Initially, the decision was made not to include a new user interface, as this was planned for Cairo, and only focus on making installation, configuration, and networking easier. So the development of Windows 'Chicago' was started and, as it was planned for a late 1993 release, became known as Windows 93 which was also known as Windows 4.0. Microsoft realized they were in need of an updated version of Windows that could support 32-bit applications and preemptive multitasking, but could still run on low-end hardware (Windows NT did not).

Simultaneously with Windows 3.1's release, IBM started shipping OS/2 2.0. However, Cairo would partially ship in late July 1996 in the form of Windows NT 4.0, but without the object-based file system, which would later evolve into WinFS. Cairo would be Microsoft's next-generation operating system based on Windows NT, featuring a new user interface and an object-based file system, but it was not planned to be shipped before 1994.

At this time, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and Windows NT 3.1 were still in development and Microsoft's plan for the future was focused on Cairo. The initial design and planning of Windows 95 can be traced back to around March 1992, just around the time before the release of Windows 3.1. ( April 2010) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This section needs additional citations for verification. Microsoft ended extended support for Windows 95 on December 31, 2001. Three years after its introduction, Windows 95 was followed by Windows 98. There were also major changes made to the core components of the operating system, such as moving from a mainly cooperatively multitasked 16-bit architecture to a 32-bit preemptive multitasking architecture, at least when running only 32-bit protected mode applications.Īccompanied by an extensive marketing campaign, Windows 95 introduced numerous functions and features that were featured in later Windows versions, such as the taskbar, notification area, and the 'Start' button. Windows 95 merged Microsoft's formerly separate MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows products, and featured significant improvements over its predecessor, most notably in the graphical user interface (GUI) and in its simplified ' plug-and-play' features. The first operating system in the 9x family, it is the successor to Windows 3.1x, and was released to manufacturing on August 15, 1995, and generally to retail on August 24, 1995. Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented operating system developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows 9x family of operating systems. Windows 95 at the Wayback Machine (archived January 20, 1998) Windows 95 desktop, showing its icons, taskbar and welcome screen

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