Nostalgia for XP sells out Microsoft's 2023 'Windows Ugly Sweater'

Microsoft has once again reminded us of a time when its operating systems only drove us three-quarters around the bend, by issuing the latest Windows Ugly Sweater that features the default Bliss wallpaper of Windows XP. We at Vulture Central are big fans of the Windows Ugly Sweater, although possibly not for the reasons …

[MJI]

Teletubbies

They are missing.

Eh-oh

[GlenP]

Re: Teletubbies

I was at one of the UK launch events for XP (not sure how I got an invite). It only took a few seconds from the image being displayed to the product being dubbed Tellytubby Windows.

[b0llchit]

Of course sold out

Have you seen the landscape presented on that sweater? You can no longer find that kind of nice landscape in the real world. No wonder everybody wants one of these sweaters. It is to enjoy once again the vision and perils of a clean relaxing environment just before it comes crashing down on you.

[Sceptic Tank]

Re: Of course sold out

Had I designed the ladies' sweaters I would have put some Start buttons on the tops of those hills.

[sabroni]

Re: Had I designed the ladies' sweaters.....

Ha ha ha! Because women have breasts!

Saucy but hilarious!

[43300]

Re: Of course sold out

The grass in the Windows XP wallpaper looks like either astroturf or something which has been drenched with week killer. Definitely not a 'nice landscape'.

[phuzz]

Re: Of course sold out

It's a real photograph of a hill covered in grass, which had grown since vineyards had been removed. It's that shade of green because of the weather at the time, and possibly because of the film used, but it's not been touched up or photoshopped.

These days the vines have been replanted.

[43300]

Re: Of course sold out

That's as maybe, but as there appear to be no other plants among the grass there has clearly been some heavy herbicide use there!

[JWLong]

Re: Of course sold out

I happen to live on the Palouse where the original image was shot. Microsoft bought and paid for the entire field of WHEAT, then spray painted it green for effect.

[phuzz]

Re: Of course sold out

Why let reality get in the way of a good story eh? Still, you have to admit, it's pretty forward thinking of Microsoft, doing all that for a photo taken in 1996, before they'd even released Win98, let alone XP.

[Johannesburgel12]

Re: Of course sold out

> I happen to live on the Palouse where the original image was shot. Microsoft bought and paid for the entire field of WHEAT, then spray painted it green for effect.

Troll harder.

[JWLong]

Re: Of course sold out

Re: Of course sold out

> I happen to live on the Palouse where the original image was shot. Microsoft bought and paid for the entire field of WHEAT, then spray painted it green for effect.

Troll harder.

What I'm I trolling, I stated a fucking fact you moron!

Now, take your bot app back to the outhouse where it belongs.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Of course sold out

All that homogenised well trimmed grass.

That is not a natural landscape at all.

It looks like the produce of pastoralism but that's looking with British eyes.

[Johannesburgel12]

Re: Of course sold out

You should go out more. Plenty of places in the world look like this. I actually took a very similar image in Bulgaria about ten years ago.

[Rob]

I'll stick to getting a Jim'll Paint It version which is a fair bit cheaper and more entertaining.

[Captain Scarlet]

Yes got an Ainsley Harriot one, but was delayed and came through to late for the christmas party that year, which was a shame.

Wore it last year though

[wolfetone]

Indeed.

His Teletext one was rather nice, although sold out before I got the money together for one.

[William Towle]

> I'll stick to getting a Jim'll Paint It version which is a fair bit cheaper and more entertaining.

https://creativechair.org/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/doc-root/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Teletubbie-1.jpg.webp possibly?

^{(Teletubbies rather than the desktop background, admittedly)}

I'd forgotten about the former employer that went with Jim'll Paint It images for the break room wall ... Fred Dibnah vs Sauron, notably :)

[Craig 2]

Next year's Windows 8 ugly sweater will try and double between a sweater and a coat and fail at both.

[phuzz]

If this year's was from XP, surely next year will be Vista?

I'll leave what the image should be up to your imaginations...

[DJO]

55 percent cotton and 45 percent acrylic

So it's multi-threaded.

[MSArm]

Well done Microsoft, another winner

I would willingly sell my house, my car and all my possessions to buy one of these.

(Adaption from not the nine o'clock news)

[MarkB]

I'd rather have the Ugly T-shirt from Gibson's "Zero History"...

[C. P. Cosgrove]

re: Teletubbies

I always quite liked the default XP wallpaper, technically it's a pretty good photo.

But I always felt it needed something coming over the hill even if only Indian war bonnets as per traditional horse operas. Instead, about four years ago with more time on my hands one morning than was good for me I did a pretty quick and dirty Photoshop job and, Lo ! It turns out I was a trendsetter and didn't know it ! TeleTubbies, anyone ?

I still have it in my collection of preferred wallpapers and even run it occasionally. Sad, isn't it ?

Chris Cosgrove

[6th]

Re: re: Teletubbies

Especially sad due to the superior desktop background: Prairie Wind.