Windows 95 is 22 years old but do we really care?
Windows 95 was rolled out to the general public on August 24, 1995, and it completely stirred things up in the computing world. Windows 95 combined Microsoft’s previous MS-DOS and Windows products. It was a landmark operating system with a notably enhanced UI, plug-and-play features, and it later introduced Windows’ trademark Start button and task bar. Three years after its launch, Microsoft introduced Windows 98 and in 2001 seized support for Windows 95.
For most of us, Windows 95 is dead and your children or younger siblings probably think it is a myth or belongs to the pre-historic era. And rightly so. While Windows 95 was a game changer for computer operating systems, later versions of Windows built up on it to give an enhanced user experience. But you’ll be surprised to know that there are people (and government organizations!) in the world who still use Windows 95.
One of these machines was found to have been compromised by a hacking tool and this doesn’t come as a surprise at all. Windows 95’s last support update was about 16 years ago and there are bound to be countless unresolved security issues.
However, despite the fact that it is probably the most insecure OS one could opt for, Windows 95 and other discontinued versions of Windows still find usage in the American military and Department of Defense, also known as the Pentagon. Now, why would a world superpower whose military had a budget of $601 billion in 2015 rely on Windows 95? These organizations usually run programs that require a specific environment. Moreover, they feel staying disconnected from the Internet is probably a good thing for them.
Now as a fun treat, if you’re a Friends fan, here is a video of Rachel and Chandler testing out Windows 95 when it first rolled out. Have fun feeling sentimental!
