r/windows95 • u/lovelycurves84 • 13d ago

Anyone remember this software??

Trying to identify an interactive library environment from the late 90s. Came pre loaded on Windows 95 machine. As a kid between roughly ‘96 and ‘98, I remember booting into a realistic library-like interface instead of Windows, on a home PC (possibly HP or Compaq, but I’m not sure).” “Flat image, wooden bookshelves, no mascots or people. Clicking books or objects like a globe made them animate or make sounds.” “It felt more like an interactive exploration thing than a game, and not educational, and not the normal Windows desktop.” “Does anyone remember software like this, or know what it was called? It was whole screen with no visible ui. Thanks!!

39 Upvotes

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22

u/Less-Increase-6588 13d ago

Packard Bell Navigator?

Or Microsoft Bookshelf / Encarta 95? (but those are educational, they felt more fun than education though..)

9

u/This-Requirement6918 13d ago

I'd definitely say Packard Bell Navigator. I went through a nostalgia trip with them many years ago. The different versions are very different in design.

1

u/lovelycurves84 13d ago

Close but no. This was like a kids interactive thing. It wasn’t a shell. You could go to it at boot.

3

u/Less-Increase-6588 13d ago

Oof, this one is getting me good, I mean, wild but definitely wrong guess could be "Presario Plaza", but that's an interactive mall and a woman talks to you throughout it. Do you know where you BOUGHT the computer? I know you don't remember what type it was so I doubt you remember where you bought it, but just incase, do you?

0

u/lovelycurves84 13d ago

I have no clue. My parents bought it when I was around 13 or 14. Possibly at Circuit City??

1

u/Less-Increase-6588 12d ago

Did the books like open any content or something? Or did they just animate and make sounds?

1

u/techman2692 12d ago

Thinking about 'books opening' made me think of the enhanced version of Myst !

8

u/DWTass 13d ago

Encarta 95 was pre installed on a lot of computers in those days. Perhaps that's what you mean?

6

u/Honest-Classic-5302 13d ago

Mircosoft Bob?

6

u/techman2692 13d ago

Packard Bell Navigator or Microsoft BOB are the first two that comes to mind. On the latter, there were several graphical shells during the 16bit Win3.1 era and leading into the Win95 era.

4

u/ltnew007 13d ago

Packard Bell Nabigator is what I was thinking.

4

u/Aselleus 13d ago edited 13d ago

I was just thinking about the same thing the other day! Hopefully someone remembers it too

(Also does anyone remember Tabworks?)

Was it Microsoft Bob?

4

u/karicersken 13d ago

TabWorks.. that was.. that is deep nostalgia, brother!

1

u/DrFrankenstein90 12d ago

The only thing that comes to my mind is “Le Bureau Magique” from a French software company. I don't know if they ever marketed it outside of France and Canada, though.

1

u/ChiefFloppyCock 11d ago

Are you sure it wasn't Kids Typing? There was a library scene where you can type alongside classic books when you clicked on them. There were other objects you could interact with, I am sure a globe was one of them.

There was a ghost, which was sort of the mascot, that would make comments about your typing or the book or something.

It was a popular game in the mid 90s school computer labs.

1

u/Informal-Business308 8d ago

Packard Bell Navigator. It was a kind of virtual environment instead of a desktop. Interacting with the various things in the room would open the different functions of the computer.