25 years ago today, Microsoft released Windows 95. Lots of other people can talk about why it was technologically interesting, but I want to share a bit about why it was so *culturally* interesting.
For context, in 1995, only about 30% of American homes had a computer at all. Less than 10% had *any* internet access — and virtually none had broadband. There were no smartphones.
More broadly, computers and software were basically not yet something talked about in polite company. You might have had a friend who “worked in computers” (we didn’t say “work in tech” yet) or call IT for support for your printer at work. But “apps” were not part of culture.
At that point, most job listings didn’t even yet ask for “familiarity with MS Office” (ask your parents what that meant) and the PlayStation hadn’t been released yet.
Consumer marketing of PC technology was in its infancy; Intel had just named (earlier processors only really had model numbers) the Pentium not long before, and its name became famous when a bug was found in the early chips. Jokes about that were as far as pop culture tech went.
Into that world, Microsoft did a mass consumer launch of… an operating system. The most abstract product possible. They got Jay Leno to host a launch event, and licensed the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” as a theme song.
Wildly, it worked. For the first time ever, lots of consumer enthusiasts lined up to buy software at stores as it released at midnight; that kind of enthusiasm had been limited to album releases and movie opening before that point.
And the enthusiasm had been building for almost 2 years by launch. Trade magazines wrote about “Chicago”, the codename for the product, and geeks tried out the early public betas of the operating system — helping popularize the idea of a “beta” in culture overall.
Modern tech culture and tech trade press still basically follow the conventions that developed back then. Reporters breathlessly cover new codenames and rumors and beta releases, and late night TV hosts don’t just joke about apps, they deliver their shows *through* them.
The operating system itself was fine; the user interface and design were certainly a leap forward. But the most lasting impact is how it changed the broader cultural perception of technology.
In the 80s, there had been a movie series “Revenge of the Nerds”; its last sequel came out only a year before Windows 95 did. Tech was seen as for those people — nerds who were walking punchlines. But after that point, tech quickly became a standard part of people’s lives.
Not long after, the Internet became mainstream, software became something everyone uses (as “apps”), and operating systems became a capability bundled with the entire tech ecosystems where we live our lives, both ubiquitous and invisible. And the Start button is still cool!
Brad was the SVP in charge of the Chicago/Win95 release. PC Magazine (then arguably the most credible mass-market tech publication) named him Person of the Year for it.
I turned this thread into a full blog post with more details and context, please do take a look! anildash.com/2020/08/25/wha…
