX processor, 4MB of RAM, and 55MB of free space), Windows 10 arguably has more in common with Windows 95 than any version that has preceded it.<\/p>\n

Just a few examples:<\/p>\n

Windows 95 was the first version to include a Start menu, its creation led by a behavioral psychologist whose job was to make Windows easier to use. Microsoft was so enthralled with this invention that based its entire marketing campaign around it, with the Rolling Stones\u2019 \u201cStart Me Up\u201d featuring in TV commercials. Although Microsoft tried to demolish the Start menu in Windows 8, replacing it with a full-screen app launcher, in Windows 10 the Start menu is once again front-and-center.<\/p>\n

Microsoft entered the browser wars in Windows 95 with the first release of Internet Explorer. Within a few years, it had overtaken Netscape as the most widely-used web browser. Over the last 20 years, competition from Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox has eroded IE\u2019s lead, and now the Microsoft is starting over with the Edge browser.<\/p>\n

Windows 95 was a huge leap forward for multitasking, thanks to its taskbar that let users quickly switch between programs. Microsoft didn\u2019t do much to mess with the concept in the years that followed, but Windows 10 brings another big leap: The new Virtual Desktops feature lets users quickly swap not just between apps, but between entire sets of programs and windows.<\/p>\n

On a more fundamental level, Windows 95 was also Microsoft\u2019s first move toward an Internet-connected operating system. Just consider this Bill Gates quote from Windows 95\u2019s launch (emphasis mine):<\/p>\n

\u201cWindows 95 makes it easier to get information, and it includes a lot of features to reach out from a single PC and communicate from other people, whether it\u2019s the Microsoft Network, or electronic mail, or sharing files, I really feel that the PC has become a great communications tool, and Windows 95 is a big step in that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Windows 10, Internet communications are woven into the fabric of the operating system (for better or worse). Clicking the Start menu shows Live Tiles with glanceable details on the weather, calendar appointments, and new headlines. Instead of opening a browser to search the web, you can just summon Cortana from the taskbar. OneDrive integration lets you share files with a couple of clicks, and the built-in Xbox app lets you keep an eye on what your gaming pals have been up to.<\/p>\n

Despite all these similarities, the big question remains whether Windows 10 has any chance of being as beloved as Windows 95 was. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has at least talked about wanting people to love Windows instead of merely tolerating it. As Windows 95 turns 20, perhaps drawing heavily from its playbook isn\u2019t such a bad idea.<\/p>\n

via 20 years later, Windows 10 follows in Windows 95\u2019s footsteps | PCWorld<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Windows 95 turns 20 years old today, and for Microsoft it\u2019s more than just ancient history. The launch of Windows […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5,11],"tags":[1215,1225],"class_list":["post-8573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-microsoft","category-windows","tag-windows-10","tag-windows-95"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papNkV-2eh","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9902,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2025\/02\/11\/tpm-2-0-is-not-required-for-windows-11\/","url_meta":{"origin":8573,"position":0},"title":"TPM 2.0 Is Not Required for Windows 11","author":"NCCT","date":"February 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/yjjCbOOpREg On Security Now, Steve Gibson talks about Microsofrt dropping the TPM 2.0 requirement from Windows 11.","rel":"","context":"In "Microsoft"","block_context":{"text":"Microsoft","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/microsoft\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/yjjCbOOpREg\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9932,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2025\/05\/16\/microsoft-makes-70-billion-cuts-3-of-workforce\/","url_meta":{"origin":8573,"position":1},"title":"Microsoft Makes $70 Billion, Cuts 3% of Workforce","author":"NCCT","date":"May 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/L0nyc9O5qYY On Windows Weekly, Paul Thurrott and Richard Campbell try to comprehend the sweeping employee layoffs happening at Microsoft in the wake of $70 billion in revenue. The company wants to increase its \"agility by reducing layers.\" Is this the return of Dark Satya?","rel":"","context":"In "Microsoft"","block_context":{"text":"Microsoft","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/microsoft\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/L0nyc9O5qYY\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9405,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2018\/10\/07\/odorless-and-weightless-hackers-this-week-in-tech-687\/","url_meta":{"origin":8573,"position":2},"title":"Odorless and Weightless Hackers – This Week in Tech 687","author":"NCCT","date":"October 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/lb4rnqfNdas Chinese Spy Chips, Microsoft Highs and Lows, Pixel 3 Event Predictions, and More! Bloomberg reports that China used tiny chips to spy on Apple, Amazon, and the US government. Apple and Amazon deny it. How do we know who is right? All the news from the Microsoft Surface event,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/lb4rnqfNdas\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9472,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2018\/12\/30\/our-years-best-this-week-in-tech-699\/","url_meta":{"origin":8573,"position":3},"title":"Our Year’s Best – This Week in Tech 699","author":"NCCT","date":"December 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/gz77WILat9o The Best of TWiT from 2018! Host: Leo Laporte","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/gz77WILat9o\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9320,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2018\/04\/08\/this-week-in-tech-661-the-ant-man-canon\/","url_meta":{"origin":8573,"position":4},"title":"This Week in Tech 661: The Ant Man Canon","author":"NCCT","date":"April 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/BOkNYwQ_k1Y Facebook issues the latest in a long string of apologies.YouTube shooter and the lure of fame. Apple plans its own chips for 2020, Mac Pro for 2019. Is Amazon spending too much on video? Terry Myerson out at Microsoft - the end of the Windows era. FBI seizes Backpage.com.","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/BOkNYwQ_k1Y\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9806,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2024\/11\/08\/ai-vulnerability-discovery-rts-ai-tv-hosts-windows-10-updates\/","url_meta":{"origin":8573,"position":5},"title":"AI Vulnerability Discovery – RT’s AI TV Hosts, Windows 10 Updates","author":"NCCT","date":"November 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/g7ZsibpgoWQ","rel":"","context":"In "Security"","block_context":{"text":"Security","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/security\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/g7ZsibpgoWQ\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8573\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}