Well how about that? Windows 95 was launched 15 years ago, today.
The cornerstone of its marketing campaign was the Start button, emphasized by the multi-million dollar licensing fee paid to the Rolling Stones for the rights to use the song “Start Me Up” as a promotional tool. Multitasking was also a big selling point.
Other fun facts:
- Windows 95 sold for $89.99 as an upgrade or $179.99 for the full version.
- The minimum system requirements called for a 386DX processor, 4MB of RAM, and a 120MB hard drive.
- Windows 95 was available on either floppy disks or a CD-ROM. The floppy version shipped with 13 disks.
- The CD version included Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” video.
- Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry of “Friends” fame were hired to star in a “cyber sitcom” to showcase Windows 95′s top 25 features. It’s breathtaking.
- The first service pack was issued on December 31, 1995.
- Some early Windows 95 games you may remember: Descent, Destruction Derby, Full Tilt Pinball 2, Need for Speed, MegaRace 2, and Screamer 2.
- Internet Explorer did not originally come pre-installed with Windows 95.
- Windows 95′s internal codename was “Chicago,” though it was also sometimes referred to as Windows 4.0.
- The “plug and play” feature was introduced with Windows 95, promising to automatically configure hardware devices plugged into the computer.
- Musician Brian Eno composed Windows 95′s 7-second startup sound.
- Support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2002.
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