The Windows 95 Boot screen (actually from the OSR-2 version, the original does not have that stupid "Microsoft Internet Explorer" text.).

The Windows user interface has, once again, been completely revamped. This time it actually makes some sense. Not much, but some. There is also much more to Windows 95 than other versions, and is more than I could possibly show with a few screen shots, but here are some highlights:

In Windows 95, the window controls, located in the upper right of each window, have a new look. The system box now displays a small icon, and a "close" button has been added. Dialog box controls such as check boxes, option buttons, and text boxes all now have a 3D look to them.

The Program Manager has been replaced by an application called Windows Explorer.

The Windows desktop is no longer just for minimized programs, it may now contain files and folders, as well as certain system icons. The system icons, which are normally on the Windows 95 desktop are "My Computer", "Network Neighborhood" (if networking is present) , and "Recycle Bin". The briefcase is a special type of folder, and the other icons are just pointers to other programs.

"Inbox" is a shortcut Microsoft Exchange (AKA Windows Messaging), a Mail and Fax program.
"The Internet" is a shortcut to Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Installation of this application is mandatory unless you installed from the 14-disk floppy disk version.
"The Microsoft Network" or a shortcut to its setup is advertising for Microsoft's own Internet-like service.
"Online Services": Found in the SR-2 versions of Windows 95, this is advertising for other on-line service providers.

Windows Explorer, by default, displays open folders as cascading windows. Folders may be dragged and dropped on the desktop, in other folders, or program icons.

The Recycle Bin is actually a special folder that stores files until the user chooses to empty it.

The task bar at the bottom of the screen replaces the minimized icons floating around on the desktop and puts them back in a controlled area, like Windows Version 1.x.

The new "Start" menu can be annoying at times. If I want to play solitaire I would click Start, then Programs, then Accessories, then Games, then Solitaire. If I closed the application and wanted to re-open it, I would have to go through the same thing again.

This is a step backwards from Program Manager which kept the last accessed program group on top. Of course, an advanced user could create a shortcut to the application on the desktop or add it to the top of the main start menu.

The Windows Explorer also includes the ability to display network resources as folders. Sharing resources can be done through the Windows Explorer.

In previous versions of Windows, the user interface revolved around programs. A user would start a program, work on a document, and then save it somewhere. Windows 95 reverses this concept with the ability to create new documents in a folder on the desktop and  then open them. This results in a more document-oriented interface.

The Windows help system has also been changed significantly. The Windows Help application is basically the same as the one in Windows 3.0, but the style of help files created by Microsoft has changed. Now the help window will jump around, resize, or even close when you click on buttons or hyper links. The idea is that it conserves desktop space, letting the user read the help and use the application at the same time. In practice, it makes users dizzy.

Windows 95 also comes with an optional dial-up networking application that supports NetBeui, IPX and TCP/IP protocols over Point-to-Point-Protocol.

The CD-ROM versions of Windows 95 force you to install this application for no reason. Microsoft Internet Explorer is ripped off from NCSA Mosaic.

The Windows 95 OSR-2 user interface and the original are mostly the same. The main differences in OSR-2 are MS-DOS 7.10 with FAT 32, bugfixes, Personal webserver, mandatory IE 3, OpenGL screen savers, "Imaging" applications, and "Windows Messaging" in place of Exchange.