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Which came first, Windows 95's taskbar or NeXT's Dock? Neither
Winsage
September 4, 2026

Which came first, Windows 95’s taskbar or NeXT’s Dock? Neither

The tech community recently celebrated the 31st anniversary of Windows 95, sparking discussions about its design influences, particularly regarding the potential British roots of its interface. Former Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer's post on X led to exchanges among ex-Microsoft employees, including Joe Belfiore, who clarified that the Windows taskbar was not inspired by the NeXT dock but rather by developments from the Cairo team, specifically a persistent "tray" for file transfers. The debate references Paul Fellows, who led the Arthur project at Acorn, which introduced the first "icon bar" in 1987, influencing both NeXTstep and Windows. Acorn's Arthur, initially a BASIC demo, became RISC OS by 1989, maintaining its foundational design elements. The timeline shows that Acorn's icon bar predated NeXTstep's dock and the Windows taskbar, with Windows 2.0 and OS/2 1.1 released in late 1987 and 1988, respectively, showing visual similarities to NeXTstep. The Microsoft Cairo project, which ran from 1991 to 1996, coincided with Windows NT 4 development. The Windows 95 taskbar and NeXT's dock served different functions, but their historical context is significant.
Windows 95's Start menu was invented by a chimpanzee-lab psychologist: 'Even a rocket scientist couldn't figure out Windows'
Winsage
September 2, 2026

Windows 95’s Start menu was invented by a chimpanzee-lab psychologist: ‘Even a rocket scientist couldn’t figure out Windows’

A user on X highlighted their new 5K Dell UltraSharp monitor, leading to a discussion about the Windows 11 taskbar's alignment. Dave Plummer, a former Microsoft engineer, expressed his preference for a left-aligned taskbar, which he viewed as a stand against center alignment. The Start button's creation is attributed to Danny Oran, a behavioral psychologist who joined Microsoft in 1992. Oran's background included teaching chimpanzees to communicate, which informed his approach to user interface design. He observed users struggling with Windows 3.1 and proposed a single button for access to all features, initially called "System" but later renamed "Start." The placement of the Start button in the bottom-left corner was influenced by Fitts's law, which suggests users can quickly click targets in screen corners. Joe Belfiore confirmed this placement aligned with reading habits. The initial implementation of the Start button in Windows 95 had an issue with padding that was corrected in Windows 98. Oran also designed the taskbar, which was ultimately placed at the bottom of the screen to differentiate it from Apple's macOS. Oran holds the original patent for both the Start menu and the taskbar introduced in Windows 95.
Everyone assumed the Windows taskbar copied a rival OS. Microsoft says no
Winsage
September 1, 2026

Everyone assumed the Windows taskbar copied a rival OS. Microsoft says no

The Windows taskbar originated from the Microsoft project "Cairo," launched in 1991, which introduced a design with visible fields at the bottom of the screen. The Windows 95 taskbar combined this design with the window-minimizing functionality from Windows 3.1. Although a similar concept appeared in the 1988 NeXTSTEP operating system, Microsoft veterans assert that the Windows taskbar was developed independently, without inspiration from NeXT. The NeXTSTEP solution later influenced the macOS Dock. The taskbar continues to evolve while maintaining its significance in user interface design.
Windows 95's taskbar didn't come from Steve Jobs' NeXT Dock, and a former Microsoft VP explains what did
Winsage
September 1, 2026

Windows 95’s taskbar didn’t come from Steve Jobs’ NeXT Dock, and a former Microsoft VP explains what did

The Windows 95 taskbar was not inspired by the NeXT Dock, as clarified by former Microsoft executives Joe Belfiore and Brad Silverberg. Instead, its design was influenced by a Microsoft project called Cairo, which aimed to provide users with easy access to information. The taskbar was created to address usability issues from Windows 3.1, specifically to help users keep track of minimized windows. In 2021, with the release of Windows 11, Microsoft introduced a centered taskbar and later allowed it to be repositioned to any edge of the screen, reflecting a commitment to user experience.
Your GPU's scheduling toggle was pointless in 2020, and a growing list of Windows features now need it
Winsage
August 30, 2026

Your GPU’s scheduling toggle was pointless in 2020, and a growing list of Windows features now need it

For over a decade, Windows managed graphics card operations through a single CPU thread. In May 2020, Microsoft introduced Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS), allowing users to transfer scheduling tasks to the GPU. HAGS shifts scheduling from the CPU to a dedicated processor on the GPU, reducing CPU overhead. The introduction of WDDM 3.0 with Windows 11 21H2 requires HAGS for the basic hardware flip queue, which reduces power consumption. The advanced hardware flip queue, which addresses presentation latency, also requires HAGS. With Windows 11 24H2 and WDDM 3.2, native GPU fences were introduced, allowing the GPU to manage dependencies without CPU intervention. Nvidia's frame generation features require HAGS, while Intel's Arc B-series cards do not. The state of HAGS is determined by GPU drivers, and applications like OBS have shown caution towards HAGS due to historical issues.
Dishonored co-creator Harvey Smith launches a new studio and it literally has the word 'Immersive' in the name
AppWizard
August 19, 2026

Dishonored co-creator Harvey Smith launches a new studio and it literally has the word ‘Immersive’ in the name

Harvey Smith, former studio director at Arkane Austin, has founded a new studio called Black Pony Immersive with executive producer Ben Horne. The studio aims to create imaginative first-person action RPGs with a focus on emergent game systems. The development team includes talent from companies like Arkane, Insomniac, Epic, Avalanche, and Volition. Black Pony Immersive's mission reflects a commitment to immersive storytelling and gameplay, inspired by the legacy of Looking Glass Studios. The closure of Arkane Austin in 2024 followed the poor performance of Redfall, but there is hope that some creative ideas from that period may be revived at Black Pony. Specific details about their first project are not yet disclosed, but hints are available on their website.
silver Android smartphone
AppWizard
August 5, 2026

Crimson Moon debuts Sept. 1 for $20 on PC and consoles

GB MAX membership provides access to a global B2B leadership community in gaming, entertainment, and tech, along with a VIP ticket to the GamesBeat Next event on November 2-3 in San Francisco. ProbablyMonsters is set to release the action-adventure RPG Crimson Moon on September 1 for PC and consoles. The game will be available on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It features contributions from metal musicians for its soundtrack and offers a Deluxe Edition with exclusive content. Players will take on the role of Nephilim in a gothic high renaissance setting, engaging in combat and character progression. The game supports both solo and cooperative play, with challenges against world bosses. The music is composed by Chris Wilson and Steve Pardo, featuring original tracks for the game.
silver Android smartphone
AppWizard
July 29, 2026

Blizzard’s former Battle.net lead is moving his expertise over to the Epic Games Store to ‘elevate player, creator, and developer experiences’

Epic Games has appointed Martin Keely as the new Vice President and General Manager of the Epic Games Store following Steve Allison's departure. Keely previously worked at Activision Blizzard for seven years, overseeing the Battle.net launcher. He expressed enthusiasm for his new role and aims to enhance player, creator, and developer experiences. The Epic Games Store faces challenges regarding user experience and competition, particularly as the company prepares for Unreal Engine 6 and seeks to improve cross-platform functionality.
Epic taps Blizzard's Battle.net lead to fix the Epic Games Store as Steam dominates
AppWizard
July 28, 2026

Epic taps Blizzard’s Battle.net lead to fix the Epic Games Store as Steam dominates

Epic Games has appointed Martin Keely as the new Vice President and General Manager of the Epic Games Store, succeeding Steve Allison, who left the company in July. Keely previously worked as Senior Vice President overseeing the Battle.net launcher at Blizzard for seven years. His appointment aims to strengthen Epic's competitive position against Valve's Steam in the PC gaming market. Keely expressed enthusiasm for his new role and the opportunity to enhance player, creator, and developer experiences. Epic's CEO, Tim Sweeney, has acknowledged the challenges the company faces in gaining market share against Steam.
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