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There has never been a more well-known operating system than Windows XP. Windows XP is often linked to childhood memories or early work since it was released around the same time as desktop computers. Let’s look into what was so great about this operating system.
Windows XP Was in the Right Place at the Right Time
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Before we talk about the little things that made Windows XP unique, let’s quickly go over why it was such a big hit with customers. Windows XP was the first version of Windows that was all in one. Before that, two main Windows OS families were running at the same time: Windows 9xx, which was built on MS-DOS, and Windows NT, with Windows 2000 being the most well-known example. Every version of Windows for PC that came out after Windows XP was built on NT and also worked with MS-DOS software.
Many of the systems that came before Windows XP were good, but Windows XP was the best in every way. It didn’t need a lot of features, so most PCs could run it. Overall, it worked well, was stable, supported software, and had an easy-to-use layout. Mac OS X 10.0, which came out in 2001, wasn’t much of a threat to Windows XP because Windows was the most popular OS at the time. The best years of Apple were still to come, and Linux was never popular enough to make a difference.
It was also very stable with Windows XP. It had its last security update in 2014, which was 13 years after it was first launched. This operating system has been around for a long time because Windows Vista failed and Windows 7 needed much more powerful hardware. I had no problems with Windows XP until 2012. After that, I updated my PC and was able to run Windows 7.
The User Interface Was Excellent
Windows XP is disguised in Windows 11 in the form of many built-in apps and features. Windows XP is where many of our favorite tools, like Task Manager, Control Panel, and Command Prompt, were first released or made even better. The shape of them hasn’t changed much. If you opened the Control Panel on a PC running Windows XP, it probably felt more like home than the confusing Settings menu in Windows 10 and 11.
Also Read: The Best software for Windows 11 in 2023
Other parts of the interface, like the Start menu, Taskbar, Paint, File Explorer, and Windows (the ones you move around the screen), look and work like earlier versions of Windows. Aside from how it looks, I can’t think of any interface changes made in the last 20 years that I can say for sure are better than Windows XP.
Windows XP Had a Personality
Microsoft was mostly focused on the business market before the 1990s and early 2000s. When Windows XP came out in 2001, a lot of people were either just getting their first home computer or were already quite used to PCs. So, Microsoft did everything it could to make Windows more colorful, easy to use, and welcoming. They didn’t want people to think of computers as cold metal blocks that do computing but as everyday tech like TVs.
This is how we got the famous starting and shutdown sounds, the grassy hill and other famous backgrounds, Clippy, Rover, and many other built-in games. All of those little things added up to make an amazing experience for people of all ages. I miss Windows XP so much that just thinking about it makes me want to change Windows 10 to look like Windows XP.
Windows XP still runs on many devices
It’s been ten years since Windows XP stopped getting updates, but there are still about 5.5 million PCs online that are still running Windows XP. I think the real number might be even higher since many people who have an extra PC with Windows XP on it don’t connect it to their network for safety reasons. Anyway, who in their right mind would use an OS from 2001?
Unfortunately, even though Windows has done a great job with backward compatibility, many apps still don’t work right or at all on Windows 10 and 11. Because it was made for Windows XP and earlier versions, I had to go through a lot of trouble to get a car diagnostics tool for my old BMW to work on my Windows 10 laptop.
A huge reason people keep their old Windows XP PCs is to play old PC games. Most games from the time of Windows XP work fine in Windows 11, but some might not work right, especially if they need a CD or hard disk to play. For the least amount of trouble, it’s best to have a hard copy of the game and an old PC.
Plus, many hospitals, government offices, ATMs, and even military technology around the world still use Windows XP because their software was never changed to work with newer versions of Windows. It is important to switch to a newer, safer operating system, but some people are still not ready for the risky and expensive process.
