When was Windows 95 (the first version) first released (available to
buy in the high-street shops) in the UK?

24th August 1995, worldwide. If I recall correctly, some shops (like
PC World) opened at one minute past midnight for those eager souls who
just couldn't wait.

There are very few references to it on the net, actually. I found out
by doing some searches for the Times newspaper, which gave out its
edition free that day - sponsored by Microsoft.

You'll note that all the files on the Windws 95 OSR1 CD are
timestamped for the 24th, too. I believe in the past they've
timestamped the files, and then missed the release date, but this
wasn't one of these times. Hear it from the horse's mouth (search for
"release date"):

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/legal/mar02/03-26ntranscriptpm.asp

For the few references which do show up, visit these pages (search for
"Windows 95"):

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/1998/bill-economist.asp
http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Contrib/Edupage/1995/08/13-08-1995.html
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=3D673958.3000400%40cts.com
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=3qpdij%24qg3%40ixnews4.ix.netcom.com

I hope this helps. If you something's unclear, or any of the links do
not function, please request clarification before rating this answer.

Thanks,

--seizer-ga

Search strategy (on both Google and Google Groups):

"windows 95" "release date" times newspaper
"windows 95" "release date" 24

---

Clarification of Answer by seizer-ga on 28 Nov 2002 04:07 PST

Please excuse me. The line "If you something's unclear" should read
"If you feel that something's unclear".

--seizer-ga

Thank you very much.

This has been a long running dispute between myself and a colleague.
As I recall, it came out about August 1995, because it was just after
my birthday and I remember that for some reason Dixons in the UK did
not stock it until a day later (which stuck me as a bit daft from a
business point of view)!

My colleague on the other hand is convinced it was July 1996. He
remembers quite vividly that first of all it was called Windows 95 and
not released until 96, and more specifically the he and a few others
took PC World to the Trading Standards Commission because they had an
advertising policy which claimed they sold Windows 95, before it was
available in their's or anyone else's shops!

So again, thank you for proving me right.

Matt