Windows XP in 2024: Why it's so good (and what you can do with it)

This video briefly introduces the Microsoft Windows product line starting in 1985 through to it's absolute peak (imo) - Windows XP. Some examples of the kind of programs that it can run are provided, including discussion and demonstration on using it on the modern web in 2024. Also includes the original XP advert from 2001, and a clip of a 1985 spoof advert for Windows 1.01 acted out by Steve Ballmer.
There is also a brief clip from the South Park Movie criticising Windows 98, which summed up perfectly most peoples feelings towards it at the time (it had just come out). Windows 98 Second Edition was much better.
The second half of the video is dedicated to XP game-play and features clips from the following XP-compatible games (in order of appearance):
Need for Speed: ProStreet
Quake III Arena
Crysis
Classicube
Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing
Quake 4
Screamer 4x4
Halo
Microsoft Flight Simulator X
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The first PC featured in this video is an IBM PC/AT with a VGA card and early IBM VGA Monitor. Although fully working, the official Windows 1.01 demo program it is shown to run is overlaid for visual clarity.
The second PC (that runs XP) is a duel 2.5ghz Xeon (four cores each) and matching motherboard from 2008 (XP was the most popular OS in the world at that time). It has 8gb of 1333mhz memory but XP only uses the first 4gb, as this is the 32 bit version, not the 64 bit version. This system will run the 64 bit version just fine but other than being able to use the extra memory, there is little performance improvement and software compatibility is not as good.
The system is runing an Nvidia GT-740 graphics card, bought brand new at the end of 2023 for just $40 delivered.
The Windows XP desktop and all games are set to run at 1280x1024 as that is the monitors native resolution. It refreshes at 60hz, some game V-Sync to that but others do not. The recorded footage is mostly overlaid back over the monitor panel in post, for reasons of clarity. The boot sequence is captured optically through the camera.
NOTE: KZbin has copyright-flagged the music in GTA and removed it. Which is slightly daft given that it originates in a computer game. These segments are silent now.

[@morsine]

I really liked that our computers weren't spy machines back then

[@user-kk1vt7qs1p]

commenting this from XP btw

[@OwenDawe-lu6sf]

I'm running a low power fm radio station 24/7. It's been running for four years now and only stops if the power goes off. I'm running it on an old Pentium 1 I found in the dump.

[@golimonkey]

I installed XP on old single core laptop for fun few weeks ago and it works great. No ssd no nothing. Menus open instantly, everything is snappy and simple and intuitive, even firefox (Mypal) is totaly usable. New OSes have really regressed...

[@MJ-mk8jg]

Hi, great vid, thanks. I'm a 60 year old gamer from Yorkshire & ive just got back into pc building after a break of 25 years. I finished an xp build at the weekend, its like seeing an old friend. Im going to run as a gaming machine, gog & physical disks. Also got the parts for a windows 98 build but im suspecting that wont be a much fun. Thanks again for the video

[@mattparker9726]

LOL XP is indeed THE BEST. What's also really great is that the source code in it's entirety was dumped on 4chan some years ago. I wonder what enterprising young coders could do with that? Microsoft's legal bullshit be damned, release it anonymously, just get a modernized XP out into the wild please!

[@NormanF62]

Fun fact: Microsoft still provides security patches to XP but you have to pay for them. 😊

[@madcommodore]

XP SP1 was the only time MS losers remotely came close to the superior OS of the 1986 Amiga 1000. Modern browsers are a problem and so is security on XP SP1

[@billywashburn1648]

Best thing about XP is that you can play games without having to be on line.

[@prezeskodaty4637]

motherboard evga nforce 680i black pearl processor intel core 2 quad qx6800 memory ddr2 8 gigabytes 4x2 gigabytes 1066 megahertz nvidia quadro fx4000 graphics card connected with an sli cable to nvidia quadro fx4500 audio sound card asus xonar D2 hdd drive hitachi ultrastar 7k2000 cpu cooler scy the mugen 1000 power supply seasonic prime ultra 850 watts titanium computer case coolermaster elite 330k two dvd burners rw lightscribe floppy drive 5.25 inch radio and television digital analog card monitor dell p1130 windows xp professional

[@user-yz6rw3si3e]

Some of the latest printers still ship with Windows XP drivers and I wondered why when I happened to visit a photo studio in India to take a printout of some photos I had taken, a few months back and they were using an ancient Windows XP system running Photoshop CS6.

[@geo58impala]

While I use Linux just for internet and file downloads/uploads, I still use XP to this day and have no plans to ever stop. Only things it can't do for me now is play newer games, use Blurays and the UDF filesystem, or go online. Everything else I do on XP feels like how it was for me over 10 years ago. XP is timeless to me.

[@The_DreadStorm]

You really wanna see what XP can do, try this config:

[@bazwillrun]

The biggest issue Microsoft had and still has to this day is they did/do what they wanted rather than what tens of millions of users told them what they wanted..eg: leave the start menu alone !...

[@novel886]

I love Windows XP.

[@SDChargers93]

I use XP still on another pc, at least Microsoft Word is effin free.

[@aquamarine2044]

Always loved Windows XP, Vista, and 7. Tried Windows 8, 10, and 11. Never really liked either of those. A good video and thanks for sharing!

[@bigalexg]

Hi there BoomerTec. This is a solid, no-nonsense video with a professional flair. Kind of a rarity these days.

[@tommynobaka]

XP, 98 and Vista were my fav OS. I remember going from XP to 7 and it was like regressing lol

[@TuNnL]

It's amazing how any Windows OS after Windows 7 is straight trash. On the flip side, it's been a boon for hardware manufacturers, who make bank accomodating the "latest Windows requirements." 💰