WASHINGTON—Labor markets are bracing for next month when a fresh crop of IT professionals born between 1970 and 1980 expects to finish installing the 14-disk Windows 95 operating system and at last enter the workforce. Released in August 1995, the Windows 3.1 successor equips tech-savvy Gen-Xers with plug-and-play (PnP) integration, a 32-bit architecture, and a graphical interface that includes a first-of-its-kind “Start” menu.
“It will be exciting to embark on a new phase of life,” said Joshua Talbot, 52, a Chicago-based Fortran developer whose installation process has only a handful of system reboots remaining. “Next week I’ll go to Marshall Fields downtown and get fitted for a suit.”
Like many of his peers in fintech, Talbot entered graduate school while his Compaq Presario was running SETUP.EXE via DOS. He completing his studies during the hardware detection phase.
“I’ve got an idea for a fax-based ATM location system,” the entrepreneur explained. “I’ve been trying to call my friend from undergrad to bring him in on it, but the recording I keep getting says that pulse dialing isn’t supported.”
Innovation is a common theme for the now-emerging Windows 95 generation.
“As a woman in the movie rental space, I feel that the industry has been needing a fresh perspective for a while now,” said Lara Singh, 49, a former Blockbuster Video intern. “A movie rental delivery service might really put a crack in the glass ceiling.”
“There are endless possibilities to explore,” echoed one game designer specializing in modem-to-modem multiplayer RPGs. “Thank goodness, because my income from EDI consulting has all but dried up.”
Other, more seasoned professionals chose the improved operating system in hopes of pivoting careers.
“In business, you have to read the tea leaves sometimes,” said Vince Nelson, 63, who left his software engineering role in 1995 to pursue a Windows 95 installation. “This OS can be a great toolkit for building CD-ROM authorware.”
Eager to leverage the offering in creating multimedia training modules for large talent pools, Nelson intends to sell his technology to powerhouse firms like Washington Mutual and WorldCom, Inc.
He added: “It’s important to be assessing where you can make the greatest impact.”
These and other Gen-X visionaries now view their learning journey as beginning rather than ending.
“I still need to find a book or something to brush up on Turbo Pascal,” said another video game editor. “I’m sure Borders will have something.”
Borders Books was founded in 1971 by Tom and Louis Borders.