Flaw reported in Windows 95

One of my colleagues ran across this old news clipping from 20 years ago today.

Flaw reported in Windows 95

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN MATEO, Calif. — Microsoft Corp.’s long-awaited Windows 95 operating system has a flaw that can freeze up computers when running certain applications, InfoWorld magazine said Friday.

The company is aware of the problem but is shipping 450,000 anyway as part of a preview program, the magazine said.

“I fear that unless Microsoft goes back to the drawing board on this operating system, only light users will get anything out of it,” said Nicholas Petreley, the magazine’s executive editor.

He said the system’s inability to handle several types of sophisticated applications at the same time made it questionable for business use.

I can’t find a copy of the original InfoWorld article online; all I can find are citations to it, like this one and this one.

The clipping had a handwritten note attached:

Bob,

You guys may want to respond to this.

Mom

The report was shortly followed by a rebuttal from Windows Magazine, pointing out that this was a beta release, it is not unusual that an unfinished product has bugs, and that a similar bug in an earlier beta was fixed within two weeks.

ZOMG! A beta product has a bug!

I found it cute that my colleague’s mother chose to bring this article to her son’s attention.