Why did Windows 95 setup use three operating systems?

I always thought Windows (until 7) looked so lacking in polish around the edges compared to even the earliest versions of Macintosh system software -- especially during install, boot, crash, and shutdown. During boot, for example, even modern Windows boxes [correction: pre-EFI only] show a BIOS screen followed by a brief blinking cursor before the Windows graphics mode takes over. It was much worse in earlier versions.

The Macintosh screen never dropped you into a text-mode console, no matter what. Everything on the screen was graphics-mode, always -- and there weren't glaring design changes between system versions like in Windows (except at the Mac OS X introduction, which was entirely new).

Installing Macintosh system software onto a HDD was literally as easy as copying the System Folder. System installer programs did exist, but in principle all that was happening was optionally formatting the target drive and then copying System Folder contents. So simple. Of course there were problems and shortcomings, but the uncompromising design esthetic is noteworthy and admirable.

>During boot, for example, even modern Windows boxes show a BIOS screen followed by a brief blinking cursor before the Windows graphics mode takes over.

This hasn't really been the case for more than 10 years now. EFI based systems will boot without changing display modes. Some hobby custom PCs might have compatibility modes enabled, but any laptop or prebult system is going to go from logo to login without flickering.

There was never a text mode in macos until version 10.

Yes there was: MacsBug, and later there was OpenFirmware. But you wouldn’t get dropped into MacsBug or OF if the machine crashed or failed to start up.

That ability to copy system folders and macOS having generally not cared about what it’s booting off of was a lifesaver for both myself and the friends I’ve acted as tech support for several times over the years. It was a bit confusing when I discovered that Windows was nowhere near as forgiving in this regard.

It also has nothing to do with Windows. Apple controls both the hardware and the OS, Microsoft controls only the OS. If the OEM decides to have the system boot up in text mode, there's nothing Microsoft can do.

I somehow managed to avoid PCs and Windows as a kid – at home we went from Amiga > Acorn > Mac and my school was 100% Acorn.

I was always astonished going to friends' houses and watching them have to use DOS or Windows 3.1 and weird 5" disks. Just looked like it was from the past. Even Windows 95 looked terrible on boot with all the wonky graphics and walls of console text. I was convinced Windows would never catch on and Amiga or Acorn was the future as they were so much better.

There has never been a "true" text mode in any Mac hardware (except for situations where there is vestigial support in the hardware from the days of Intel on Mac, and I doubt that support was ever available for application use). Even Macsbug was ultimately drawing pixels to a framebuffer.

Microsoft has (had?) quite some power over OEMs and could set requirements on the system. A system not compatible to windows won't see much sales.

However Microsoft values compatibility, which probably is in conflict with requiring more.

Neither of those are part of the operating system.

It's easy to do things like that when you control the hardware end-to-end. Text mode makes perfect sense for BIOS that has to deal with so many different kinds of hardware, especially when you remember just how varied a mess graphics hardware has been on PCs well into late 90s.

Windows itself would generally assume the lowest supported hardware, so e.g. for Win95 the boot screen used VGA graphics mode (since the minimum requirement for Win95 UI itself was the VGA 640x480 16-color mode). BIOS had to assume less since it might have to find itself dealing with something much more ancient.

Microsoft does set such requirements, which is why today your typical Windows box with a "certified" sticker will boot directly into graphics mode.