Editing Windows 95 (section)

==Development==
{{Main|Development of Windows 95}}
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2010}}

The initial design and planning of Windows 95 can be traced back to around March 1992,<ref>Comes v. Microsoft. [http://groklaw.net/pdf/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/1000/PX01263.pdf Plaintiff's Exhibit 1263] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414110939/http://groklaw.net/pdf/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/1000/PX01263.pdf |date=April 14, 2016 }}.</ref><ref>Comes v. Microsoft. [http://groklaw.net/pdf/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/1000/PX01308.pdf Plaintiff's Exhibit 1308] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191130211809/http://groklaw.net/pdf/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/1000/PX01308.pdf |date=November 30, 2019 }}.</ref><ref>Comes v. Microsoft. [http://groklaw.net/pdf/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/1000/PX01310.pdf Plaintiff's Exhibit 1310] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414110941/http://groklaw.net/pdf/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/1000/PX01310.pdf |date=April 14, 2016 }}.</ref> just around the time before the release of [[Windows 3.1]]. At this time, ''Windows for Workgroups 3.11'' and [[Windows NT 3.1]] were still in development. At this point, Microsoft's strategy was to have a next generation, high-end OS based on Windows NT, namely, [[Cairo (operating system)|Cairo]], and a low-end, consumer-focused one as an evolution of Windows 3.1. The latter strategy was to develop a 32-bit underlying kernel and filesystem with 32-bit protected mode device drivers in Windows for Workgroups 3.11, to be used as the basis for the next version of Windows, code named "Chicago." Cairo would be Microsoft's next-generation operating system based on Windows NT, featuring a new user interface and an object-based file system, but it was not planned to be shipped before 1994. Cairo would never be shipped, however, although elements from the Cairo project eventually shipped in Windows NT 4.0 in late July 1996, without the object-based file system, which would later evolve into [[WinFS]].

Simultaneously with Windows 3.1's release, [[IBM]] started shipping [[OS/2 2.0#32-bit era|OS/2 2.0]]. Microsoft realized they required an updated version of Windows that could support 32-bit applications and preemptive multitasking, but could still run on low-end hardware (Windows NT did not).<!--PX 1308--> Initially, the "Chicago" team did not know how the product would be packaged. Initial thoughts were there might be two products, MS-DOS 7, which would just be the underlying OS, an evolution of the Windows for Workgroups 3.11 kernel, with a character mode OS on top, and a fully integrated graphical Windows OS. But soon into the project, the idea of MS-DOS 7 was abandoned and the decision was made to develop only an integrated graphical OS Windows "Chicago."

===Beta===
Before Windows 95's official release, users in the [[United States]] and [[United Kingdom]] had an opportunity to participate in the Windows 95 Preview Program.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fruhlinger|first=Josh|date=August 31, 2015|title=It's (still) Windows 95's world. We just live in it.|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2977757/its-still-windows-95s-world-we-just-live-in-it.html|access-date=August 24, 2020|website=Computerworld|language=en|archive-date=September 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905015300/https://www.computerworld.com/article/2977757/its-still-windows-95s-world-we-just-live-in-it.html|url-status=live}}</ref> For US$19.95/£19.95, users would receive several 3.5-inch floppy disks that would be used to install Windows 95 either as an upgrade from Windows 3.1 or as a fresh installation. Participants were also given a free preview of [[MSN Dial-up|The Microsoft Network (MSN)]], the [[online service]] that Microsoft launched with Windows 95. During the preview period, Microsoft established various electronic distribution points for promotional and technical documentation on Chicago,<ref name="reviewGuide">[http://www.anonymous-insider.net/windows/research/acrobat/940601.pdf Microsoft Windows Chicago Reviewer's Guide]{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, p.282</ref> including a detailed document for media reviewers describing the new system highlights.<ref name="reviewGuide"/><ref>{{cite news|title=PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Microsoft's New System Promises to Fix Glitches|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|author=Stephen Manes|date=July 19, 1994|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/19/science/personal-computers-microsoft-s-new-system-promises-to-fix-glitches.html|access-date=February 23, 2017|archive-date=July 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704050049/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/19/science/personal-computers-microsoft-s-new-system-promises-to-fix-glitches.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The preview versions expired in November 1995, after which the user would have to purchase their copy of the final version of Windows 95.