Windows 96 v2

Windows 96 v2 is an old version of Windows 96!
It will not get updates, unlike the current version.

Windows 96 version 2.0 default desktop. Note that this is an older build and might not have the latest features.

Windows 96 v2 is a version of Windows 96 which is the successor to Windows 96 v1. Note that this was the version where Windows 96 completely rewritten from scratch. Therefore, it only bears visual similarity to its predecessor. Windows 96 v2 RTM released on the 5th of February 2021, while SP1 and SP2 released on the 4th of April and the 29th of June respectively.

You can visit this release at https://rel2.windows96.net.

Why the rewrite?

• The code was not well optimized and it was impossible to do so due to the inefficient source code structure.
• It became spaghetti code due to all the OS logic being fit into one file.
• As a result of this, it became near impossible to make the code modular and the effort would be better spent rewriting the OS from scratch.
• Windows 96 v1 had a synchronous design all round, which meant that any async operations would not fit in well and make the spaghetti code situation even worse.
• WebFS's mixed asynchronous model still imposed annoying file limits often reached by regular users, and also generally made the experience feel much slower.
• Cross browser support was not 1:1 due to the lack of CSS normalization/use of browser specific functionality. This meant that Windows 96 would not have a consistent look across browsers.
• A more efficient OS architecture was proposed, where the pros of rewriting the OS eventually outweighed the cons of not rewriting it.
• To allow more than 1 developer to work on the source code without losing their mind.
• And lastly, because of ES6 (ECMAScript v6). Most people and browsers cannot support them.

Version Highlights

• Too many to count (TODO)

Trivia

• The rewrite took around 6 months to be somewhat usable. During this time, the original Windows 96 community died out completely and many fans left without a trace, due to the year-long period.
• The COVID-19 pandemic also made it a pain to stay motivated to keep developing Windows 96.
• The project reached an extent where more than 1 developer was needed.