Did you know, there was once an operating system for computers, that had lines of people waiting to get it?
@DocAndersen (54399)
United States
April 17, 2019 6:30am CST
Way back in 1995 Windows 95 launched, people were waiting for hours in line to get the newest and really first full windows graphical user interface.
Windows 3 was built on top of DOS and you either had to launch windows from the command prompt, or you had to have a startup file to auto-launch Windows.
With Windows 95 you were native in windows, with a DOS extension if you still needed it.
Windows 95 also introduced the concept of Plug and Play (plug a device in and it would download the proper drivers to run the device.) We quickly started calling it to plug and pray, because not all the drivers were available.
Did you know that there were once lines for a computer operating system?
Did you wait in the line for Windows 95?
6 people like this
7 responses
@mynameiskate (2658)
•
17 Apr 19
Anything new has a following and I guess people like having events. I remember long lineups at the mall with people wanting the first apple I pod. I've usually been way in the back of the line with the exception of a windows 98 new machine bought pre-owned computers.
2 people like this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
17 Apr 19
I remember the lines for the first iPods!
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
18 Apr 19
@mynameiskate right now it appears to be for the movie End Game in the US.
1 person likes this
@mynameiskate (2658)
•
18 Apr 19
@DocAndersen I wonder what the next lineup will be for?
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502251)
• Italy
17 Apr 19
@DocAndersen I do not remember long lines to buy Windows in France. I think to remember that we waited because my husband was sure it was bugged and they would have released an update soon. In fact we installed directly Windows 95 OSR2 that included several major enhancements, IE 3.0 and full FAT32 file system support.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
17 Apr 19
@LadyDuck yes it was a much better OS. There were lines in the US, UK, and Canada when the oft delayed OS was released.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
17 Apr 19
It had a virus on the first (of 13) floppies in some parts of the US.
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. I learnt my computer lessons as a kid on a '95 machine.@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
17 Apr 19
Plug and pray was awful. I remember working with the MSFT Premier support team trying to reduce those errors.
1 person likes this
@Sojourn (13833)
• India
17 Apr 19
@DocAndersen Wow, you worked with Microsoft. That's really prestigious. I thought you are a doctor.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
17 Apr 19
@Sojourn doc is a nickname I got many years ago, I am an IT professional - have been for more than 25 years.
1 person likes this
@TishaMears (1029)
• United States
18 Apr 19
I still have my first laptop with Windows95 on it. I bought it in 1997, I think. I keep it for the memories and that I have some good writing stuff on it that I haven't downloaded for keeps anywhere else yet. I'm not one to "wait in a line" to buy anything that's just come out. I can wait for it to be available without waiting on a line for it. Usually things like tech stuff have a few bugs and stuff before it's really good for use like when there were smart phones that were blowing up or something for getting too hot. I try to stay aware of "what's trending" but I'm not one who needs the "new" stuff now. Usually, that stuff is overpriced, so I like to wait for a sale or something.
1 person likes this
@TishaMears (1029)
• United States
20 Apr 19
@DocAndersen Ha! I still don't quite use flash drives myself. I would assume that you would need to label them and it would be hard to keep up with them being that I tend to lose stuff. You could get an an old CD-Rom to attach to your new computer to read your old files if necessary. I got one to attach to my daughter's new laptop for her to use some old stuff I feel she needed.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
20 Apr 19
@TishaMears It was created on a MacSE20 (the CD) it can't be read by an old reader. It actually just can't be read.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
18 Apr 19
I have a CD with all the files i created on my very old mac. I just have no way to read it now!
1 person likes this
@Nickzter1331 (4229)
• Philippines
18 Apr 19
@DocAndersen wow.. really.. is it still available now?
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
17 Apr 19
I didn't even have access to a computer until after 2000.
1 person likes this
