Windows 95, in 1994?

[Windows8Lover]

My mum says windows 95 was released in 1994, December. However, I did some research and found out it was released in 1995, June.
So, which is correct? 1994 or 1995.

[mrpijey]

No need to do a completely pointless poll about something you can find out by yourself in about a minute...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_95

I suggest you show your mum Wikipedia and Google. She can also take a look at the package scans we got of Windows 95 RTM and look at the date if she doubts Wiki and every other source on the net.

Also, you posted this in the Vista, 7/8/10 forum.... see any issues with this?

Moved to the proper Windows 9x, ME (Discuss Windows 95, 98 and ME.) forum.

[Windows8Lover]

It's the floppies, she says she installed 95RTM on Dec 15 1994, not June 22 1995.

[Windows8Lover]

And I thought it would just put it straight in 9x/ME forum and I didn't know until it was too late...

[mrpijey]

Well, she didn't. Not unless it was a beta version, but that doesn't constitute as it being released.

[Windows8Lover]

Well, she did say (in a conversation when I brought up the betas) she could have gotten the betas...

[mrpijey]

Well, then that explains it. But a beta is not an official release, so because she got a beta in 1994 doesn't mean it was released in 1994. But I guess she was unaware that it was a beta. But the official and public RTM release was in 1995, no sooner, no later.

[Windows8Lover]

Well, she claims she installed it on December 15th, 1994. So, now i'm wondering what build she installed (She gave away that laptop in 2006...)

[mrpijey]

Could have been one of the beta2's, build 4.00.275 or earlier.

[Windows8Lover]

She has since forgotten, but it should look very close to 95

[Windows8Lover]

It can't be timebombed, as she was using it in 2004.

[Windows8Lover]

And it would be called "Windows 95" not "Chicago"

[mrpijey]

Please, don't triple post, edit your previous post if you got additions...

And I don't know what she was running, but the 1994 one was definately not RTM. Check if she might have the floppies in some box somewhere. Otherwise I guess it will remain a mystery what she was using.

[Windows8Lover]

No, were in the UK now, and she left it behind (like most of the other ones). One day I might deside to randomly look around my house for them... (and beta OSes they might have forgotten...)

EDIT: She said she got rid of the floppies... (and it has to be able to install off Win3.1/3.11)

[prumps]

Sometimes resellers start selling software earlier than agreed with the publisher, but that can happen DAYS before, not MONTHS. Also that doesn't change the publication date printed in the materials.

This thread would have been much more interesting if your mom had some tangible evidence of an earlier release (which would have not made any sense since IIRC they had a global launch date for all markets to among other things, avoid spread by pirating), don't you think?

[Windows8Lover]

Sometimes resellers start selling software earlier than agreed with the publisher, but that can happen DAYS before, not MONTHS. Also that doesn't change the publication date printed in the materials.

This thread would have been much more interesting if your mom had some tangible evidence of an earlier release (which would have not made any sense since IIRC they had a global launch date for all markets to among other things, avoid spread by pirating), don't you think?

She said she got it off Microsoft... (well that's what I remeber...). (it was a free update and she ordered it).

Anyway, she might have got an unleaked build (4.00.284 or earlier). So, it used up, 7MB out of 8MB on that laptop (she said 1994 was a bad year for laptops...)

[condor.07]

your mother was right!
I remember very well when I bought for Christmas 1994, the first Pentium with Windows 95
P.S. = people still believe in all the crap they write about Wiki ?!

[Windows8Lover]

did your mother was right!
I remember very well when I bought for Christmas 1994, the first Pentium with Windows 95
P.S. = people still believe in all the crap they write about Wiki ?!

Now I believe you.

[mrpijey]

did your mother was right!
I remember very well when I bought for Christmas 1994, the first Pentium with Windows 95
P.S. = people still believe in all the crap they write about Wiki ?!

I tend to believe Microsoft and their dates in this case, and my experience since I was in Seattle on the very day Windows 95 launched. So at least in this universe no stores sold Windows 95 RTM a whole six months before its official launch, especially since Microsoft had not even finished developing Windows and were 6 months away from compiling the RTM build in December 1994. Just check the betas, do you think Microsoft even released a beta2 in stores? Six months before the official RTM? Just look at the build dates... or are you suggesting those are fake too, and Microsoft perhaps faked the whole Windows 95 build list? Windows 95 didn't even reach Release Candidate status until some time in May 1995, less in December 1994...

If you got Windows 95 on your computer during Christmas 1994 then it was a beta and nothing else, and sold by your retail store as a pirate copy along with your Pentium. A beta2 most likely as those were common back then, I saw several builds float around the net and among friends at that time, I ran several myself on my 486 at the time.

[Windows8Lover]

She got it off the online store.

[mrpijey]

The online store? From where? Microsoft didn't have an online store in 1994. People were on bad dialup in 1994 and sure didn't download their Windows 95 over dialup (except from BBSes with pirated software). And again, in December 1994 it was not an RTM but a beta, and Microsoft didn't sell those.

[condor.07]

I bought the computer in a physical store.
at that time I do not think there online stores
I am sure that was the RTM version (not beta) but it was just pre installed, I had no original CD.
as they did, I do not know ...
certainly the official version was released in 1995, but have a RTM version at the end of 1994 it was possible.
then his mother is right to remember ...

[Windows8Lover]

NO, she bought it off the online store and Microsoft delivered it to her (It was only availble to computers running Windows 3.1 or Windows 3.11 and Windows 3.2.

EXAMPLE EDIT: You can't download pears, you have to get it delivered. She had the floppies delivered

[mrpijey]

There was no RTM build in December 1994. How difficult is this to understand?

4.00.275 (beta2): 1994-12-03
4.00.285 (beta2): 1994-12-16 (this one compiled one day AFTER your mum got Windows 95, still beta 2)
4.00.305 (beta3): 1995-02-14
4.00.480 (rc1): 1995-05-24
4.00.950R-2 (pre-rtm): 1995-06-30
4.00.950 (RTM): 1995-07-11

And what online store? Microsoft didn't have an online store in 1994... they launched their Windows Marketplace July 12 2004, _9_ years after Windows 95 launch.

Regardless where she got it it was not RTM if she got it December 1994. Maybe it was in 1995? What kind of Pentium was it that Windows 95 was supposedly installed on?

[Windows8Lover]

Take that Vista build that was going to be RTM but wasn't because of a bug that killed any system running WinXP doing a upgrade install. They tested it for a long time. (I only guessed, but did microsoft had a shop you had to phone?

EDIT: Maybe Microsoft used the date the testing finished on?