Windows 95 Offers PC Users a New Look and Feel

Gail Garfield Neuman
CSS Consulting

Mcrosoft Corporation released Windows 95 (Win 95) in August with much 
ado. This 32-bit version of the Windows operating system looks very 
different from the 3.x versions of Windows and Windows for Workgroups. 
This article gives an overview of Win 95. To get a more complete 
picture, be sure to read the other Win 95 articles in this issue of i/s.

Hardware Requirements
Microsoft recommends the following system to run Win 95:

*       An Intel or compatible 486 or higher processor
*       8MB of RAM or more (more is better!)
*       10-70MB of free disk space, depending on the type of installation
*       A mouse or other pointing device
*       VGA or SVGA video

Recommended optional equipment includes a CD-ROM drive, sound card, 
speakers, and a modem or network adapter.

Installation 
You can buy Win 95 on diskette or CD. The CD version includes many 
extras, which are listed at this URL:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/software/cdextras.htm

Win 95 offers four installation options:

*       Typical - most commonly used components
*       Portable - most useful features for a portable computer
*       Compact - basic files only, for limited disk space
*       Custom - user-defined selections, for experienced users

The package includes several Wizards, including one that helps install 
Win 95. Plug and Play technology automatically detects and configures 
hardware to work with the system.

A Different Look
When you start Win 95, you'll see an uncluttered desktop with a custom-
izable background. A movable Taskbar with a big Start button sits at the 
bottom of the screen. You can choose to show the Taskbar only when you 
need it.

A single click on the Start button lets you navigate through a hierarchy 
of folders (folders have replaced directories). When you find what you 
want, you click once to start it.

Windows look different. They have the minimize, maximize, and close 
buttons in the upper right corner. Sometimes you'll see a "?" button, 
which you can click to activate the "What's This?" feature. You can then 
click on an item to get a pop-up window with a definition.

In Win 95, you can work smarter and faster by setting up Shortcut icons 
to commonly used documents and printers. For example, you might set up a 
Shortcut for a weekly report template. To print a file, you can just 
drag its icon to a printer Shortcut.

Windows Explorer has taken the place of the File Manager. The Explorer 
allows easy drag-and-drop copying and moving of files. One way to access 
the Explorer is to double-click the "My Computer" icon on the desktop.

Finding Your Way Around
The Find command, now on the Start menu, has been greatly improved. You 
can search for files or folders, indicating whether the search should be 
case-sensitive or if it should include subdirectories. You can search 
for files created or modified between certain dates. You can also save 
your search criteria for later use.

Another navigational aid is the Documents folder, also under the Start 
menu. This item lists the most recent documents you've worked on, making 
it easy to return to them.

Applications and Other Features
Several small applications come with Win 95. WordPad is a fairly 
powerful word processor; Paint is a graphics program. The two work well 
together, letting you import objects into a document from different 
sources, create bulleted lists, and do Print Previews. Three disk 
utilities - DriveSpace, Disk Defragmenter, and Scan Disk - help optimize 
and maintain your hard disk.

Briefcase synchronizes files when you transfer them between two 
computers or between a notebook and its dock. It tracks multiple 
versions of a file, and alerts you about which ones need to be updated.

The MS-DOS Command Prompt has been enhanced. It runs in a sizable window 
with most of the Windows options still available. You can change the 
font size and mark text to be cut and copied into a Windows application. 
You can also copy and paste to and from the DOS window.

Accessibility Options
Win 95 has several options to help users with mobility, hearing, or 
visual impairments. These range from Sound Sentry, which gives a visual 
cue when your computer makes a sound, to the high-contrast setting, with 
colors and fonts designed for easy reading. For a list of options, look 
up "accessibility" in the Help Index.

Online Help
Help, under the Start menu, has been improved. You will need to use it, 
since the manual is slim. In some cases, the online help includes links 
that step you through a procedure. For an introduction to Windows 95, 
take the Tour that's available under Help Contents.

The Password Is for Preferences
Win 95 is not secure. The optional password only tells Win 95 which set 
of preferences to use. If several people use one machine, it may make 
sense to set up each individual with his or her own user preferences, so 
the machine looks familiar to them each time they sit down to work.

Support for Windows 95
Win 95 represents a big change, and brings with it network and 
compatibility issues. IS recommends that you wait before upgrading, and 
for now offers only partial support. Full support is slated for January 
1996. For details, see the MIT Win 95 Home Page at

http://web.mit.edu/win95/

If you have questions, contact the Microcomputing Help Line at x3-0001 
<micro-help@mit.edu>.

To learn more about Win 95, attend a "Why Win 95?" Quick Start class. 
For details, check the calendar in the IS Training Catalog or call x3-
7685.