Windows 95 is Back, and I Couldn’t Be Happier!
If you’re like me, you feel that the cutting-edge features and layout of Windows 10, awesome as they are, are missing something. What precisely that “something” is can be difficult to describe, but I can safely say that Windows 95 had it.
(And if you’re not like me—if you’re too young to be like me—you’d better read on and see what Windows 95 was all about; what a real operating system is made of.)
Although Windows 95 was released less than 25 years ago, it feels as though an entire century has passed since I was able to experience the operating system in all its unimpeded glory. Its sounds, wallpaper options, and default programs and content made for a unique and exciting browsing experience. It’s not that I don’t like talking to Cortana on Windows 10, but I do miss the magic of 95. Windows 95 couldn’t answer my questions or respond to most of my basic inputs in a timely manner. It did, however, always seem to know what I was thinking.
Who Did Us This Favor?
If you’re in the same boat as me, I’ve got some news that’s sure to come as a pleasant surprise. It was recently announced that Github’s Felix Rieseberg, a seasoned San Francisco-based coder and developer, had created a virtual Windows 95 program. Rieseberg’s Windows 95 incarnation was built through Electron and can be run on macOS, Windows, and Linux operating systems. I was also unspeakably happy to find that the program can be downloaded for the ultra-affordable cost of free.
Just how long it took Rieseberg to complete the associated work and brainstorm the underlying idea is not clear. If by some crazy twist of fate I ever meet the man, I’ll be sure to ask him these and other questions, thank him profusely, and inform him that he’s made me feel 25 years younger.
So Where Do I Find It?
What is clear, however, is that the virtual Windows 95 platform is here to stay. All the OS’s features, properties, and characteristics have been preserved and included on Felix’s version. It can be downloaded here. Over the last few months, with Windows 95 calling my name and less-than-stellar weather encouraging me to stay indoors, I’m proud to say that I’ve spent more hours than I can count organizing my desktop icons, messing around in vintage MS Paint, and reminiscing about the good old days. Maybe you’re looking to waste less time overall? You can check here for some tips on that.
In another 25 years, Windows 95 will be 50 years old. Windows 10 will probably be in the same boat as the former; someone will create a virtual version of it. I know it’s an unsettling thought, but don’t worry—virtual Windows 95 provides an escape from all our contemporary problems. It melts away stress and turns back the clock.
Thanks for reading, and here’s to enjoying Windows 95 once again!
Technician at Computer PRO Unltd, father of one, gamer.