The transition from Windows 3.x to Windows 95 marked a significant milestone in Microsoft’s journey, showcasing the company’s commitment to ensuring software compatibility during this pivotal upgrade. In a detailed recounting on Microsoft’s developer blog, former Windows developer Raymond Chen shed light on the innovative methods employed to test various programs for compatibility with the new operating system.
The Unconventional Testing Strategy
In a rather unconventional move, Microsoft dispatched the development manager for Windows 95 to a local software store, armed with a pickup truck. His mission was straightforward yet ambitious: to purchase one physical copy of every available software program. Upon returning to Microsoft, he unloaded the truck, creating a makeshift software marketplace in the cafeteria. Each member of the Windows 95 development team was then tasked with testing two programs for compatibility with the new system.
“The ground rules were that you had to install and run the program, use it like a normal end user, and file a bug against everything that doesn’t work right, even the minor stuff. […] In exchange for taking responsibility for ensuring that Windows 95 was compatible with your adopted programs, you got to keep them after Windows 95 shipped. If you did a good job with your two, you could come back for more.”
Chen vividly describes the scene, noting how the cafeteria buzzed with excitement as team members sifted through boxes of software, akin to bargain-hunters at a flea market. The camaraderie was palpable, with colleagues exchanging stories about their finds and the challenges they faced during testing.
A Cash Register Conundrum
However, a humorous twist emerged from this ambitious compatibility testing initiative. Chen revealed that the software store’s cash register was not equipped to handle the sheer volume of the order. The register crashed whenever the total exceeded ,000, a scenario that seemed improbable to the store manager. After all, who would walk into a store and purchase such a large quantity of software in one go?
“I learned that in addition to stunning the store manager, this creative operation almost didn’t work: The store’s cash register crashed whenever the total exceeded ,000. Because like, c’mon, who would buy ,000 of stuff by just walking into a store? If you’re going to buy that much stuff, you would use a purchase order, right?”
To resolve the issue, the store owner cleverly split the total order into several smaller transactions, each under the ,000 threshold, allowing the cash register to process the sales without further incident.
As a personal note, Chen shared that he selected only one program for testing—a German-English automatic translator. While it functioned adequately, the translations it produced left much to be desired, a fact he humorously clarified was not a reflection of Windows’ capabilities.
Further reading: The most important Microsoft products and milestones
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.
