Windows XP was released 20 years ago (24.10.2001). Happy 20th birthday to XP

[Nokiamies]

I have been waiting this day whole year. Windows XP turns in to 20 years old today. US launch was in 24.10.2021. Here video from it launch event

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KgOgjdY830

20 years really flew. XP was truly amazing piece of technogy and is still used thanks to MSFN. Today I will be only using Windows XP to celebrate it.

 

Maybe everyone should share some when started using XP, how liked from it and if is still using and do you have plan use it on future

 

Also funny note that XP is now old enough to legally buy strong alcohol drinks here

Edited October 24, 2021 by Mr.Scienceman2000

[Nokiamies]

I will tell how I ended up to it

I was using Windows 98FE quite while on dad computer until I got my own computer that had Pentium 4. It was custom build with Radeon 9800 (later Geforce 6800GT). First I was using Devils own Windows XP key and pirated CD before obtained legit XP pro CD and key. Devils own key was first XP key that leaked and was used by most pirated copies of XP. It was also showed on pic where guy had XP cd before launch with key written to CD-R. Nowadays I use genuine copy of XP

XP opened me into digital media and accessories like mobile devices, cameras etc. WIA was heaven compared TWAIN to me. Sure ME had WIA, but NT kernel was more stable on me. Also I loved new shiny themes it had inlcuding "Bozo the clown" theme. It had few bad things like WPA and XP did tasks it supposed to and was daily drive for longest from any OS 98 having second place.

When 2014 and XP eol data came I was surprised from hysteria. Everyone felt to think all hackers will hack all XP machines in day support end and staying on XP is stupid. One point I had break for using XP due life that point and needing of some annyoing software that needed newer OS. Later that was over thankfully and was able return to XP. After mozilla dropped XP support I though XP was done. I searched alternative browser and noticed Palemoon. I knew it was based on FF52 that was last working with XP and expected it to work with XP, but no. It was another we artificially block XP thing. Then I found Newmoon browser and later Mypal browser that proved they were lying that cannot run on XP. That point whole new world opened with XP to me.

 

I am using XP daily and got 2x XP machines. One is my first PC ever with Pentium 4 2.80ghz, P4P800 mobo, 4GB DDR400 ram, Gainward Geforce 6800GT AGP (matches geforce ULTRA) 2x1tb hdd and ESI Maya44 audio card. It is hooked to 17" Mitsubishi Diamondtron CRT.

Second is Hotrod XP machine with Intel Core I3 4330, 4GB ram, Nvidia 750 1gb, 2x1tb HDD, Sound Blaster Audigy RX, Happauge TV tuner, Radio card, Radar optimised Radio card to follow civil aircrafts. It got three widescreen HD monitors (20, 24 and 22 inch) and is beefiest thing ever.

I will likely keep using Windows XP for rest of my life. Going to Windows advertising edition (8 or newer) is not option and Linux can never replace XP due compability. If there is community to keep Symbian alive pretty sure XP will have it own community too

Edited October 24, 2021 by Mr.Scienceman2000

[Hunterw]

Oh man oh man. I really am old. I was using Windows ME at that time. A lawyer gave me a pirated copy of XP the next year I think. It was fascinating - that blue tinted drag window, the colors. The fact that it wouldn't crash ever. ME was fine, it was better than people say, but obviously half assed DOS support and slower than 98. But you knew if you ran it all day long you might get a BSOD, depending on what you were doing and how much you dared to have open at once. Not in XP land, no. XP would slow down but it just wouldn't crash. That was one thing I remember about it being different.

And now it is time for me to digress.

The future? Eh, not really sure. Windows 7 is...ugh...tolerable. But it's pretty bad. For me personally lack of certain video techologies like NVENC, x265, AV1 are a big drag in XP. It's also lame that new hardware just won't have drivers. So there's that performance cap. And let's be real, soon nothing new will run in it and eventually no browser will be worth fighting with on-line. So for me it's a schism. It's a beautiful OS, for me kinda the definitive Windows, if not 98/ME. But eventually I'll have to have one system to do actual work and the XP one will be for playing around in sandbox. That to me is very sad, but also to be expected.

[jaclaz]

I had to downgrade to XP from Windows 2000 ( to which I upgraded from NT.4.00, to which I upgraded from NT 3.51) at the latest possible time, I think around 2008 or so, to compensate, I use XP daily since.

Both of you don't sound like particularly old, considering that I was already working since quite a few years when Windows 3.0 came out, and soon after Win 3.1 and 3.11 for workgroups.

All we had was a 286 or maybe a 386 Sx, 1, 2 or maybe 4 MB of RAM ... and we liked it!

... kids today ...

https://tinyapps.org/blog/200702250700_why_in_my_day.html

jaclaz

 

[Nokiamies]

4 hours ago, Hunterw said:

The future? Eh, not really sure. Windows 7 is...ugh...tolerable. But it's pretty bad. For me personally lack of certain video techologies like NVENC, x265, AV1 are a big drag in XP. It's also lame that new hardware just won't have drivers. So there's that performance cap. And let's be real, soon nothing new will run in it and eventually no browser will be worth fighting with on-line. So for me it's a schism. It's a beautiful OS, for me kinda the definitive Windows, if not 98/ME. But eventually I'll have to have one system to do actual work and the XP one will be for playing around in sandbox. That to me is very sad, but also to be expected.

Hardware until hashwell can run XP. Openoffice still runs under XP.

More it is what you will choose. I chose use newer machine and linux to convert videos to H264, I wont browse internet lot outside small personal webpages and MSFN and who said you need latest versions from software. I am using dictonary software FROM 1992 still.

27 minutes ago, jaclaz said:

Both of you don't sound like particularly old, considering that I was already working since quite a few years when Windows 3.0 came out, and soon after Win 3.1 and 3.11 for workgroups.

All we had was a 286 or maybe a 386 Sx, 1, 2 or maybe 4 MB of RAM ... and we liked it!

... kids today ...

https://tinyapps.org/blog/200702250700_why_in_my_day.html

jaclaz

 

Well I am from generation that started computing with Windows 95/98 and took until XP era to have their own machine. I was not lot on computer as child, rather played in my room or outside with siblings or friends. I still spend lot time outside. I know lot from computers due my personal interest on history of computing and other technology. I used lot of time virtualising, programming and other instead of gaming and did server upgrade to college IT LAB before left it and I am working with tasks that are generally meant for higher and longer trained than me just fine.

So age really wont matter rather interest and experience. I had no way choose when I was born, neither does anyone else. I am surprised to see even kids today being interested from old tech and researching it.

PS. I got no 286 or 386 but I got 486DX2-66 I run Windows 3.11 WFW on. It also got internet connection using serial port and virtual PPP modem. I am also running Nokia 6110 from 1997 as day to day phone (I really wanted one back then) and got working Nokia 880 from 1995 so I am more into old stuff.

Edited October 24, 2021 by Mr.Scienceman2000

[Vistapocalypse]

Thanks for reminding me to wish my sister a Happy Birthday today.

[xpclient]

For fans of XP, be sure to read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_XP which I almost wrote in entirety (with some contribs from other Wikipedians).

A legendary OS and will always remain in my mind as the highest quality Windows (relative to its time of course, now it's obsolete in some ways). No later release impressed me as much as Windows ˣᵖ. I remember I had the FCKGW Volume licensed media before "launch day".  The icons blew me away. At least they made it to RTM unlike a certain recent lackluster regressive anti-customer hostile OS with ugly flat emoji.

Edited October 25, 2021 by xpclient

[Wunderbar98]

Live long ad prosper Windows XP. My first Windows was 98 SE in 1999. Around 2002 a carload of old hardware and some software was picked up from a guy who needed to quickly move out of province. This included Windows 2000 Pro and Windows XP Pro. Unfortunately the Windows XP disc was gouged and it was not possible to complete a proper install. So i used Windows 2000 for a while, then finally figured out a reasonable workaround to install Windows XP. Install Windows 2000 first, inplace upgrade to Windows XP. Damaged files that could not be copied from the Windows XP disc were skipped, the Windows 2000 install had most of these files anyway, then Service Packs and security updates fetched whatever (important) files were needed.

Windows XP is solid and will be used here for a long time. My better half uses it with a lot of favourite old graphic software (eg. PrintMaster Platinum, PrintMaster Gold). It's still possible to find used but decent working printers. It plays most of my old games, aside from DOS. It was still used last year for income tax preparation (fingers crossed). In 2006 my systems switched to GNU/Linux, and i won't upgrade Windows after XP, but most systems in the house still multi-boot something DOS or old Windows.

Edit: Wasn't Windows XP the last system Bill Gates was personally involved, maybe i'm wrong, didn't look it up.
Edited October 24, 2021 by Wunderbar98

[Dave-H]

I think he was involved with Vista too, but he probably doesn't talk about that too much!

[Nokiamies]

4 hours ago, Dave-H said:

I think he was involved with Vista too, but he probably doesn't talk about that too much!

Well he left MS two years after vista release. Perhaps he though leave sinking ship

[Nokiamies]

5 hours ago, Wunderbar98 said:

Live long ad prosper Windows XP. My first Windows was 98 SE in 1999. Around 2002 a carload of old hardware and some software was picked up from a guy who needed to quickly move out of province. This included Windows 2000 Pro and Windows XP Pro. Unfortunately the Windows XP disc was gouged and it was not possible to complete a proper install. So i used Windows 2000 for a while, then finally figured out a reasonable workaround to install Windows XP. Install Windows 2000 first, inplace upgrade to Windows XP. Damaged files that could not be copied from the Windows XP disc were skipped, the Windows 2000 install had most of these files anyway, then Service Packs and security updates fetched whatever (important) files were needed.

This reminded me from Windows 2000 pro sp3 CD I salvaged once. It had scratch that apparently broke boot sector and tour. System files and bootdisk creator were fine so was able copy it then use NTLITE to burn in back in as bootable. I do not like use floppies to install it so that helped

[kuja killer]

I personally want to stay with XP for rest of my life even if it sounds stupid. I had tried Win 7 before one time in my life and even after messing around for several days trying various "classic XP shells/themes" to try getting it to look and feel like XP as close as possible, it still wasn't perfect, especially how much "different" windows explorer is - the whole interface as a whole. I just plain did not like it at all.

I do not have any real technical problems or issues with XP to this day aside from "sometimes" getting a crash or BSOD here or there once in awhile.  once or twice a year on average. I still have access to my my needs and wants - like Steam (thanks to a thread posted here on this MSFN xp forum, slack (firefox version 90 spoof required), my gaming emulators, etc.

I've gone through a few computers in my lifetime, and i may consider getting a Dell Latitude E6420 next sometime. Only thing im concerned about is getting all the updates up to the 2014 April EOL via one of those youtube 2021 videos i've seen about it, "then" i can focus on copying over all my programs/years worth of settings, etc.

I'm perfectly comfortable staying on XP still.

Edited October 25, 2021 by kuja killer

[Nokiamies]

33 minutes ago, kuja killer said:

I personally want to stay with XP for rest of my life even if it sounds stupid. 

Well welcome to "stupid" XP user for rest of life club .

34 minutes ago, kuja killer said:

I had tried Win 7 before one time in my life and even after messing around for several days trying various "classic XP shells/themes" to try getting it to look and feel like XP as close as possible, it still wasn't perfect, especially how much "different" windows explorer is - the whole interface as a whole. I just plain did not like it at all.

I mostly use Windows 7 on deciated system as "modern" system to things like heavy render and some games and use XP as daily driver along with Windows 98. Windows 7 is way better option than win8+ but XP is better still for me. It UI made more sense and was more clear and offered to choose between classic start menu and new webby one, had classic and "Bozo the clown" theme and other.

40 minutes ago, kuja killer said:

I do not have any real technical problems or issues with XP to this day aside from "sometimes" getting a crash or BSOD here or there once in awhile.  once or twice a year on average. I still have access to my my needs and wants - like Steam (thanks to a thread posted here on this MSFN xp forum, slack (firefox version 90 spoof required), my gaming emulators, etc.

Last time I had BSOD on XP was due forcing non compatible driver. Only had some applications crashing but rarely needed reboot whole thing. Atleast it wont force update against my will to new build every so often and break all up unlike certain OS with two numbers and first is 1 and second is number before  1. I got DVR, Radio Scan, Radar, game support, emulation, office software, email support, multimedia support for my use cases and I could not be more happy with it. I can also sync my PDA (Nokia E90) with XP.

45 minutes ago, kuja killer said:

I've gone through a few computers in my lifetime, and i may consider getting a Dell Latitude E6420 next sometime. Only thing im concerned about is getting all the updates up to the 2014 April EOL via one of those youtube 2021 videos i've seen about it, "then" i can focus on copying over all my programs/years worth of settings, etc.

I got desktop mostly and my XP laptop is HP Compaq NC6320 and second is Fujitsu Siemens C1320 and few others. You do not need all updates. I only got SP3, POS IE updates for TLS 1.2, Exfat update, Windows installer and NET frameworks needed to tuner and other software

[Sampei.Nihira]

I have been using XP all my life, the last pc lasted 16 years but unfortunately it died a few months ago.
At my age (I'm 58) it's time to move on.

[kuja killer]

2 hours ago, Mr.Scienceman2000 said:

Well welcome to "stupid" XP user for rest of life club .

I mostly use Windows 7 on deciated system as "modern" system to things like heavy render and some games and use XP as daily driver along with Windows 98. Windows 7 is way better option than win8+ but XP is better still for me. It UI made more sense and was more clear and offered to choose between classic start menu and new webby one, had classic and "Bozo the clown" theme and other.

Last time I had BSOD on XP was due forcing non compatible driver. Only had some applications crashing but rarely needed reboot whole thing. Atleast it wont force update against my will to new build every so often and break all up unlike certain OS with two numbers and first is 1 and second is number before  1. I got DVR, Radio Scan, Radar, game support, emulation, office software, email support, multimedia support for my use cases and I could not be more happy with it. I can also sync my PDA (Nokia E90) with XP.

I got desktop mostly and my XP laptop is HP Compaq NC6320 and second is Fujitsu Siemens C1320 and few others. You do not need all updates. I only got SP3, POS IE updates for TLS 1.2, Exfat update, Windows installer and NET frameworks needed to tuner and other software

Ah wow, well first of all, thank you for the encouragment about us people here using XP, while most other people on other forums and stuff would be pretty not so nice about it.

Yea i realize i should serously consider the whole "dual boot" thing about having 1 part of the hard drive (or SSD) with XP, and the other part for Win 7 as backup. I've never tried that ever before in my life.  And i dont mean the "virtual box" or virtual mode or whatever it is in win7. I know it would make sense cause then i'd be able to at least play some games i'd want.

It does suck that i cant play a few types of games ...because they require "net framework 4.5" while XP only goes up to 4.0

And yea about the BSOD's thats basically my case. If one happens and i actually caused it myself, then i know im fine cause i at least know it's because I dont have a "dedicated video card" or some other reason like that. If it's something that randomly happens without me knowing what i did beforehand, then I may be in trouble. Which is extremely rare.

Hmm i see, yea I understand about not needing anything really after SP3, but i'd still like to be on the "safe side" just in case. Even though i always make sure to run Firefox, IE or any other web browsers through the program "sandboxie".

Edited October 25, 2021 by kuja killer