It seems amazing to me that Windows 95 was launched 10 years ago (on August 24th).
I can remember going to PC World store and looking at the box on the shelf and playing around with it on a demo machine. It was worlds apart from Windows 3.1, but since at that time I was working for IBM in OS/2 Software Support, it didn’t get me that excited, especially since at that time OS/2 was already years ahead of Windows 3.1.
That point was a definite career turning point for me though. Windows 95 was the nail in the coffin for OS/2. In the following year I worked as an in-house developer for an Insurance company, developing a new Claims Handling system using Intelligent Environment’s Application Manager on OS/2. During this time I could see that the world was changing and I needed to get away from OS/2, which was beginning to look like a sinking ship.
During 1996 Sun were making a lot of noise about their new programming language, Java, and the promises of ‘Write Once, Run Anywhere’. This to me was a ray of light and a way out from being tied to any particular OS and platform. I downloaded the JDK 1.0.3 and started learning the language at home.
In 1997 I took a job with a software development company who were interested at that time in expanding their product line, and Java was a hot buzzword at the time. I took a job with them to cross-train to Powerbuilder and Oracle, with the promise of being involved in Java development within the next year. Powerbuilder was a stepping stone for me to get away from OS/2 and towards Windows, plus the offer of getting involved in Java development was a good incentive for me.
It was another year after in 1998 that that I started work on prototyping web-based enhancements for the company’s client/server system using Java and Oracle Application Server, but I had finally made it to the land of Java, and I’m still happily here today 🙂
