Fergie's Tech Blog

Microsoft Mum On Windows 95 Tenth Anniversary

Gregg Kiezer writes in TechWeb News:

Ten years ago today, Microsoft released its landmark Windows 95 with a $300 million launch campaign -- including $12 million for the song "Start Me Up" from the even-then-ancient "Rolling Stones" -- but as Wednesday rolled around, Microsoft didn't even bother to put out a press release marking the anniversary.

Back in 1995, Microsoft wasn't nearly so shy about tooting its horn.

Then, the Redmond, Wash.-based developer opened a marketing and sales campaign that at the time was called the biggest-ever product launch. Nothing was too big, too good, for Windows 95.

Then chief executive, now chairman, Bill Gates broadcast the first public boot-up of the sorta-32-bit operating system in front of cameras that blitzed the image worldwide via satellite. He even had late night talk show host Jay Leno on stage to help him out. At one point, Leno joked that Windows 95 was "so powerful that it can keep track of all of OJ's alibis at once."

posted by Fergie @ 8/24/2005 03:47:00 PM