The history of Windows XP (I): Whistler and the development of the operating system of the future

15 years ago, in 1999, development of the operating system for the new millennium began in Redmond Those who lived through those years closely understand the magnitude of the change brought about by the transition from Windows 98 and ME to Windows XP is not enough. Microsoft did not want to limit itself to updating its operating system and ended up redefining every detail to the point of changing the vision that users had of Windows. And it did so forever, with a version so successful that even today, 13 years after its release, it breathes on almost a third of the computers around the world.

At the limit of its life cycle, with the end of support in just 10 days, from Xataka Windows we review the history of Windows XPBegin by taking a brief look at its development. Months of work as Microsoft changed Windows and itself along the way, preparing to dominate the PC market for another decade.

Neptune and Odyssey, the seed

On February 5, 1999, Microsoft launched the development of a new version of its operating system under the name of Windows Neptune Less than a year had passed since the release of Windows 98 and there is still more than a year left for the arrival of Windows ME, but in Redmond they were already thinking of a change for their system according to the new millennium.

Windows Neptune came in, conceived as the successor to Windows ME, and developed in 1999 on the basis of Windows 2000, the latest version of the Windows NT branch.The code name itself gave clues to its architecture: NepTune. It was the first version of Windows oriented to the domestic market but built on the code of Windows NT It was a first step towards the unification of the two branches: domestic and business.

Welcome screen in Windows Neptune

Basically, Neptune was very similar to Windows 2000 but integrated new features that would later end up coming to Windows XP. There was the basic firewall or a new home screen, for example. But among all the novelties, a new interface scheme focused on the tasks that any user performed on a computer stood out. The idea was known internally as “activity centers” and with them all multimedia content, or network accesses, or even recent user activity were grouped into hubs.

Over time, only an internal Windows Neptune alpha will be known, build 5111, which already revealed all those details. Details that only select groups of internal users and subscribers of the TechNet program were able to see under a non-disclosure agreement. Neptune wouldn't have much of a run, but his ideas would influence the immediate future of Windows.

Along with Windows Neptune, another project occupied the hours of Windows employees in Redmond: Windows Odyssey If Neptune hid the development of a version of Windows for the domestic user, under the name of Odyssey the future Windows was developed for the professional market. Also based on Windows 2000, Odyssey was to be the new version of the Windows NT branch, but Microsoft never released it.

With Whistler Microsoft decided to unite in a single project the two branches of Windows development: home and business.

The two separate projects made it clear that Redmond was changing the development process for its operating system. The change in the end would be decisive and the turning point would not end up arriving. At the end of December 1999, Microsoft decided to unite the two development teams from Neptune and Odyssey to work on a new project under the code name Whistler, a town where many of Microsoft's employees used to ski.

An internal memo awaited the company's employees when they returned from their Christmas holidays: management had decided to unify the Windows teams and had a new plan in place with which they intended to achieve a fastest version of the operating system, avoiding the usual three-year long development periods. It was the last days of 1999 and there were less than two years left before the arrival of Windows XP

Whistler, uniting environments

Microsoft management decided that since Neptune and Odyssey were going to be based on the same Windows NT code, it didn't make sense to keep the separate branches of Windows. Instead of redoubling efforts on separate versions of the system for the home and business environment Microsoft unified the blueprint for a future Windows under Whistler It may seem obvious now but until At that time, home and business remained separate spheres and the development of systems for each one was understood as different. Unification was something new and will be one of many successes during the creation of Windows XP.

Start screen in Windows Whistler

With Whistler, Microsoft began to take changes in the user experience seriously with the goal of building an operating system for the new millennium: friendlier and more attractive to the eye, more stable and faster.Its design and performance should be the basis for future versions of Windows, adapted to the new era of an Internet that was already ubiquitous.

The network was a priority for the company. During the development of Windows XP Microsoft was also involved in the development of the .NET platform. In Redmond they were convinced that the future of Microsoft was .NET and they repeated it whenever they had the opportunity. Without going any further, in September 2000, Steve Ballmer, then CEO of Microsoft, declared that “Windows was not going away, the PC was not going away. But we need a platform to reflect the reality of the internet">

In April 2000, Bill Gates, who was no longer CEO at the time, revealed the existence of Whistler at the WinHEC conference

Months before those statements, at the end of April 2000, Bill Gates, who by then was no longer CEO, revealed the existence of Whistler at the WinHEC (Windows Hardware Engineering) conference Conference).In it, those from Redmond presented a very early preview version that revealed some of the features that the new Windows would incorporate. There was the support for CD-R and CR-RW built into the system; the ability to switch sessions without closing programs; or new built-in multimedia capabilities, including a new Windows Media Player.

Despite all these changes, their significance was not yet evident. Carl Stork, general manager of Windows at the time, gave a little brushstroke explaining the work schedule for the rest of the year and Microsoft's intention to complete two versions of the system: one aimed at the professional and business environment and another more basic. intended for the consumer market and households around the world. Both based on the same code, using the same device drivers and the same software compatibility. Change was brewing

Builds and betas, the numerous previous versions

On May 24, 2000 Microsoft began sending out the first invitations to the Whistler technical beta. The program started with the promise of reaching the first 'milestone release' later that year. We had to get down to work and that same July, Microsoft released the first build for testers, build 2250. At that time the system still did not seem very different from Windows 2000 and Windows ME, but it already introduced a first taste of what that the new experience they were working on in Redmond might entail.

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During previous Whistler builds Microsoft introduced significant changes, many of which were initially hidden. One of them was a new start panel that would replace the classic menu to which we had already become accustomed. The new menu was wider than the previous one and introduced two columns. The first showed a list of configurable apps next to the most recent ones and a button at the bottom that allowed access to all programs.The column on the right was completely new and introduced access to the main user folders and the most important system utilities. There were My Documents, the My Computer icon, or the access to the Control Panel. The idea of ​​activity centers>."

The new start menu in Windows Whistler

The following builds gradually introduced new features that were configuring the future Windows in Whistler. Build 2257 made the new start panel visible and introduced the basic personal firewall. Build 2267 introduced minor improvements and finally allowed the user to modify the appearance of the system with a Display Properties window.

About this latest build, it should be noted that it brought with it a new compatibility center that was intended to make it easier for users to find hardware compatible with the system. The latter was essential for Microsoft.The change in the base of the system tested the compatibility of software and hardware and at Redmond they wanted to ensure that everything would work in Whistler without compromising the performance of a system that it should be more stable than ever. In the meantime, the visuals and interface could wait.

The builds continued for successive months from until October 31st. That day Microsoft released build 2296, Whistler's Beta 1 With it, those from Redmond highlighted the union in a system of both home and business environments. Many new features were expected from Beta 1, such as an integrated player, an instant messaging client or version 6.0 of Internet Explorer. But for Microsoft the priority was still software and hardware compatibility. Only when this was secured did they start to worry about the more visible changes and the new user interface.

"A New eXPerience: Windows XP"

Microsoft wanted Whistler to provide a new and improved experience for traditional Windows users while attracting the attention of those millions of people who were already using computers for work and connecting to the Internet. Things had to change in the Windows environment and the new interface would be a critical step, with Redmonds increasingly concerned with creating a warmer and friendlier system for the user.

Similarities Between New and Classic Theme in Windows XP

Although details had already been revealed in previous builds, the first glimpses of the new interface were shown to the public on January 5, 2001. That day Bill Gates gave a keynote at CES that, Although it would ultimately be remembered for being the Xbox presentation, it would be one of the first samples of Whistler's revamped appearance. For the first time the new welcome screen could be seen, the option of multiple user accounts was shown and the new start menu with the recent programs and the My Documents folders and others could be seen.

What was shown showed Microsoft's intention to preserve some similarity with the classic interface of previous Windows while introducing significant changes in the way its operating system was used. At Redmond they were redesigning an interface that millions of users were already used to and doing it carefully enough to be readily accepted by users. Lessons taught by history.

Microsoft's goal seemed to be to retain some similarity to the classic interface of previous Windows while introducing significant changes to the way its operating system was used.

New interface By January 2001 it was becoming apparent that development of Whistler was accelerating, with builds becoming more frequent. Microsoft had intended to release the new version of the operating system in the second half of the year, which was six months behind its previous intentions but didn't leave much work time ahead.As the weeks wore on the question of the name began to attract more and more attention

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Knowing Microsoft&39;s intentions and deadlines, it remained to be known what the final name of Whistler would be and what Redmond would call the new experience they intended to provide with the new version of their operating system. On February 5, 2001 the doubts were cleared up. True to its intentions, Microsoft officially announced that Whistler would be coming to market under the name of Windows XP A name reminiscent of eXPerience>."

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