Windows 95 introduced many different features, some of which were later cut or overhauled, but some still exist in current versions of Windows.
Windows 95 opens a new era for Microsoft's operating system
Start button
One of the most iconic features of Windows design is the small Start button at the bottom of the PC screen. While current versions of the Start button simply feature the Windows logo, in Windows 95 it was a large, steel-colored button with the word “Start” emblazoned in bold black. The Start menu is not only a convenient stop for users, but also a great starting point for those new to the PC.
The original Start menu was a bit more condensed than the current version, organizing files and functions into six categories, including programs, quick access to the document folder, file search, help, settings, and Run to run files they already knew.
Taskbar
Previous versions of Windows left all your open programs and file windows floating in space, making it difficult to find them. But with the Taskbar, a gray bar at the bottom of the screen that houses the Start button and the system clock, things have changed.
The Taskbar is one of the standout features of Windows 95.
Whenever a user opened a program or file in Windows 95, a rectangular Taskbar icon would appear, which the user could click to immediately bring that window to the front. Later updates to Windows 95 also added a quick launch sidebar for users to link programs to and launch them quickly. To this day, this quick launch icon format continues to be the default setting for the Taskbar in modern versions of Windows.
Plug and Play
Before Windows 95, if you wanted to plug any kind of peripheral into your computer, other than the keyboard that was usually built into the system, you had to manually configure internal settings and even activate physical dip switches to make the connection. This was annoying, and that's why the Plug and Play feature appeared in Windows 95.
Since then, with every version of Windows, a user simply plugs a device into an open port on their PC and Windows immediately detects it and configures it for use, or at least attempts to do so. This feature was imperfect when it was first introduced, as many common hardware and software standards had yet to be established in the industry to support fast connections. Now, things have become much simpler.
Recycle Bin
In the 1980s, Apple created a “Trash” folder that automatically deleted any deleted files when the computer restarted, providing a visual representation. In 1988, Apple sued Microsoft and HP for developing a visual system with icons that they felt were too similar. Although Microsoft won the case, the truth was that their Trash was too similar to Apple’s design and needed to be changed. As a result, when Windows 95 came out, the Recycle Bin was born.
Recycle Bin in Windows 95
Unlike the Mac or MS-DOS, the Recycle Bin acted like a temporary folder, allowing users to double-check what they had deleted before emptying it. Since then, it has been a constant presence in versions of Windows, serving as a last line of defense for those who are negligent in preserving important files and accidentally delete them.
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