The launch of Windows 95

Jan 24, 2025

In this fascinating discussion, Sarah Leary, a project manager who famously demonstrated Windows 95 with Bill Gates and Jay Leno, shares insider stories from that historic launch. She reveals the intense excitement of midnight queues and the groundbreaking marketing campaign that attracted millions. Leary also breaks down how Windows 95 transformed personal computing, making technology accessible to everyday users. She reflects on the competitive tension with Apple and explores how internet integration changed the software landscape forever.

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ANECDOTE

Midnight Madness

People queued for hours to buy Windows 95 at midnight on August 24, 1995.
This 'midnight madness' demonstrated the high anticipation for the new operating system.

INSIGHT

Simplified Computing

Windows 95 simplified computer use, enabling ordinary people to easily navigate and command.
It also fostered the development of user-friendly applications.

ANECDOTE

Development Delay

Windows 95's development was delayed by almost a year due to extensive testing.
Engineers prioritized backward compatibility with existing software.

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In August 1995, Microsoft released a new operating system - Windows 95 – following one of the computer industry’s biggest and most expensive marketing campaigns.

Queues formed outside shops at midnight as people around the world waited to be among the first to buy it.

The new software was designed to be more user friendly, easier to understand and aimed at ordinary people not professional programmers. Connecting to the internet was also more straightforward.

More than 40 million CD Rom copies were sold in the first year, introducing a boom in personal computers at home.

Sarah Leary who demonstrated the software on launch day – alongside Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and US talk show host Jay Leno – talks to Jane Wilkinson.

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(Photo: Windows 95. Credit: Bill Nation/Sygma via Getty Images)