Windows 95
Microsoft's Windows 95 has been released for almost one year.
Many people like it. This page is a small collection
of resources.
Hardware recommendations
A 486 with 8Mb RAM is the practical minimum system configuration.
With more memory your computer will perform much better.
Peripherals
Many devices work flawlessly with Windows 95. Many others do not.
If you are contemplating the switch to Windows 95, it is best
to be sure that your hardware is supported under Win 95. Some
older Windows 3.1 drivers will work, but it's a good idea to check
with the manufacturer's tech support group before proceeding.
Quite often you will need a software driver specifically for Windows 95.
Microsoft's Hardware Compatibility List
is a good place to start.
Many manufacturers provide drivers over the web, often newer
than those supplied by Microsoft.
Software
The great majority of DOS and Windows 3.1 programs work with Windows
95. Special care should be used before trying TSRs or disk utility
programs that may not be aware of Windows 95's ability to use
long file names. Microsoft's Software Compatibility List
is a good reference.
While upgrading to Windows 95 versions of all your programs is
not a requirement, it is a necessity if you want to take advantage
of long filenames.
As of June 1996, NACS' WAAT package does not
work with Windows 95, but here's how you can connect to UCINet via modem using Windows 95 .
Service Pack
Microsoft has released some Windows 95 patches, which they have grouped
into a
service pack. It's a good idea to install the service pack on your
Windows 95 computer.
Windows 95 vs. Windows 3.1
Why you might want to upgrade
- Windows 95 has a new user interface.
(View a Windows 95 screen image) The
Program Manager is gone. A user launches applications by clicking
on the Start Button. Most people find it easier to use after a
short breaking-in period. All active programs are shown on the
bottom of the screen in the Task Bar.
- Windows 95 supports long filenames. You can even include spaces.
But remember, your applications must be designed for Windows 95
in order to use the long filenames. Note: The system also keeps
a short DOS 8.3 filename as well. Windows continues to use an
extentsion as a "file type" field. The user has the option of
hiding the extension from view, but it's still there.
- Windows 95 has improved
networking abilities, including support for TCP/IP right out of the box.
Why you might not want to upgrade
(It is possible to set up a "dual-boot" configuration
that can run either DOS/Win 3.1 or Win 95.)
- You might not have sufficient hardware to run Windows 95, or you
might need a peripheral that is not supported.
- You might use software that will not work with Windows 95.
-
Your existing setup might be good enough, and you'd prefer not
to spend time learning something new right now.
- Windows News via listserv or ftp.
WinNews is published twice a month, on the first and third
Monday of each month. Special editions of WinNews may also be
sent out occasionally. You may also look at
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/peropsys/Win_News.
To subscribe:
- Send a message to: admin@winnews.microsoft.com
- Subject line should be blank.
- Body of message should ONLY have in the text: SUBSCRIBE WINNEWS
To : admin@winnews.microsoft.nwnet.com
Cc :
Subject :
----- Message Text -----
subscribe winnews
- Inside Microsoft Windows 95, published by
the Cobb Group, appeared in May. For a free issue of Inside Microsoft
Windows 95, send your name and mailing address via Internet mail
to
subscriptions@merlin.cobb.ziff.com.
You can also request a
free issue by calling (502) 493-3376 or (800) 223-8720.
- Newsgroups - there are many newsgroups in the comp.os.ms-windows.*
hierarchy. One that may prove very useful is
comp.os.ms-windows.win95.setup.
UCI supports a Windows 95 listserv for issues specifically related to
Windows 95 in the UCI environment.
The
uci-win95 listserv messages are
online. The listserv is also mirrored as
the uci.win95 newsgroup.
To subscribe:
- Send a message to: listserv@uci.edu
- Subject line should be blank.
- Body of message should ONLY have in the text: SUBSCRIBE UCI-WIN95
Your Name
To : listserv@uci.edu
Cc :
Subject :
----- Message Text -----
subscribe uci-win95 Peter Anteater
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