95-kun

Windows 95-kun
Character Information
Common Names	Windows 95-kun
Other Names	Windows 95, Chicago, Chicago-kun, Cougar-kun?
Faction	Windows Family
Lineage	DOS/Win9x
Appearance
Height	*none listed officially
Hair Color	brown
Eye Color	brown
Design
First Appearance	Unknown
Technical Information
System Personified	Windows 95
Developer(s)	Microsoft
Debut	24 Aug 1995
Latest release	v.4.0 (Build 950 C: OEM Service Release 2.5), November 26, 1997

Technical Details

Windows 95 can trace its roots back to March 1992, right after the release of Windows 3.1. Microsoft was stil developing Windows for Workgroups 3.1 and Windows NT 3.1, with their future sights set on the Cairo Operating System. However, Cairo was not expected to release for another two years, and in the meantime Microsoft realized that in order to keep competing, they needed an OS that could handle 32-bit capabiities and preemptive multitasking while still running on low-end hardware (Windows NT could not). Thus, the 'Chicago' project was born, being expected for a late 93' release, becoming known as Windows 93. Windows 93 would eventually ship with MSDOS 7.0, offering a more intergrated experience, but the Chicago Project continued on. Released at the same time was 'Cougar', a 32-bit shell for MSDOS; Cougar would go on to become the kernel of Chicago.

95 was released to great approval, quickly dominating the computer market. Part of this reason was the campaign to promote it by Microsoft; A commercial featuring the Rolling Stones' song "Start Me Up" and a 30-minute promo video (a 'Cyber Sitcom' as it was called) featuring Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry were just part of the advertising. In addition, several new features made 95 much easier to use for those new to computers, such as the Taskbar, Start Button and Menu, Longer Filenames, and Multitasking. 95 was also the first Microsoft OS to be a standalone, more than merely a graphical shell for DOS. Despite this, the 32-bit kernel, and the incompatibility of 95 with 16-bit processors, a good amount of code left over (mainly for the user interface) was still 16-bit.

95 was normally offered on a CD-ROM, though the inital release was also offered on 13 3.5" floppy disks, suitable for older machines(though with added features removed). The later releases doubled this to 26 disks, and Plus! was also adapted for floppies. Though uncommon, a 5.25" floppy disk set for installation could be special-ordered.

By the time of its obselence in 2001, 95 had become an industry standard, with many of the features introduced in 95 still being used today. 95 could be upgraded to 98, ME or even 2000, though many users still rely on 95 for legacy functions due to its closeness with DOS while still being reliable and easy to use.

Character Details

95-kun is a middle-aged man commonly seen in a pink men's yukata, geta or zori, and his hair held up in a samurai-style ponytail by a small set of Windows-coloured ribbons. Prominantly featured on the front of his yukata is the Windows logo, cocked to the side as the family symbol. He has brown hair and eyes, normally with some form of sideburns, stubble, or both. Being a samurai, he has a stoic, gruff, yet laid-back personality, enjoying some of the things that samurai in the Edo Period might have enjoyed: cherry-blossom viewing, drinking sake, eating grilled food, like ika (squid) and unagi (freshwater eel), and possibly poetry. His laid-back attitude can sometimes frustrate his sister, as he lacks the same fiery hatred of the macs that she does. Also frustrating to her is his laid back party attitude, sometimes resuting in people getting drunk (which 95-tan sometimes has to clean up the mess after). Despite this, he gets along well with most people, providing a father or uncle figure to some, peacekeeper to others. He seems to remember and reflect on the past, though if he has the same nostalgia for it as his sister remains unknown. He keeps the company of other characters his own age, such as his sister 95, 2k-tan, and occasionally Daiginjou. More often, however, he is seen keeping the company of Akachouchin, a young Futaba girl who shares his passion for sake. Given her prowess in making it, it's only natural that they'd keep company.

95-kun has been shown to be an accomplished swordsman[1], though he uses force significantly less so than his sister.

See also:

• List of OS-tans