SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
A silly new app has been doing the rounds this week: Windows 95 as a standalone application. Running on Windows, macOS, and Linux, the Windows 95 "app" combines Electron (a framework for building desktop applications using JavaScript and other Web technology) with an existing x86 emulator written in JavaScript. The emulator can run a bunch of operating systems: for the app, it's preloaded with Windows 95.
This is, of course, software piracy. The developer of the app has no rights to distribute Windows 95 like this, and I'm a little surprised that the app hasn't been yanked from GitHub yet. And for now, the app is just a toy; there's no real reason to run Windows 95 like this, other than the novelty factor of it actually working.
But Windows 95 (and software that runs on or requires Windows 95) was an important piece of computing history. I think a case could be made that it's Microsoft's most important Windows release of all time, and its influence continues to be felt today. Not only was it technically important as an essential stepping stone from the world of 16-bit DOS and Windows 3.x to 32-bit Windows NT, and not only did it introduce a user interface that's largely stayed with us for more than 20 years—Windows 95 was also a major consumer event as people lined up to buy the thing as soon as it was available. A full understanding of the computing landscape today can't really be had without running, using, and understanding Windows 95.
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Sunday August 26 2018, @08:01PM (4 children)
And, nobody was holding a gun to Microsoft's head (at that time) saying they were not allowed to make a GUI world wide web client, either; in fact, it was seen as an omission.
When they did make a GUI client, however, out came the gun.
I am no Microsoft fan, and no Internet Explorer fan, but Internet Explorer has been mishandled not only by Microsoft but by the courts and even, at times, by the press.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 26 2018, @09:11PM (2 children)
They didn't make a GUI client, though. They followed the tried-and-true Microsoft approach: they bought somebody else's GUI client with a promise of a percentage of future sales, rebranded it, and proceeded to screw the original owner out of any money by giving IE away for free.
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Sunday August 26 2018, @09:44PM (1 child)
Apologies; in my previous comment, please 's/\ make\ /\ provide\ /g'.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 27 2018, @03:28AM
Sorry for picking nits. People ignoring/forgetting/covering up/glossing over the way Microsoft screwed over so very many people and companies throughout its history is a hot button of mine; what kids today call a "trigger", I think.
(Score: 2) by SomeGuy on Tuesday August 28 2018, @03:14PM
Except they didn't just make/resell a web browser GUI client - they made it mandatory. There was no option to uninstall it (just "restore to the previous version), they made IE a required part of almost every single Microsoft product, they "convinced" many third parties to make IE a requirement too. All in the name of "integration". And that is why Windows 10 has TWO web browsers now. Because even Microsoft can't remove IE.
They also gave it away for "free", (You actually payed for it with Windows/Office/Etc.), screwing Mosaic out of licensing money, and destroying the market for third party web browsers.
Had they not done all of that, the gun might not have come out.