Twelve Localized Language Versions of Windows 95 Released to Manufacturing

Microsoft Prepares for Launch of Windows 95 Worldwide

REDMOND, Wash. - Aug. 9, 1995 - Microsoft Corp. today released to
manufacturing 12 localized language versions of the Microsoft Windows 95
operating system. All 12 versions will be shipped simultaneously and are
scheduled to be available in stores worldwide the first week of September.
In an effort to support the growing global market, Microsoft plans to
release at least 30 localized language versions of Windows 95. Most of the
versions will be available by the holidays, and all versions are expected
to be available within six months of the U.S. ship date. This represents
both a significant decrease in development time as well as an increase in
the total number of languages offered. For Windows 3.1, Microsoft
delivered 24 localized versions over a period of two years.

"The international market is incredibly important to Microsoft," said Brad
Silverberg, senior vice president of personal operating systems division
at Microsoft. "We have put an enormous amount of time and effort into
preparing for the launch of Windows 95 and making Windows 95 a great
international product. A key part of that preparation is ensuring that
localized versions of the operating system are available to users
worldwide as soon as possible.

Microsoft has been adding to the level of support for international
languages and cultural conventions since design work began on the
operating system. The amount of language support of Windows 95 is
unprecedented."

Windows 95 has been released to manufacturing in the following 12
languages:

Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Pan European
(an English version with the capability to run Eastern European
applications), Portuguese (Brazilian and Iberian), Spanish and Swedish.
International Features Included in Windows 95

In both the Windows 95 and Windows NT operating systems, Microsoft has
included the National Language Support (NLS) API, which is a part of the
Win32 API set. This support adds functionality that provides solutions for
using software and exchanging documents around the world. Providing
international language support services in Windows 95 also makes it easier
for application developers to solve international language issues related
to presenting or manipulating information in their applications.

Included in the CD-ROM version of Windows 95 (all languages) is
multilanguage support, which lets many applications write text in not only
Western European but Eastern European languages. Multilanguage support
makes it easy to display and edit text of various languages in a single
document. Users can create and edit documents with content in multiple
languages and exchange these documents with users of other language
systems. For example, this feature is important within the European Union
where Greek and Latin-based languages must coexist in documents.

Users who want to run Eastern European applications, such as the Russian
version of Microsoft Excel, will need either the Russian version or Pan
European Edition of Windows 95. The Pan European Edition provides all the
benefits of multilanguage support in addition to extended keyboard support
for Eastern European locales.

Microsoft plans to release other localized versions of Windows 95 in the
following languages: Arabic, Basque, Catalan, Chinese traditional and
simplified (mainland), Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean,
Polish, Russian, Slovenian, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese
(English-enabled).

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of
products and services for business and personal use, each designed with
the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take
advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
 
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