Windows Oddities: 25 Years of Microsoftian Weirdness

Posted by  | Wednesday, November 17, 2010


Windows 95: The Early Years
Before Windows 95 knew exactly what it wanted to be, Microsoft called it “Chicago.” Seen here is an early development version OS (build 58, in fact) that doesn’t look very familiar

Instead of a Start button, but there are a few buttons that call up system power, search, and help menus. Instead of a taskbar, we see a white area where shortcuts to programs and documents could be dropped. When programs were minimized, they showed up as large grey rectangles above the proto-taskbar. For more information on how this worked, check out ToastyTech’s fascinating examination of this embryonic OS.

Image: ToastyTech GUI Gallery



Slides: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

88 Comments For This Post

  1. swildstrom Says:

    Actually, Apple was supposed to build common hardware reference platform (CHRP) Macs that could run NT, but Apple quickly abandoned CHRP. The only CHRP machine that ever really made it to market was the R/6000, and IBM wanted it to run AIX, not Windows.

  2. Ninra Says:

    Actually, it was Motorola that wrote the original NT port for the Power PC platform. They even had systems running NT in a Motorola branded box. Motorola pulled out because they didn't want to damage the "corporate partnership" with Apple.

  3. swildstrom Says:

    That's true, but I don't think the Moto box ever actually shipped. I remember seeing it at Comdex in probably 94 or 95.

  4. Esteban Says:

    I love ToastyTech GUI gallery. I just wish the guy would tone down his hatred for Internet Explorer. I mean, I'm no fan of IE either, but geez.

  5. JaredNewman Says:

    Windows 3.1 on the iPad. I was fortunate enough to snag iDOS before it got pulled, and installed Windows on it simply because it was possible. Played a game of Minesweeper for kicks.

  6. BDD Says:

    An interesting oddity to profile would have been Windows Neptune, which was supposed to be the consumer version of Windows 2000. Neptune was put together and tested prior to Whistler, and then cancelled after (I believe) two builds due to the “OS X threat” and MS’s need to add a few features (i.e. font smoothing, theming) that the 2000 engine didn’t support. One of the builds can be found “in the usual places.”

    The only differences I can find between 2000 and Neptune were preliminary login and multiple user interfaces that didn’t really work yet, but the experiment was fascinating nevertheless.

  7. Sally Says:

    Whistler was named after a ski resort. The red parts of the logo form a stylized skier.

  8. Dave Says:

    What was that Compaq all-in-one computer called? I remember that!

  9. Guest Says:

    I think is was simply called the Compaq Portable (because it had a handle to carry it with, still weighed 40 pounds!)…. Remember the Kaypro ? I think it ran CPM (control program for microprocessors).

  10. Windows® = major pain in the retina Says:

    Noticed how absolutely they failed at graphical design? I mean this stuff is seriously deficient in aesthetics. The colors, the fonts, the icons, everything seems to be DESIGNED to be consistently butt ugly from one version to the next.

    It’s no wonder that Steve Jobs said something to the effect that “Microsoft has no sense of design”. He was being charitable. It could have been so, so much better – and still could.

    In fact, I’ve grown to hate the whole GUI concept that Microsoft and Apple still tout as the epitome of design. Give me a list of programs that always run, that always retain their state, no file management, no hard drive letters, and NO UI, thanks.

  11. Dai Says:

    "Give me a list of programs that always run, that always retain their state, no file management, no hard drive letters, and NO UI, thanks"
    That would be OSX Lion in full screen mode. A little way to go with the elimination of file management, but that will be sorted when iCloud comes out if you use compatible apps

  12. Shogo Says:

    That was in "Triumph of the Nerds" … Microsoft has no taste…. http://www.pbs.org/nerds/

  13. lukeimyourfather Says:

    @Esteban Yeah that guy at toastytech is really really into bashing Microsoft for everything, even nowadays that IE doesn't even represent a treat to openness like it did then.

    @Dave It was a presario model from the mid 90's not a Compaq Portable like the other user said

    @Windows Pain.. Well.. I'm going to be honest here, when Windows95 hit the market it really looked gorgeous, the backgrounds, the way you could customize the colours, a lot of people say that it was the only time when Windows looked better than Mac OS, and I agree, MAC OS at that time looked like shit, and to be honest it still looked outdated until they came out with OS X

  14. Shmi Skywalker Says:

    "Windows95 hit the market it really looked gorgeous". http://tinyurl.com/64acnen Heavens. What on earth are you smoking?

  15. Hamranhansenhansen Says:

    Windows 95's look was copied from NeXT. Also, the "My Computer" hierarchy is from NeXT.

  16. Brandon Backlin Says:

    @Windows Pain: Most of these are alpha/beta releases…

  17. Hamranhansenhansen Says:

    That's when you should see early design directions, but instead you see pixels that look puked up.

  18. Jibberjabber Says:

    Remember that Microsoft revived Windows for PowerPC with special versions running on PowerMac G5s for demoing/developing XBox 360 games?

  19. Hamranhansenhansen Says:

    Not really. The XBox runs PowerPC, so they used Power Macs as development workstations.

  20. John Says:

    Wasn’t Windows 3.11 actually known as Windows for Workgroups?

  21. Jeremy Says:

    Late to the party here, but man, I am in love with that gal in the BSoD shirt…

    I’ve been working with Windows since 3.1. It’s wild to see some of this behind the scenes stuff.

  22. nikeshoxtilbud Says:

    He was being charitable. It could have been so, so much better – and still could,Played a game of Minesweeper for kicks.

  23. RLord Says:

    I had a "tablet" PC that ran the PEN Windows OS that I carried around for a semester back in grad school (2000ish). Until someone stole it. But I had picked it up in the lab so it probably just wandered around campus some more. It had a HUGE wifi add-on that I used to no great advantage. Still, it was fun to sit in class and pretend to be taking notes with the chunky stylus while I was really surfing the net. Of course you had to use the stylus (no cap touch), it was about 2 inches thick, was only about a 7 inch screen and had about 12 or 13 colors it could display. I'll bet resolution was maybe 640 x 8something. Maybe less. Still, the OS had some interesting features that are still around today.

  24. Rowan Hawkins Says:

    “John Says: December 30th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
    Wasn’t Windows 3.11 actually known as Windows for Workgroups?”

    They were essentially the same but WFWG was a separate product marketed to business users. On the WFWG product, file sharing on but nothing is shared so that users could set that up without rebooting. there were some other chenges as well. The reason file sharing worked was it used Microsoft’s NetBEUI networking protocol.

  25. Reshhia Says:

    thank you nice article

  26. tool steel Says:

    Thanks, I was looking for information and your blog really helped me.

  27. @smsmarketinguk Says:

    There are several reasons you might see with your window so tricks, nuances and strange things that might be difficult enough to understand all these should be in your mind to resolve the problem effectively and that is the great way…
    work at home scams

  28. mango2 Says:

    Very interesting article. Thank you for the advice.
    home loans

  29. JasonC Says:

    It is great of you to share such an informative post. Keep it up speech language pathologist salary

  30. David Hamer Says:

    Nice article, thank you very much for the advice. I will bookmark and check back soon.

    download free movies

  31. ziko Says:

    Find your dream lover today and use our free love meter, the fun and easy love quiz!
    love meter

  32. Rubel Says:

    Reading through this your publish I’ve known many something totally new relating to this new great version from the ” new world ” that we haven’t known before.

    Water Damage Orlando

    Orlando Water Damage

    Orlando Water Damage Restoration

  33. gabwilliams Says:

    It is a very profitable post for me. I’ve enjoyed reading the post. It is very informative and useful post. I would like to visit the post once more its valuable content.
    romantic gifts

  34. tusan Says:

    Scalp pigmentation treatment is an innovative hair loss treatment for men, leaving you looking as if you have real hair.
    hair loss treatment for men

  35. tisad Says:

    We have researched the web to find the best movie download sites. There are tons of them out there.
    download free movies

  36. tusan Says:

    Elite NAPA Auto Repair has been providing quality auto repair in Tempe, Arizona since 2001. We are a family owned, locally operated, business delivering honest and professional auto repair and car service to the people of Tempe, Chandler, Phoenix, Ahwatukee, Queen Creek and Gilbert
    auto repair tempe

  37. reckson098 Says:

    It is nice to be here. The information shared here seems very valuable and would be beneficial for us. Thanks a lot and keep up your effective work.
    cyprus companies

  38. reckson098 Says:

    I’m impressed, I have to say. Very seldom do I see a blog thats both educational and entertaining, and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Your blog is important; the matter is something that not a lot of people are talking intelligently about. I’m really happy that I stumbled across this in my search for something relating to it.
    Lap band Beverly Hills

  39. sum ansa Says:

    Interesting post – thank you. You constantly publish a interesting blog. I would like to uncover more such very soon.

    Hotel Mompox

  40. ASSE Says:

    ASSE
    Thanks for writing this blog post, it was informative, enjoyable, and most importantly – a good length!

  41. tusan Says:

    When you need urgent care in Portland, Doctors Express of Portland is the right place to go for top-quality care.

    Urgent Care Tigard
    Urgent Care Tualatin
    Urgent Care West Linn

  42. reckson098 Says:

    Wow! Such a useful blog for me. Really awesome. I am looking forward for it. I will be very grateful to you if you keep updating your blog. Thanks for the information.
    Deals & Discounts in Australia

  43. reckson098 Says:

    Thanks for the blog. Great stuff provided by you guys. Even I have been looking for such blogs and post. And at the end I struct to your site. Thanks for your information. Really great. I have no words to say .
    silver price today

  44. revdjenk Says:

    It was called the Compaq Transportable, and it was closer to 60 lbs. Started using windows 1.03 and eventually graduated to Geoworks Ensemble.

  45. jones123peter Says:

    What a write!! Very informative also easy to understand. Looking for more such posts!! Do you have a my space? I recommended it on digg. The only thing that it’s missing is a bit of new design. Anyway thank you for this blog.Online shopping in Trinidad & Tobago

  46. jibran Says:

    It has been seen for a couple of years that liver disease is spreading a lot.I think the main thing is the level of fats increases inside the body which will effect the lever. العاب تلبيس

  47. TomPeris Says:

    There are several reasons you might see with your window so tricks, nuances and strange things that might be difficult enough to understand all these should be in your mind to resolve the problem effectively and that is the great way… Tall Clothes red bull coupons

  48. juhi123 Says:

    Microsoft's president and board chairman used the New York event to demonstrate a graphical-user interface sporting drop-down menus, mouse support, tiled windows, data transfer between applications, and the ability to simultaneously run multiple applications.Carizone

  49. tanjir Says:

    FBFansGenerator.com can add thousands of Facebook Likes to your fan page. If you need to buy Facebook Likes you've come to the right place!
    Buy Facebook Fans Cheap

  50. juhi123 Says:

    Hi there just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the images aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the same outcome.
    Sms lån trots betalningsanmärkning

  51. Deendid Says:

    Noticed how absolutely they failed at graphical design? I mean this stuff is seriously deficient in aesthetics. The colors, the fonts, the icons, everything seems to be DESIGNED to be consistently butt ugly from one version to the next.

    It's no wonder that Steve Jobs said something to the effect that "Microsoft has no sense of design". He was being charitable. It could have been so, so much better – and still could.

    In fact, I've grown to hate the whole GUI concept that Microsoft and Apple still tout as the epitome of design. Give me a list of programs that always run, that always retain their state, no file management, no hard drive letters, and NO UI, thanks.

    colon cleanser reviews | Web Directory

  52. larzze Says:

    Wow, what a blog! I mean, you just have so much guts to go ahead and tell it like it is. You're what blogging needs, an open minded superhero who isn't afraid to tell it like it is. This is definitely something people need to be up on.
    Good luck in the future, man.
    discount voucher

  53. larzze Says:

    This article is really very impressive. I Found the facts that are very rare to find about the new economical systems. I am searching for the same information for my projects and finally i am able to get one topic for the assignment.
    Regards,
    personalized gifts

  54. Kyle Dain Says:

    I use mostly Server 2003 (mostly converted to desktop OS), and XP Pro on a few machines… I find them MUCH faster and more compatible with my programs than Vista / 7. There are themes available to make 2003 / XP look just like, or better than Vista / 7.

    If you open a command prompt, and type VER, Vista AND 7 are both WinNT 6.xx

    7 is not really 7. I'm suprised that the PC vs Mac commercials didn't bring this up 🙂

    Vista is a (well known) PIG, 7 is a *little* better, but XP (or 2003) will out-perform them every time.

    Please try this for yourself.

    Happy Windowing!

    -Kyle

  55. fine crusher Says:

    A scheduled task to reboot at 2am once a week would have been a simple fix in your circumstance.

  56. zahidpro Says:

    On the WFWG product, file sharing on but nothing is shared so that users could set that up without rebooting. there were some other changes as well. The reason file sharing worked was it used Microsoft's NetBEUI networking protocol. bed bath and beyond printable coupons

  57. zishami8 Says:

    I am very satisfied with the content that you mentioned. I wanted to thank you for this great article. I enjoyed every bit of his party and I'll be waiting for updates.

    Christmas gift ideas for mom

  58. Dried Strawberry Says:

    And one that calls for a frank reassessment of South Africa's self-image?!
    Hahahahahahahaha!

  59. colored pencil Says:

    hahaha! weird alright. Bit I've found interesting stuff in this site.Great work

  60. akismet-02040afbf766e2bef0851f90f890c869 Says:

    Gotta love Microsoft! Long live Bill Gates lol.

    Muay Thai

  61. Rakeback1st Says:

    Very good article, I really enjoyed watching the 14 pages I never realised the Microsoft people could be somewhat original! 😉 Thanks for sharing!

  62. Royal01 Says:

    Good SEO Company

  63. Hvac Systems Says:

    Thank u.This is very Informative and helpful, Best of luck for u r work.

  64. Dried Apple Says:

    I am going to watch out for brussels. I will appreciate if you continue this in future. Lots of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

  65. Apple Strip Says:

    I am quite sure I will learn many new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!

  66. Turkish Apricots Says:

    I was first tempted to stop reading after the first sentence about NOT taking vacation, then needed to continue as I coach executives in global, multicultural teams.

  67. Dried Whole Apricots Says:

    Hang arounbd the water cooler and when noboday's looking follow cwybht's advice – or juet leave the company who has such poor tunnel vision on what makes a comapny a great place to work!

  68. Marty Says:

    Had some awesome moments during this affair and you really did a great job with your article. Keep up the good work. If you want to have a great camera, check my site best budget digital slr cameras

  69. Office design Says:

    Ever live in one side of town and have 2 electric companies to service the town, but one serve one half and the other serves the other and neither can cross those imaginary bounds. One is more expensive than the other, but you may be on the wrong side to choose that cheaper company.

    That is a monopoly. The more expensive has a monopoly due to no real competition cause by this imaginary boundary. It was the city(town) power company that created this boundary to create their own monopoly.

  70. denisat Says:

    Very good article, I really enjoyed watching the 14 pages I never realised the Microsoft people could be somewhat original!

  71. Bulk Sms India Says:

    This is generally a wonderful website i should say,I enjoyed reading your articles. This is truly a great read for me. I have bookmarked it and really amazing and impressive website design.

  72. jones123peter Says:

    Thanks it was just another motivation to devote some more of time and effort to my startp! Regards.i really like admire your information sharing.Testosteron

  73. Pumpkin Kernels Says:

    With everyone holding on to their jobs by their fingernails, there is no one willing to help someone get ahead. That would mean someone higher up has to go.

  74. Software Akuntansi Says:

    They were essentially the same but WFWG was a separate product marketed to business users.

  75. Ultrabook Notebook Says:

    One is more expensive than the other

  76. james Says:

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Etiam dictum nulla ac erat auctor vel lobortis justo pretium. Nam ligula magna, malesuada non gravida quis, luctus et nisi. Integer non neque arcu, sed porta elit. Maecenas sollicitudin vehicula sapien vel condimentum. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. los vazquez sounds

  77. iksha158 Says:

    I recently came across your blog and have been reading along.You helped me a lot indeed and reading this your entry I have found many new and useful information about this questions.hotel davos

  78. James Says:

    Thanks for this article. I can still remember my first windows. It was version 3.1 – good old days 🙂 mallorca langzeitmiete

  79. Eiweisspulver Says:

    I have no point to raise in against of what you have said. You possess lots of understanding on this subject.

  80. Spedition Says:

    This article is excellent probably because of how well the subject was explained and developped.

  81. shenzhen sansun Says:

    Thanks for the information. I really enjoyed, I would like get more information about this, because is very beautiful, thanks for sharing
    led display | led curtain

  82. jones123peter Says:

    I think Windows 7 has exceeded expectations,” said Gavriella Schuster, general manager of Windows Product Management. “People from the very beginning have had an optimistic forecast.K.amagra

  83. wikimice Says:

    Jones left a nice link… trying to figure out how…

  84. alem Says:

    Nice collection of images .

    I like the Microsoft Windows Version 3.2 🙂

    Amazing how far we have come since then…

  85. Buy Abilify Online Says:

    I found so many interesting in your blog especially on how to determine the topic. Keep up the good work. I appreciate & must say good job..

  86. jones123peter Says:

    PC Plus has been covering the digital revolution for 25 years. Bali

  87. herrywillson Says:

    Contrary to popular belief, Windows is far from boring. Dig below the surface, and youll discover a stranger side to the worlds most popular operating system. Its filled with twisted homages, forgotten platforms, and dead ends. In a word, its full of oddities.
    webdesign

  88. jones123peter Says:

    Windows 95 had proved to be a huge success for Microsoft, whose user interface and 32-bit application support made it a giant upgrade from Windows 3.1.corporate event entertainment