Windows 95: 10 years on
To be honest, this is one anniversary I hadn't thought about a whole lot (unlike the 10th anniversary of Netscape's IPO, which has received megahype), but it just so happens that today is the 10th anniversary of the release of Windows 95. While most users of subsequent Windows versions may not care, the fact is that the Windows 95 release really was something of a watershed event. It was the first version of Windows that sported a truly usable GUI, it was a 32-bit OS, and it marked the true beginning of the Windows juggernaut that has kept Microsoft going to this day. Sure, Windows 95 had major problems, some of which we're still living with (does anyone really like the Start menu or taskbar?), but it still deserves credit for making Windows a viable alternative to the Mac, OS/2, X11 and other GUIs. So, happy birthday Windows 95 – and thank goodness you're gone.
