Pc Users Waver On Buying Windows 95

More than 90 percent of U.S. households that have a personal computer have heard of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 95 but more than half say they are unlikely to buy it, according to a survey released Tuesday by a technology research firm.

The results suggest Microsoft’s $200 million advertising campaign made consumers aware of the Windows 95 program, which runs the basic functions of a computer and sells for about $100. Getting them to buy it appears to be another matter.

The research by Odyssey Ventures Inc. of San Francisco comes amid other signs that Windows 95 isn’t meeting the expectations of some forecasters.

Earlier this week, Dataquest Inc. lowered its estimated sales of Windows 95 from 20 million to 16 million copies by the end of the year. The product went on sale on Aug. 24. Dataquest’s original estimate was one of the most liberal for the product.