[dowager_dan99]

dial-up penetration in the mid-90's was still very thin, and high-speed access limited to universities and the biggest companies. Here's the numbers ChatGPT found for me:

* 1990s: Internet access was rare. By 1995, only 14% of Americans were online.

* 2000: Approximately 43% of U.S. households had internet access .

* 2005: The number increased to 68% .

* 2010: Around 72% of households were connected .

* 2015: The figure rose to 75% .

* 2020: Approximately 93% of U.S. adults used the internet, indicating widespread household access .

[icedchai]

Yes, it was thin, but 1995 - 96 was when "Internet" went mainstream. Depending on your area, you could have several dialup ISP options. Major metros like Boston had dozens. I remember hearing ISP ads on the radio!

1995 was when Windows 95 launched, and with its built in dialup networking support, allowed a "normal" person to easily get online. 1995 was the Netscape IPO, which kicked off the dot-com bubble. 1995 was when Amazon first launched their site.