Tonight I played a bit with Windows 96.
Errrrr… Wait. There was nothing between 95 and 98, right? Right.
Mikesoft Windows 96 is a seriously fun effort to re-create classic MS Windows inside your browser. It’s actually a bunch of efficient JavaScript code making good use of your browser’s WebGL and WebAssembly capabilities. The project has a Wiki that explains the workings and gives more background if you are curious.
The web page loads fast and the Windows experience is uncanny. The Internet Exploder browser that’s included won’t load all pages I tried but at least it loads this blog 🙂
The desktop has a shortcut to connect to the project’s Discord server and also sports an application icon for MsgRoom – a chat application which connects you to an old-skool IRC-like server channel where other users of Windows 96 will show up once they start their own MsgRoom app. Cool!
The rudimentary package manager lets you install Wine, and even Shareware Doom, and it will play pretty damn well, including sound and smooth controls.
Give it a shot if you are wondering what to do tonight! Eric
Hi Eric, you should also check out https://www.windows93.net/. It’s a bit less serious, but also really fun.
>There was nothing between 95 and 98, right? Right.
Hi! Well… actually it kinda “was”. It was Nashwille (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_96), though it was discontinued.
Sorry, typo: Nashville
Hi Eric.
Thanks for sharing this. Funny and interesting a travel back in time to my first PC.
I still miss the original DOS, using not configuring : )
In those good old days, the secretary had to use MS-DOS but I used Xenix on those same PC’s, and Aegis on our Apollo workstations. Those were the days indeed…
LOL. This is too much fun. I’m goofing around with Bassoon Tracker.
I noticed the Linux program thing on 96, will it wipe my drive or not?
Only one way to find out.