The Cole Digest, August 23, 1995

Well, tomorrow is it: The hype will be over and the rubber will have to hit the mouse pad.

Windows 95 will be released.

Amid the background cacophony, the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" (because, you see, the key graphical icon of the new operating system is a button marked "start") will reverberate on TV commercials, a key component of a $100 million ad campaign. Bill Gates, certainly one of the best minds in the computer industry, will have spoken to Larry King -- live.

The latest operating system from Microsoft has achieved the kind of critical media mass that is usually reserved in the summer for a big action movie. No, all that will be missing is:

* Enough memory. Though Microsoft says 4 megabytes of RAM will do the trick, most users will find that they need at least 8 megs. Emphasis on the words "at least."

* Enough power. Again, real-world analysis suggests that a processor of the '486DX class or better is needed, while the company says a '386DX is fine.

* Enough storage. This operating system comes in at a whopping 52 megabytes of disk space to get it started. After installation, you can optimize it and need only 44 megabytes (the first personal computer I owned with a hard disk had a mere 40 megabytes total). You will need more than 90 megabytes of open disk space to get the full version to install.

* Enough compatible software. Though Windows 95 runs most Windows 3.1 applications, most notably, Quicken 4.0 -- the leading personal finance software application -- won't run.

* Enough Internet access. In a double-whammy, the installation of Windows 95 on a machine that is already running an Internet World Wide Web browser through CompuServe will render that machine incapable of surfing the Web. The Microsoft Network -- the company's bid to create its own online service through "one-button" access on the Windows 95 desktop and that will provide Internet access itself -- is limiting log ons in the early months of its service to the first 500,000 people who sign up. Most -- if not all -- those slots are already taken.

* Enough innovation. Essentially the critics are right: Windows 95 is the Macintosh operating system of 1990. All the features that were on the Mac at the turn of the decade are now available to those who've chosen "Wintel" (that's Windows and Intel -- maker of the CPU chip). In fact, though the icon says "Recycle Bin," the drawing is of a waste paper basket -- just like the Mac's Trash can.

* Enough customer support. Though Microsoft has hired other customer support organizations to back up its own, executives acknowledge they'll only be able to handle 20,000 calls a day. Customer support experts say the number Microsoft may need to handle could run as high as 40,000 calls a day.

* Enough new machines. The key to using Windows 95, it appears, is to buy it pre-installed on a new CPU. That way you don't have to hassle with the memory upgrades and vast expanses of disk storage needed to make the change.

As many as 10 million copies of the software will be sold in the next several weeks. It will be an interesting Labor Day weekend for many home users as they get the new operating software up and running.

Onward.

\dmc

[THE COLE DIGEST is written by consultant David M. Cole, editor and publisher of the industry newsletter THE COLE PAPERS. The DIGEST is made available to PressLink members every Wednesday at no extra charge. Send comments by e-mail to COLE. The COLE DIGEST is the property of The Cole Group, a California sole proprietorship. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of The Cole Group is prohibited. Copyright (C) 1995, The Cole Group. Opinions expressed are those of The Cole Group, unless otherwise noted. [THE COLE PAPERS is a monthly newsletter devoting itself to technology, journalism and publishing. Subscriptions are $117 for 12 issues ($135 outside the U.S.). MasterCard, Visa and American Express cards are accepted. For more information, e-mail COLE, call (415) 673-2424, fax (415) 673-2449 or write The Cole Group, 2590 Greenwich St., Ste. 9, San Francisco USA 94123-3333.]