Jump Start Me Up

Ain’t no party like a Windows 95 party ‘cause a Windows 95 party don’t stop. We have just reached the 30th anniversary of the release of Windows 95, and the party is still going strong. Sure, the initial spectacle of Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer completely embarrassing themselves with their very special dance to the Rolling Stones’ hit Start Me Up is long since in the rearview mirror, but the operating system is still a favorite of hackers today.

Maybe it is nostalgia for technology of the past that drives this, or perhaps it is fond memories of Jay Leno telling jokes at the release event before he started falling down hills and catching on fire. Whatever it is about Windows 95 that still resonates with so many of us, members of the Hackster community are keeping this beloved operating system alive with their many projects that feature it. In honor of the big anniversary, we want to highlight a few of the finest Windows 95-related hacks we have seen over the years.

Authentic retro gaming is a big reason for running Windows 95 in this day and age. Windows and DOS games of the mid-90s are some of the best and most innovative to ever be released. Changliang Li’s retro handheld PC was built from components that were all available in the 90s, but would have been prohibitively expensive to use in a commercial device at the time. It may technically run Windows 98, but it totally could run Windows 95 as well, and it offers up some of the best, most authentic retro PC gaming experiences that you will ever find on a modern retro portable.

Windows 95 is not all fun and games, it is also a style, even a way of life. Those that have the operating system running through their veins sometimes feel an itch to see the Flying Windows screensaver at the oddest of times. To scratch that itch, Michael Darby created the Windows Wrist Watch 2.0. With a HyperPixel 4.0 display and a Raspberry Pi 3 powering the watch, it is not all that watch-sized. But it does run Windows 95, and when you have Windows 95 running on your wrist, you do not want to hide it. Display that start button proudly, Michael!

It wouldn’t be right to talk so glowingly of Windows 95 without mentioning that it did have some big problems. The Blue Screen of Death and hardware compatibility issues were regular frustrations for computer users of the 90s. In fact, some people considered Windows 95 to be garbage, with Windows 98 being the first decent release of the start button era. If you find yourself in this category, then you might appreciate the literal garbage that Jason Gin gave a Windows 95 theme. Gin’s discarded disposable vape with an LCD display was given a Windows 95 theme that will make you pine for a round of Doom.

Happy birthday, Windows 95! Here’s to the next 30 years of hacks!