Memorable things about Windows XP RIP


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What are some of the memorable things you remember about Windows XP? I have too many to list, but I loved everything about Windows XP from the start up sound to the new luna theme etc! I am going to greatly miss XP!

Windows XP isn't really going anywhere, unless you let it go.

It will still operate --- you just won't get Updates.

Some games and apps won't even function on XP anymore and no longer supported under minimum specs even. You will see a pop up mentioning not compatible with this OS version sometimes, especially with a lot of top tier games.

This also means that eventually you will not beable to update to the latest drivers. I know for Windows 2000 there are very few modern hardware that has working drivers for it anymore,...So XP will just be more and more useless every year. Less you maybe use older hardware and keep functionality limited but only a matter of time until Java,flash or services like Netflix won't function on it making even internet browsing difficult.

I remember the major security breaches, like the Blaster worm - simply connecting to the internet with an unpatched computer could bring a system to its knees. Then there was a horrible Luna theme and the animated characters, like the dog for searching. There was the new activation system which was overly sensitive, resulting in unnecessary calls to Microsoft support. And there was all the hardware that ceased to work.

The situation was much better after a couple of security packs and the explosion in the skinning community.

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I remember wanting XP when my family were on Win 98 SE, lol.

Then I finally got XP in 2004, a month before XP SP2 was released, and boy it's greatly improved over 98 SE. I liked the Royale theme - added luster to the old Luna theme.

I first got XP Home (no Office) in July 2004, then XP Pro and Office 2003 in April 2005.

Memories about XP:

  • The selection of high quality visual styles. Back in the day when I still cared for customising Windows. This very forum was sort of a central hub for the XP customisation scene.
  • Bringing the NT kernel to the consumer space.
  • Going 'WTF?' when I saw the first screenshot of the Luna VS - which was on Neowin I believe.
  • Having to support it 11 1/2 years after it RTM-ed. Although to be fair, my employer is phasing out the remaining XP machines in the near future.

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I wrote on article on its new features: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_XP :D Hundreds of them. Whoever says it was Windows 2000 with a Luna theme has no clue what he is talking about.

My most memorable thing about XP was the fact that it actually worked with out crashing, ever!! Of course it was W2K that brought the NTFS file system into play, but that wasn't made for every day users, but was still killer.

In fact,

I don't think I've had a computer lock up, hang, or get a BSOD since W2K!! Of course also, I NEVER used that total POS Vista either!!

That's what my employer says, XP ain't going anywhere but on our computers.

This. We're still running XP here as well. Not to mention IE 7. Ugh.

- I've missed running Getskinned.org for a long time. Wish I never gave it up.

- 3DCC for a very simple look.

The themeing community, seems like everything around that time was skinned. It was great everything could be customized. All of that pretty much stopped when vista came out and is now almost non existent.

I remember skinning Windows XP to match Winamp so it could match the background and so on...

Its beta stage got me here, to Neowin! That time was one heck of a memorable experience!

And it's far from being RIP for me, coz I still have to use it at work every day. As a matter of fact, I'm typing this on a Windows XP machine.

Memories about XP:

The selection of high quality visual styles. Back in the day when I still cared for customising Windows. This very forum was sort of a central hub for the XP customisation scene.

In my eyes there was only one XP visual style worth a damn.

Luna Element. :wub:

I'm rather upset Tornado5 doesn't do any Windows 7 or Windows 8 themes. I'm fairly certain I would take the time to mod my setup if he did.

This was my XP desktop the morning I blew it away for the last time before installing Vista:

post-420821-0-10956800-1365509863.jpg

Ah Luna Element, that was a fantastic XP theme that should have been default with all installs.

The customisation scene died with Vista, skinning and theming went away, partly because it was more difficult and partly because many people were happy with Aero, the only real changes necessary in Vista were to make a maximised window transparent rather than black at the top.

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