It’s often taken for granted that when you plug hardware into your computer  a mouse, a zip drive or a Firewire cable, for example  your computer will recognize what that device is and react accordingly. But that function doesn’t happen through magic. Believe it or not, before the release of Windows 95, the user had to inform the computer when plugging in a device. The ability for plug and play, as the operation is called, was one of the main innovations Windows 95 offered to users of the operating system.

Plug and play is actually a generic term for the operation of plugging devices into a computer that recognizes the action. Plug and Play, also known as PnP, is the specific Microsoft feature for its Windows operating systems. Although the two plug and plays are similar, PnP describes Microsoft’s standards for the activity of plugging and playing. In other words, a computer may be plug and play compatible, but it might not be PnP compatible, which is a Windows term.

In order for a computer to be PnP compatible, the operating system must also be compatible. In addition, the basic input/output system must support PnP and the device being plugged in must be PnP compatible. Despite being seemingly Microsoft-specific, other computer companies have installed similar plug and play operations into their systems.

Most recently, the computer industry has created a standard for all computers called the Universal Plug and Play, or UPnP. Although Microsoft initiated it, the feature is available for all computers and devices. Standardization was the goal for Microsoft, as is understandable. While Microsoft used to lead the pack resoundingly, there are many other companies vying for market share, so it’s important for devices to be recognized regardless of the manufacturer. Perhaps the next time you plug your camera into your laptop to upload pictures, you’ll remember the rich history of that action.