Ex-Microsoft exec unearths first-ever copy of Windows 95, in pristine condition and hidden from view since its release

Seen by some as the most important operating system ever made, Windows 95 took the world by storm when it was released 29 years ago on July 14, 1995. It turns out that some current and former Microsoft employees still have their copies, including then-VP Brad Silverberg, who possesses the first-ever copy of Windows 95 off its production line.

According to an attached receipt, Brad Silverberg's copy was acquired on July 14, 1995, just after 5 PM. Just three days ago, he posted a photograph of this historical copy of Windows 95 on Twitter in response to a larger thread started by Dave Plummer, a former developer and Software Development Manager at Microsoft.

So, what makes Brad Silverberg's copy of Windows 95 so notable? Besides being the first in history to be taken off the production line (though seemingly kept as a collector's item since), its historical value is a direct analog to the historical value of Windows 95 itself. For those who couldn't use computers at the time, Windows 95 marked the beginning of many intuitive accessibility features we take for granted in computing today— including the debut of Windows Start Menu, modern Taskbar, and Plug and Play compatibility with most peripherals.

Windows 95 is the point at which Windows starts becoming recognizable as the dominant PC operating system that most of us are still using today, even if more recent versions have been open to plenty of criticism. The biggest missing features of Windows 95 compared to its immediate successor are USB support and .NET Framework support. Still, at the time, neither of these things were even close to ubiquitous, so it didn't matter as long as Microsoft could provide an "easy" version of Windows.

Before Windows 95, using computer systems running prior versions of Windows (like Windows 3.5) or MS-DOS wasn't all that far removed from running a more complex Unix or Linux operating system. While Linux and its ilk are considered much more accessible today, they still require more technical know-how to set up and start using than modern versions of Windows, particularly since Windows 95 did most of what was needed to make an easy-to-use home computer.

Besides Brad's posting of the first copy of Windows 95, other highlights of the original Twitter thread include Dave Plummer's shrink-wrapped copy of Windows 95 "Special Edition," which is otherwise identical to the regular Windows 95 but in a special box given only to journalists, developers, and other attendees of the launch events. Brad, meanwhile, also highlighted an old photo from the RTM launch party of Windows 95.

And yes, that is a partying man being covered with whipped cream while carrying a bottle of alcohol in each hand. As Brad and perhaps even Windows 95 epitomizes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.