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Subject:RE: Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 From:Gause_Brian -at- emc -dot- com To:<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Mon, 3 Nov 2008 16:56:08 -0500
Wait...there were very few complaints about the introduction of Win95?
Um...what???
Are we talking about the operating system that was over 18 months late?
The same OS that was almost forced to switch names to Windows96?
Are we talking about the operating system that forced the US Department
of Justice to sue Microsoft for its use of IE?
Are we talking about the operating system that crashed so frequently
that Microsoft was forced to release a Service Pack just days after the
product release? If I remember correctly, I learned an important phrase
at this time: "the blue screen of death".
Are we talking about the operating system that, even when patched with
SP1, was still incompatible with most existing drivers and applications?
Further, Win95 required upgrades in memory...so this was a big expense
for businesses, especially when the software wasn't backward compatible
and the new software for this OS wasn't even in production.
I remember the release of Win95, and my biggest question at that time
wasn't "man, can windows get any better?" but more like "Man, Apple has
been using windows for over a decade...how can microsoft screw it up
this badly?"
I would characterize the introduction of Windows95 as a
"complaint-heavy" time, and as one of the pivotal early moments that
contributed to the budding resentment towards Microsoft. Many of the
techies and engineers I knew at the time were strongly criticizing
Microsoft for this product, as well as their approach to this release,
which was heavy-handed, at best. To say "there were very few complaints
about the introduction of Win95" doesn't match my experience in the
slightest.
As for the original question: I was using Win 3.1 and MacOS before
Win95. Though I don't remember any internet email lists in 1995, I do
remember phone calls and dinner conversations at which we complained
about Microsoft and Win95 long past the release of Win98, years later.
So yes...there was massive outcry about the crap that was Win95.
Brian Gause
Technical Writer
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+gause_brian=emc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+gause_brian=emc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Peter Lewicke
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 10:44 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com; Paul Hanson
Subject: Re: Windows 3.1 to Windows 95
There were very few complaints about the introduction of Win95. 3.1 was
known to be buggy. Things looked a lot different with Win95, but it was
much more reliable.
It is unreasonable to compare the switch of an operating system from
Windows 3.1 to 95 with the introduction of of a new version of an
application: Office 2003 and 2007.
Ignoring the difference in the type of change involved and just
considering the kinds of comments, the switch in versions of MSFT Office
involved things being changed in ways that made the application less
useful and user-friendly. There was simply no reason to change most of
what was changed. With the change from 3.1 to 95, the changes were
necessary for the utility of the operating system. Although some
learning was necessary, the users of 3.1 were sophisticated users who
could use DOS, and most of us knew that change was necessary.
Peter
--- On Mon, 11/3/08, Paul Hanson <phanson -at- Quintrex -dot- com> wrote:
> From: Paul Hanson <phanson -at- Quintrex -dot- com>
> Subject: Windows 3.1 to Windows 95
> To: "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Date: Monday, November 3, 2008, 12:41 PM
> Microsoft likes to change things up. Prior to the Office
> 2003 to Office 2007, I can point to Windows 3.1 to Windows
> 95 as a shift in the UI that moved things around.
>
> I'm wondering... were any of you on a list back when
> Windows 95 was released on users that were used to Windows
> 3.1? Was there an outcry of complaints from users? Or do
> people think that 3.1 ==> 95 was not as big of a change
> as Office 2003 to Office 2007?
>
> I didn't know email even existed when I made the switch
> from 3.1 to 95 so I really don't know.
>
> Paul Hanson
> Technical Writer
> RoboHelp ACE -
>http://www.adobe.com/support/forums/team_macromedia/robohelp.html
> Quintrex Data Systems http://www.quintrex.com
> email: phanson at quintrex.com
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>
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