Bliss - The Story of Windows XP’s Famous Default Wallpaper

[@MichaelMJD]

Thank you for watching my last video for 2021! This is so far the largest project I've ever worked on, and the first time I've traveled somewhere for the sole purpose of capturing footage for a video. Months of work went into this, and I am very grateful to have received the overwhelming amount of support and feedback from you all. I hope to make some more videos like this in 2022, sprinkled in with the style of content I usually make. A huge thanks for (almost) 250K subscribers! : )

[@fart1234.]

HELL YEAH I'M FIRST

[@ramez365]

Damn, I'm second. This is such an insightful video about a wallpaper we grew up with. The most iconic wallpaper ever👍

[@JayCeeCreates]

MICHAEL FINALLY GOT OUT OF HIS SHED

[@OptimusMonk01]

Who cares about the Bliss wallpaper? What we really want to know is what happened to the original theme they used in beta before switching to Luna at the last minute, the watercolor theme or whatever it was called.

[@catbloxer]

I'm didn't know there was so much history about the Bliss wallpaper

[@carykh]

Nothing will ever elicit the feeling of "a carefree day" quite as well as Bliss did. Kinda ironic that a pest infestation was needed to allow Bliss to happen!

[@HeidenLam]

I didn't know you watch Michael too; and indeed Bliss was an ironic photograph of its kind

[@AustriaColorised]

seems that cary kinda happy

[@iwaju9227]

huh

[@rowan64official]

wait a minute

[@rowan64official]

i know you

[@disasterocks]

It's channels like this I enjoy due to the depth and detail they go into to explain something and make sure it doesn't get lost in history.

[@FoogleFox]

Yeah, I really enjoyed this video, such a iconic image. This video really was good!

[@arnox4554]

Really makes me want a video on why we all care so damn much about XP besides nostalgia. I mean, I know why, personally, but in this era where OSes like Windows 11 get released and are called """finished""", I think it would be be good for all of us to rediscover what an actual quality OS looked like and why people keep bringing up old Windows OSes like XP and 7 even though both are more than a decade old at this point.

[@sassymenses]

@@arnox4554 looks like you really don't know what you're talking about. First release of Windows XP without any service pack (aka SP0) was unusable crappy piece of bugs and crashes, until sp1 came out. Yeah, finished OS my ass...

[@CaptainYoshee64]

I can definitely agree.

[@arnox4554]

@@sassymenses SP2 fixed major security holes, yes, but beyond that, the OS itself was actually great and didn't actually need SP1. It also ran ridiculously efficiently, came with lots of features considering its size, didn't shove updates down your fucking throat, and, you know, actually respected your privacy and user settings. Plus there were actual good reasons for it being released in the first place. If you don't believe me, look at what reviewers were saying about it when it first released. The most egregious thing about it at the time was the new licensing system and MAYBE the lack of support for MS-DOS programs.

[@hecdavid11]

I was already inevitably smiling for a full 30 minutes and then... "They're both Mac users". I wheezed. I laughed out loud. Thank you for this, Michael. This was a beautiful retrospective and analysis. I will forever cherish that photograph as my first OS was XP and I remember the sheer happiness upon powering up that desktop and watching those bright colors in the screen.

[@TheEDFLegacy]

XP was one of my favourite OS's, but it certainly wasn't my first; my first was DOS, the second was a DOS-based GUI, and finally Windows 3.1, 95, 98, XP, 7, and 10.

[@TheEDFLegacy]

As for the Mac reference... I mean... Macs were (and are) known as specialist multimedia creation OS's, so I can see them using it. 😁

[@thedeerguy7579]

IRONY

[@Diwasho]

Well, of course a photographer would use a Mac. People in the photo and video editing industry use Macs almost exclusively because they provide top notch calibration that allows you to see the most accurate rendition of your work, exactly how it would appear on print. Windows' calibration options are quite bad by comparison. I'm not even an Apple product user, let alone a Mac one, but credit where the credit is due.

[@hecdavid11]

@@Diwasho Absolutely! It makes total sense. It's just the context that makes it hilarious hahaha

[@codymccormick7317]

I’ve never really thought about how inviting that hill is, imagine laying there and watching the clouds go by

[@qwertyuiip9132]

Omg this is my dream!

[@Stablepaper]

@@qwertyuiip9132 so is my dream :')

[@WhiteStripesStripiestFan]

My dream 🤸

[@catchyname58]

Whenever i look the wallpaper, same thing comes to my mind, lying there watching clouds go by, running around the hill

[@ionelmanoliu768]

Someone needs to buy that place and make it to look exactly how it used to look when Charles did the picture. It needs to be preserved.

[@matthewhackbarth9507]

"After installing /every single/ development build we have access to..." That is some dedication. Bravo!

[@MichaelMJD]

Thank you Matthew!

[@thatoneuser5066]

Honestly it takes less than 10 minutes to install on a VM running on modern hardware.

[@ilektrokioydio]

@@thatoneuser5066 People appreciate things, but it seems like it is too much for you. I know it takes 10 minutes to install a build but there are about 10 of them so it is some dedication.

[@FrxdWasHere]

@@ilektrokioydio dam, almost 2 hours of installing…

[@ilektrokioydio]

@@FrxdWasHere Actually, after installing one, it actually takes more time, like 20 minutes each or something. And you also wanna install VMware Tools which is essentially the drivers for the virtual machine to work properly, so it is about 25 minutes each. So, yeah... Almost 5 hours. And he has to write it down (what the build is and if it has Bliss, etc), so if he makes the spreadsheet while installing the builds it is even more complicated.

[@JayCeeCreates]

It's the tech community that vows to preserve the ancient relics of modern computing, and somehow a single photograph being remembered as the most viewed one is a merit of it's own, such community knew they had to preserve the history of it. Charles O'Rear is still strong to this day, a life to tell the story of how one single photograph of a vineyard changed the lives of many people forever. This should not fade away from the history books. And I was today years old when I found out O'Rear, who approached directly to Microsoft for the photograph, was using an Apple device.

[@musiclove6237]

A lot of creative professionals in general use Macs (especially back in the 90s), they were more stable for stuff like music production and graphic design. Brian Eno and Stan LePard used Macs for their Windows music/sounds, and even Matthew Bennett who worked in-house used one.

[@TheReaper-fq6yv]

Microsoft doesn't have any "device". Or at least not a "device" that is popular as HP, ASUS, Apple, etc

[@iwillattainmyredemption3028]

@@TheReaper-fq6yv Xbox?

[@redfromberk]

​@@TheReaper-fq6yvid say consoles, xbox. and what they lack in devices they have in software/buying in the game market

[@sonichero]

I never knew there was so much more to that simple wallpaper, for the longest time I didn’t even think it was real it looked too perfect. I loved hearing this story, it was so well made thanks so much.

[@MrJ0mmy]

yeah i thought the photo was fake like it was made using some photo editing software

[@Ferrichrome]

As a kid I thought it was fake too

[@MilivojusAndVeljkoS]

Whenever I look at Bliss, I never look at it as a real photo, I see it as an entrance to another world, the same way XP was a gateway to my imagination. As a child I always thought there was more to it than that hill, I thought that behind it there was a vast open green field surrounded by similar green hills, maybe a pond or a river close by, with birds quietly singing in the background, always sunny and quiet, open to explore and relax in. It always gave me that sense of familiarity and it felt like home.

[@MuhammadAli-gv2km]

You described the feeling of my childhood exactly too

[@arishemthejudge6780]

exactly my feeling, this photo really does feel like an escape from the real world. although i didnt think it that deep back then, i totally used to imagine that wherever this place was, it was just an endless stretch of lush green fields, and there is something so captivating about it. if i could visit such a place, HELL YEAH i would.

[@aaz1992]

That's the feeling I get, too

[@FrozenPantiezzz]

@@arishemthejudge6780 I live 10 minutes away, half the year it's awesome looking!

[@Seanasaurus7560]

@@FrozenPantiezzzisn’t like a vineyard now?

[@jstered]

“They are both Mac users.” Is absolutely, positively the best ironic way to end this video. Alll this journey, his life’s work, the photo itself becoming recognizable by billions, only for dude to probably never even have used his own photo as his background for his desktop. Incredible work for such a niche topic.

[@soulz0387]

Bliss will always be an iconic figure in our life. The one picture being slightly modified changed the entire world.

[@NaraSherko]

No

[@catbloxer]

Yes, I it is :D!

[@soulz0387]

@@NaraSherko yes

[@NaraSherko]

@@soulz0387 No

[@HistoricalOlive]

Yes

[@ohokay4663]

I feel so happy about it being a vineyard again for some reason. Like she took a little self care break, got a photo taken, and went right back to doing what she was meant to do.

[@renerpho]

Yes, indeed. Phylloxera killed about 70% of all vine in Napa Valley, but the industry recovered over the two decades that followed. The bug didn't go away (and it can still cause trouble if it isn't dealt with), but we found ways to mitigate the impact. I wonder what that reminds me of...

[@roeljude3289]

Could also be the opposite tho xD

[@TheDoctorofOdoIsland]

The hill being turned back into a vineyard is likely the only reason the location is still recognizable. If it had been abandoned to wild growth, the shape would have been changed by trees.

[@WK-NDR]

Now if I could only manifest that for myself 😤

[@hilariousskullnamedcatzo647]

"IM DYING" **photo snap** "Ahh freedom"

[@tombuck]

The idea that people were driving by that hill, maybe even having wondered about it but not realizing it, gave me chills. Absolutely awesome video.

[@GDtechxd69]

No replies? Ill fix that

[@Codenomics_ACTL]

I drove by it countless times and never knew that was THE wallpaper!

[@mattdavis255]

Masterful storytelling. I did not think I would react as emotionally to this as I did, but it's clear that you have a gift for finding beauty in things we may pass or look at everyday, just like Charles O'Rear did when he first shot that iconic photo over two decades ago.

[@paulh2981]

The mundanity of the subject is in stark contrast with the epic production values. Every aspect of creation of this video is absolutely top-notch. You actually made me tear up a little toward the end. If someone had told me 20 years ago "You'll watch a 35 minute video about a photo of a low hill with nothing on it but grass, and love it" I'd have bet my right arm to a donut they'd be wrong. You covered so many elements with this--art, history, adventure, drama, even a little philosophy. I bet if people watch this in 50 or 100 years they'll think the same thing.

[@SmeddyTooBestChannel]

I used to think that the Bliss location looking nowhere near as picturesque nowadays meant that it was a once spotless place that aged badly, but as it turns out, it's the opposite! It was an unassuming place that had the perfect picture taken at the perfect time.

[@Halophotographystudio]

Loved this and almost got teary-eyed. I've probably never looked at an image as long as I have this one and I'm a photographer. It deserves to be recognised and I for one would by a print of it.

[@Jacobhopkins117]

The ending to this nearly had me in tears. My childhood was in the XP era. I remember staying up late countless nights at a friends house modding Halo 2 on the original Xbox using tools on an old HP Pavilion desktop. Simpler times. Thank you for the incredible work here. Hell of a way to end 2021.

[@Pidalin]

XP was the best windows, stable, fast and reliable. I think later Windows versions were worse, even Win 7 is not so stable, you lost power few times and there is neverending boot repair, same thing can still happen even in Win 10. When XP boot failed, you just typed fixboot and fixmbr to command line and like 90% of all boot problems were solved. This still somehow worked with Win 7, but today with Win 10 when it fails, you can't save it, you just have to do system restore or completely clean installation. Also, XP can run many weeks without turning it off and it's still fast, Win 7 must be restarted at least once in week or it's getting slow.

[@zlette]

I have Bliss set as my wallpaper, it's just as beautiful as I remember it. The fact you flew to see Bliss in it's origin is beyond amazing, you didn't have to fly out to just see a hill. Heh, it's not just any ordinary hill, obviously. Thanks for documenting such a memory in our lives, along with it's origin story! This hill will never leave our hearts.

[@catchyname58]

i never though a wallpaper would become a beautiful memory for me

[@AS42100]

I have my laptop wallpaper set to Bliss. :)

[@TheEmeraldSword04]

I'm not even a quarter of the way through the video, and I feel like setting my Windows 10 wallpaper to the Bliss field in its modern state.

[@liamsz]

I’m 100% gonna do that I actually feel kinda sad that I moved to macOS now, but my desktop windows pc will have bliss and a modern Luna theme for the foreseeable future :)

[@wtfcomments2585]

I put as my wallpaper for everything computer, phone, tv screensaver

[@htf5555]

fitting

[@jnardloubenz1409]

I just re skinned my windows 10 to look like XP with an HD copy of bliss wallpaper even before watching this video hehe

[@logyyyyyy123]

LMAO I JUST DID THAT?? MAN I DON'T HAVE AN ORIGINAL EXPERIENCE

[@MrWarners14]

Even after seeing what Bliss has become in recent years, the transition from the old picture to the new footage was like seeing an old friend I haven’t seen in years. Thanks for the video. I have a new appreciation of the photograph. It’s a timeless work of art. It is truly bliss.

[@nnndddzzz1]

Lol probably no better words to describe it. As an old good friend returning after not seeing for decades 😊

[@ionelmanoliu768]

That' the vibe of describing what we saw! Your comment is so good!

[@yakkowarner753]

Heyyyy, am I an old friend you haven't seen in years, too?

[@simple_networks]

The “They are both Mac users” at the end made me laugh. A nice comic relief from all the nostalgia this video induced:)

[@account-pi3nj]

🤌

[@3need4ever]

Tell me about it. Such a wonderful video

[@memkakes1514]

Best joke I've seen this week

[@DavisMakesGames]

I could swear I've seen that vertical Bliss shot before. Specifically on my Windows Mobile 2003 PDA. I wonder if that is just a cropped shot of the landscape Bliss, or if the vertical one was used for this wallpaper after all? Great video!

[@cartler]

Same

[@Seraph.G]

Ugh, I gave mine away, or I would check!

[@SylveonTribe]

I'm pretty sure the vertical one was used in Media Center edition judging by the color of the sky in the picture

[@dexteritymaster]

I remember same, vertical was on Win Mobile 2003

[@Sonen10]

It was!

[@-10]

A late token of appreciation for this video and your channel. I recall watching it and enthusiastically discussing it with my father when it premiered. It would be our final new year together. Thanks for all your work.🥰

[@CalvinBensonOfficial]

i just watched someone talk about a browser background image for 40 minutes, and i loved it. this is a fantastic video!

[@MichaelMJD]

Thank you so much!

[@oleg..]

Windows is an Operating System.

[@CODMarioWarfare]

@@oleg.. MS did want you to believe that Internet Explorer 6 and Windows XP (specifically, its shell and file browser) were inseparable for antitrust reasons, though... but that’s a story for another day

[@MrSpasticdancer]

bliss is a perfect alignment of variables captured by a photographer who did not realise the significance of the passing moment until microsoft looked at it and immediately knew it was the perfect photo to go with their new os.

[@sucharekk]

"They were both Mac users" My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. Jokes aside, very good video 👍 Enjoyed it a lot :D Keep it up :)

[@ergwertgesrthehwehwejwe]

...were?

[@sucharekk]

@@ergwertgesrthehwehwejwe ye I guess

[@kareemelabkary7611]

it caught me off guard too 😂

[@Aki_the_unaware]

@@ergwertgesrthehwehwejwe 36:01

[@Aki_the_unaware]

That part got me laughing more than it needed to be

[@bjornroesbeke]

Travelling across the world for a hill. That's some dedication! I can't really say much about it except... I understand. Years ago, XP wasn't just an OS, it was my living environment.

[@DerpxGames]

This is literally the greatest video I’ve ever watched. I don’t think you understand this video literally has a staple in my mind I just love it so much. So detailed the story is so rich, it was written beautifully I love it. Thank you.

[@MichaelMJD]

Thank you so much for watching it!

[@jgagnier]

During a vacation, I once spontaneously said to my then-girlfriend: "Hey, these vineyards and landscapes look a lot like the Windows wallpaper, don't you think?" The idea stuck with me and upon arriving in Sonoma, I looked up where Bliss had been taken. Turns out I had been, at most, 1km away from the spot.

[@justinianthegreatandnerd6377]

cap, you never had a girl

[@JimmyBoosterCrate]

@@justinianthegreatandnerd6377 Projection, but don't worry, that dude is a grown man and you're probably a teen you have all the time

[@justinianthegreatandnerd6377]

@@JimmyBoosterCrate it's a meme 💀💀

[@JimmyBoosterCrate]

@@justinianthegreatandnerd6377 it is? I don't know it

[@Agent-ie3uv]

​@@JimmyBoosterCrateare you his speaker? You're more offended than the person lol 🤓🤓🤓

[@jacksimone3093]

As a 16 year old who is interested in computing and tech I wasn’t around for the launch of windows xp, it yet was the first operating system I ever used and enjoyed. I always thought the bliss wallpaper was something Microsoft photographed and refined themselves, it appears there is a whole story behind it that everyone doesn’t even for a second think about. Well Done Michael you videos really do teach and inspire others.

[@0165Akkiboi]

Me eleven years lol

[@jasimaneesahamed1033]

Man same here... The first OS I ever used in my entire life was *Windows XP*

[@jasimaneesahamed1033]

@seraphim I am a 16-year old btw, and as I said *The first OS I ever used in my entire life was Windows XP* But yeah I agree with ur points on the fact that *XP and 7 are the two best OSes* since Windows 7 was the last major OS to arrive without any day-one bugs.

[@JHMBB2]

As a film photographer and old tech fan, this is a wonderful mesh of two worlds. I own the same Mamiya camera and shoot with Velvia often. I gotta go visit and shoot this hill on my Mamiya one day. Beautiful video, enjoyed every second. Velvia is slide film though, not a negative, it captures the color as seen by the eye. Would love to see the original frame!

[@MichaelMJD]

That would be awesome! And thanks for the correction about the film!

[@ceemeck]

I love how he explains things, showcases things and I learnt many things from him! He is my favorite tech youtuber.

[@Adrianwe44]

Ever seen mrwhosetheboss?

[@ceemeck]

Nope

[@Adrianwe44]

@@ceemeck then u should

[@Nutzy69420]

@@Adrianwe44 i watch him aswell hes a good tech KZbinr

[@Those2menoverthere]

@@Adrianwe44 they cover two completely different sides of technology though…

[@TheSektorz]

This is an amazing documentary. And the fact you went out of your way to actually visit the place for it is admirable. I know I won't be going there ever, since I'm already on the other side of the planet, but it felt like I went on this trip with you. Awesome work! And concluded beautifully too. Iconic photographs can bring intense emotions that vary between people, just like hearing a song from your childhood. It all depends on how **you** felt at the time. I just set Bliss as a wallpaper on my iPhone and it still looks great today, even behind the generic, plain, minimalist vector-based icons and UI we see on it and on everything else today.

[@matute93]

I can't believe I cried to a stranger talking almost 40 minutes about an old computer wallpaper, really loved the way you understand art and nostalgia.

[@aaroncarson]

Michael - this was genuinely wonderful to watch. Thank you for putting all the effort you did in; it *really* showed! Happy new year pal!

[@MichaelMJD]

Thank you Aaron! Happy New Year to you as well

[@Smooth_Operator]

agreed

[@fusoxide]

This video is great! As the person who created that Windows Wallpaper Wiki, I appreciate the amount of time and effort you put into your research in your videos including this one. I also appreciate you acknowledging and debunking certain myths regarding Bliss too, as well as seeing my research findings being spread. Regardless of how important the info actually is in a greater context, lots of people find this stuff fascinating including myself. :)

[@mustacheboyo]

Wow nice! I've seen you around somewhere I think on discord at some point.

[@ThePowerLover]

Thanks for that wiki.

[@ciara6676]

ganbaruby!

[@Kain652]

Thank you for your service, and I mean that. Could you imagine doing a collaboration with MJD for a special video about wallpapers? If so, just contact him, I'm sure he'd be interested! It's culture that is worth preserving and the video format is the best way to do so.

[@cas_sette_tape]

creator of Windows wallpaper wiki is a loveliver, based

[@currentlyquang]

This might be of interest to you: in Germany there's an art magazine called "Form" and their latest issue featured the Bliss photo as the cover image and story! More interestingly though is the fact that Microsoft Surface was affiliated in some way, and I think this is probably the most amount of acknowledgement they have given towards XP (if we're talking about 20th anniversary)

[@lyricsassam]

This was a very beautifully made video, not dragging, not overexplaining... perfect. Well done

[@MichaelMJD]

Thank you!

[@dreamieramune]

i love how much appreciation there was for photography as a whole in this video. i seriously feel like it's a hobby/profession that gets overlooked quite a bit

[@johnnycha]

This is such Windows XP nostalgia to me while also learning it’s really interesting origins of this default wallpaper. Nice one! Also, what a way to end off 2021!

[@hibbiea8841]

Thanks Johnny!

[@ColdWarAviator]

I remember when I first installed XP, the Bliss wallpaper was the first thing that caught my attention... My friend who refused to leave Windows 95 saw it and insisted it was photoshopped... He said "... That picture is TOO perfect!... There's no way that's a real photo!" He thought the lighting was 'too bright', and that the grass was 'too green'. And while I conceded that the picture was "too perfect", I knew from actually using a 35mm camera that takes film and has adjustable exposure settings and stuff that a picture like this was possible if you were in the right place at the right time. Thank you for documenting the story of this photo as well as for showing this generation that "old technology" can still hold it's own in many ways... Not only film cameras, but Windows XP! I will go to my grave believing that XP was the best Windows OS EVER! Don't agree? Fight Me!

[@oliverjade6998]

I agree about this, I just love the interface of XP and I LOVE the bliss wallpaper it's just beautiful compared to Windows 9X and 2000 which just had a blue and grey style while XP felt very welcoming with virtually no bloatware and the games were amazing. I always remember the XP games and it's stability, I had an XP PC with 512MB of RAM and it ran so fast while my Windows 10 pc with 16x the ram is very buggy and unstable. Long live Windows XP!

[@ColdWarAviator]

@@oliverjade6998 amen! XP was the greatest version. I'm mean I've had them all... My first windows install was 3.1 I think... It came on five 3½" Floppies... It was on an IBM XT Clone machine they originally had no hard drive, two 5¼" Floppies, monochrome Hercules graphics card, and ran DOS booted from a floppy.... I added color graphics card and rs232 serial port just to put a mouse on it. So of all the versions of Windows from 3.2 on through present day XP was the best

[@Legion849]

I remember XP it had so many great games and they ran smoothly. XP was the best but 7 also deserves recognition it was fast for its time no bloat and very reliable

[@JavCaRRTech]

I never thought that a 'simple' wallpaper would be able to make me remember so many things This is one of the best videos I've ever seen in my life

[@TerranIV]

Thank you for this heartfelt deep dive into the history of Bliss. I loved that photo so much. I remember one summer I was traveling through Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and I was constantly on the lookout for a similar photo. I stopped and took pictures of grassy hillsides on a trip with my girlfriend. She probably thought I was nuts. I'm glad to know that my failure to capture anything nearly as spectacular as Bliss was because it was taken by a NatGeo photographer with a seasoned eye and professional camera. Thank you for the video of the actual place. It is really cool to have a bit more of a sense of scale of the hill and the surrounding area. I definitely will stop there if I ever get back to the West Coast myself.

[@je-nas]

33:25 · “Maybe this entire journey travelling all this way just to see a boring hill on the side of the road was a waste of time (...) But, I don't think so. Seeing Bliss in person was (...) almost as if I was re-visiting a part of my life that I thought I could never return to...” That part got to me real hard. You really encapsulated that rare feeling in a bottle there.

[@izkuipers]

I wachted this with three Windows XP laptops sitting behind me running some benchmarks for me and what do you know, all of them had the bliss as their desktop wallpaper. This video is among the best I've seen in a long time, and damn did I ever enjoy it. I can't tell you enough Michael, your content is one of a kind. Hell of a job you did, well done.

[@geminirebirth]

Gotta say: the moment you showed the modern Bliss hill put a smile on my face. Kinda touching moment, can't tell exactly why. PS: "they are both Mac users" outright killed me. 😆

[@GeekIWG]

When I first really started getting into computers as a kid, my family's computer was running Windows XP. XP was also the last version of Windows I used as my primary OS before moving to Linux. The Bliss wallpaper sure brings back a lot of memories and nostalgia, from games to learning programming to exploring the depths of how computers worked.

[@DandyBuzzard95]

This is no joke one of the best KZbin videos I've ever seen. The editing, commentary, footage, information and music is perfect and makes this feel like a full blown documentary. Along with the fact that you went to the hill in person. This is legendary. ❤🙏❤️

[@rainyn]

I can't believe I watched a 30-minute video from start to finish about Windows XP's wallpaper of all things. You sir are a consummate storyteller!

[@Nyzio2197]

The entire video was a huge enjoyment to watch but the final bit: "They are both Mac users" cracked me up. Thanks for the upload and keep up the good work!

[@tech34756]

This is one of the things I like about KZbin, seeing people make videos/documentaries on things which I find interesting but I doubt I’d see on Cable TV, especially with this level of detail. Sadly, despite still using XP at work on some older machines, all we get is ‘90s blue’ as the background.

[@ranchocommodorereef]

😢

[@blosofficial]

Thank you for taking time to document this. I appreciate it. The history of the Bliss background is relatively unknown but since you made a video about it, more people likely know about it.

[@pgbrchannelone6871]

amazing video

[@krozareq]

And still looks great. I was worried it would've been developed into a neighborhood, or worse; a Walmart.

[@blosofficial]

@@krozareq I know! I wouldn't have been surprised if they would've industrialized that beautiful sight!

[@saltybubbles]

I’m just now stumbling across your channel but this video gave me a grand nostalgic feeling. Thank you for the information I didn’t know I needed

[@TeaAndFloppyDisks]

Wow, your video is simply poetic. Even if we've taken that photo for granted and thought nothing of it, I can understand why you'd go through the trouble to research all this information, go there and then make this in depth video for us.

[@MatheusAugustoDaSilva]

As someone who uses Bliss as my default wallpaper up to this day, even after switching Windows releases and the operating system entirely, I have to say that your video managed to make me emotional about a freaking wallpaper. The research, the storytelling, the conclusion... everything feels top notch. Keep it up.

[@marckoliver]

What a fantastic video!!! As a TechSupport guy from the early 90’s to later 10’s, Bliss was part of my life for a lot of time installing, fixing and using PCs. I literally cried when you show the actual hill where the photograph was taken. A rush of good memories of times and people that passed by. Thank you for this wonderful trip. Have a great year, sir!!!

[@PaleozoicProductions]

This was an amazing production. Loved all the time and care put into this video with all needed information provided, you did an amazing job on this video, and an interesting topic too. I never used XP in it's prime since I was born soon after, but I've seen it be used in a very memorable period of time of my life at a vacation home, I associate the whole home with the early 2000s nostalgia for mainly what it had. Old consoles and games, old forms of media, lots of childhood memories, and that one family computer in the living room area with that background. A great video with great quality.

[@MichaelMJD]

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it!

[@velzekt]

"So, seen any good movies lately?" "I watched a 38 minute video about an OS background"

[@darude1420]

Extremely well put together and documented. This video will be part of Bliss' legacy

[@cutieclysm]

a stunning documentary michael! so much time, effort and love has clearly been put into this video. amazing as always ❤😊

[@hare6663]

1. it's really nice seeing someone show some real appreciation for photographers as artists. I'm only a casual illustrator but it's way too often I see photographs treated by everyone, even fellow artists, like they're not as complex or impactful as illustrations or 3D artwork. 2. wow holy shit what do you MEAN i live an hour away from the windows xp hill??????

[@Blahalel]

You gotta send me a photo of Bliss if it were in 2022.

[@redfromberk]

photos go hard, me like. continue photo, make red happy

[@jmoralesv03]

I remember you saying, in Twitter I think, you would be in California for an important project. Now I understand what you meant. This is a very good documentary about Bliss, it's awesome how you show the history behind it. Love your work MJD, keep up the good work! And happy new year! 🎉🎊

[@savannah2179]

I can't place exactly why, but the fade you did of the original photo to the one you took at 29:25 made me tear up. Maybe it has something to do with how the hill is a vineyard again-- full of life after the pests destroyed it, or that old saying "the more things change, the more things stay the same," and I'm sentimental, or maybe how something so simple and inconspicuous can be so meaningful, or whatever, but it just filled me with this indescribable wave of emotion... Or maybe it's because it's midnight and I need to sleep. One of the two. Either way, lovely video! For the longest time I never knew "Bliss" was a real photo, I always thought it was a digital art piece or something. Amazing how it has such a history!

[@MrOliverK]

This is one of MJD'd best. So informative and interesting

[@MattGreencompguy5]

I think this might be the best KZbin video I've ever watched. Thank you Michael for the inspiring words at the end of the video- I'm sure I'll remember the sentiment for a long time. Please, please, please keep making videos like this! Documenting and preserving history like this is so important. I hope to see more documentary videos in the future!

[@MichaelMJD]

Thank you very much for the kind words! I definitely want to make more like this, already have some ideas written down!

[@MattGreencompguy5]

@@MichaelMJD Great! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

[@ZeranZeran]

I was 8 year old when my dad brought Windows XP home. I was the one that set it up for the family, and I remember a feeling of such intense excitement, endless possibilities, we had real internet for the first time! A few months later, I was learning how to customize the OS, and playing games online with my friends. It was a really great OS.

[@zilchfox]

So glad I got to watch this as it premiered. Wonderful video as always, MJD, and what a video to end on for 2021. Very detailed, very in-depth, and really cool to see that you went on such a valuable yet fun trip to Cali! Congrats on 250K!

[@SockyNoob]

Oh hai

[@yesensei]

I’ve recently been trying to get into photography albeit casually because of a class I’m taking in art school. I’ve had the habit of taking photos before this, all from the tutelage of my father. We used to stop during roadtrips because he saw a really nice hill, or an interesting sunset. Unfortunately, he recently passed away due to COVID. That part at the end you used to mention about how O’Rear’s split second decision to stop at that hill reminded me of my father. He would have totally done the same thing. The entire time you were talking about going there, I was thinking to myself, that he would have loved to see this in person. He was also kind of a nerd when it came to computers. I remember him teaching me about Windows through Windows XP in our family computer, then using the same computer with Bliss in the background to talk to him when he was away abroad. Thank you for this video, for reminding me of my father.

[@fernandomeliani]

The transition at 29:16 was beautiful. It gave me the feeling that Bliss have aged, just like the rest of us. Nice video!

[@lmnk]

This video unironically made me cry because of memories... Bliss is such an iconic image, the only look at it gives me very warm feelings. Great job, thanks for making such a nice video!

[@genius1a]

Your video is a piece of art! The smooth way of storytelling, the depth of research, the hint to the original interview of Charles O'Rear, the fine eye for cuts or longer views, emphasize nicely the importance of the picture that was once everywhere and is THE image of a golden era in so many lives as well. I would have never thought that this paradise looking picture is practically straight out of camera! And from a year long national geographic photographer! As a child I loved these magazines, - up to this day I own them, because the content is so well presented and ages really well.

[@msn-fm]

Man, you are an artist and should be doing tech documentaries for TV! Quality of your videos is way above anyone of your competitors on KZbin.

[@drucewayne]

What a story this KZbin algorithm have suggested! For me, Bliss will always be a part of my childhood. Back then I just thought this was made using a computer (didn't have much knowledge back then). But it turns out that there is a series of seemingly random events behind it, and a wonderful conclusion. Thanks a lot, mate!

[@johnpaulino1565]

Was just here today, April 2024... the spot is so underwhelming, people drive past it without realizing it's the hill they've looked at and admired all their lives lol

[@CorndogBrownie]

God damn, this was amazing. I truly wish you do more things like this. This is truly fantastic. Love from Canada, and a happy new year

[@duckrinium]

Your strong will and interest in making videos brought you here, yet you don't stop and even travel to places yourself instead of showing someone's image. I'm... I'm speechless... You deserve more people to see your content

[@nicorenco]

Brilliant Michael! Never though how deep has been the impact of Bliss on us all. I sincerely hope your work along with Bliss gets curated someday.

[@Josh101]

This is an excellent video, thank you for taking the time to make it. I'm very jealous you got to see it in person. Incidentally I've been using bliss as my macbook background for years and had forgotten about it until I saw this video.

[@AjitemSahasrabuddhe]

This is so beautiful! Incredibly satisfying to finally find out the origins of the photo I saw almost everyday during my childhood. Thanks a lot for all the research and the incredible coverage.

[@Jerrycourtney]

This is an absolutely phenomenal video, this is art married with journalism, added with excellent editing and narration. Thank you so much for sharing this story with us.

[@WindowsOnWindows]

Thank you (again) for enlightening us with another fascinating history about one of the most recognised elements of Windows, Michael! Amazing work!

[@amnottabs]

that hill with the vineyard moving with the wind could be a worthy Bliss reinterpretation maybe for Windows 12

[@faunaria7127]

this video is just so well formulated, researched and written, that i HAD to stand up clap. awesome video dude

[@maheranam318]

36:03 "They are both Mac user" this single line killed the nostalgic atmosphere of the video and replaced it with irony xD, Great Video Man! One of the best videos I've seen in a while.

[@ZER0--]

This is a brilliant video. The moment when you fade out from the original photo and into your shot of the hill was fantastic as I thought that has to be done. And the last line about the couple being Mac users is funny.

[@robsmashguy]

This video was excellent. Well researched, engaging, and informative. Easily one of the best videos I’ve seen covering this topic. I though I knew the full story of Bliss, but learning more about Charles O'Rear and his life leading up to him taking the now famous photo has given me an even greater level of appreciation for both the wallpaper and the man behind it.

[@vidulusow]

Amazingly well-made and produced video, enjoyed every second learning about a photo I had spent a portion of my life looking at, without giving it second thought.

[@w6wdh]

What a magnificent video! It was a pleasure to watch all the way through. I moved to the town of Sonoma in 2022 and saw the “Windows XP Bliss” label just to the south while browsing Google Maps. I was incredulous. The Windows XP wallpaper photo was taken 2 miles from my house!?! So naturally I drove out Route 12 / Route 121 to that point to take a look. The grapevines covering the hill threw me off at first. I loved hearing the back story in the video - why the hill in the photo is covered in grass - and hearing about the serendipity that led to the taking of the photo. I’ll be passing a link to this video on to my family and friends. And kudos to mjd for flying to SFO, getting a car, and driving to Bliss. What dedication!

[@Imaproshaman7]

This brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful. Thank you for making it.

[@ariadnavigo]

Michael, I truly enjoyed this documentary of yours. It's absolutely one of my favorite videos of all 2021. There's something very beautiful in all of this. It's incredible how a totally spontaneous decision of someone in the 1990s... a photo O'Rear thought was "just another pic," inspired first someone at MS and now inspired you almost 30 years later to create such a beautiful homage to a man with an incredible life and career. This kind of stories make me cry, literally... because they show how humanity is actually connected in ways that we don't really grasp to understand... The lesson I guess is that everyone should always create, whatever their craft is... you never know what impact you will have on someone down the future.

[@NoahClevinger]

Thanks for the awesome videos this year, Michael! I can't wait to see what type of content you'll make in 2022.

[@RadikAlice]

I can't tell you just how incredible this was, the history was great enough but your wish to one day be there _and_ actually doing it... Just, wow

[@iasad12]

I can't stop watching this video again and again. a great video outlining an inspiring story behind the wallpaper we grew up with yet still ignored (and scorned) it in my days of childhood. Bliss was the first wallpaper when I turned on the computer for the first time. I'm an old subscriber of your channel and admire every project of yours. But this video is on the next level, earning a like and comment from my side who seldom comments on a YT video. (A little portion of Bliss is my wallpaper of choice for my phone. )

[@jonfiorilli1505]

This was a really cool video man! I love how deep the story of this simple photograph goes.

[@underwatergremlin]

Damn, so THIS is the project you've been working on! Great job, it was really fun to learn Bliss's history.

[@ef.1411]

You know, as much as i enjoy them, it's very rare for me to feel anything different from interest, fascination or just laughter. This one made me honestly emotional. Bliss will always mean a lot to me, for many of the same reasons you've described. So i guess i'll just say thank you, and probably set bliss as my current wallpaper again.

[@mattelder1971]

I wonder what came first, the decision to use Bliss as the default wallpaper, or the choice of the default color scheme for Luna (remember, there were different versions of Luna). The two seem to go hand in hand.

[@brianturney7599]

wow. you went there in person. I just finished watching. AND you walked there at the end.. that's dedications. . Thanks for this. I get to finally know where that dirt road goes..thank you .. and thank you. that image holds within it the memories of that time for me. the work I did, the people I knew, the fun I had, like you said..

[@brompterdam]

As an enthusiast photographer and having a job that spends more than 8 hours in front of the computer started early 2000 as a CAD Draftsman doing 2D, 3D and Animations. The entire video brought me back to when I am starting my career and journey in life as an adult. Spending unpaid over hours just to learn Autocad on WIndow XP Computer, a once i lifetime chance given to me by the company I am working in to learn for free. I started as a "Manual Draftsman" in the company. BLISS creates this sense of calmness every time I stare on it back in that era, it somehow gives you hope. This story creates this bittersweet feeling. Great story telling! Thank you!