14 DAY TRIAL // Windows XP was undoubtedly one of the most successful operating systems in history, and this is the reason some people out there are still running it these days.
Windows XP was launched in 2001 and retired in 2014, so it’s definitely surprising that so many users stick with it these days, more than 5 years after it officially got the ax. According to NetMarketShare data, Windows XP is still running on 1.37% (October 2019 numbers) of devices worldwide, and this is more than the entire userbase of Linux combined.
Windows XP was a super-advanced product for its time, so it’s no wonder that it quickly became the number one desktop operating system after launch. The feature lineup itself was impressive, to say the least, and it tackled the need of both consumers and business users.
As a matter of fact, Windows XP was available in several versions, but even the Home Edition included substantial improvements that positioned it as the preferred choice for so many users.
While the portfolio of features that Windows XP brought to the market was impressive, there are three major additions that I consider to be particularly notable for consumers, especially in the modern Windows era.
Themes
Themes aren’t necessarily a concept that was completely new to Windows XP, but on the other hand, the 2001 operating system pushed it to a new level.
And because desktop customization wasn’t a very popular thing at that point, the advanced theme support paved the way for something that today has become a must-have: options that allow users to tweak the operating system in a manner that better adapts to their needs.
No matter if we’re talking about third-party or first-party themes, the visual styles in Windows XP have certainly played a key role in the overall success of this product. Software like WindowsBlinds pushed the customization even further with more changes, while third-party themes allowed for custom sounds and mouse cursors in just one package.
Without a doubt, the essence of each theme was the wallpaper, and both the original Bliss wallpaper and its custom versions have become a defining component of Windows XP.
Driver rollback
At a time when system stability was quite an issue, options to roll back drivers proved to be an extremely handy addition to the Windows XP feature arsenal.
With this tool, users were able to simply uninstall drivers of any device connected to their computers, which in most of the cases actually resolved the stability problems that I was talking about.
Of course, with the number of computers connected to the Internet much smaller than it is today, driver rollback was more or less just a half-baked feature, as not everyone was able to search online for new drivers to resolve the bugs they experienced.
Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance
Windows XP was the very first Windows versions that actually made it possible to repair your grandpa’s computer without necessarily having to be in front of the device.
Remote Desktop and Remote Assistant built-in allowed for users to connect to other workstations remotely, and this came in handy not only for companies and support desks, but also for consumers for occasional fixes on their other devices. At that time, the need for remote administration was mostly tackled by third-party software, but a solution integrated at system level obviously was a lot more useful.
Looking at where Windows is today, it’s pretty clear that Windows XP played a major role in the modern evolution of the operating system. And the features described here built the foundation of more advanced tools that are still there in Windows and helping people get stuff done anytime, anywhere.