We have already seen Windows XP installed in many different places. The vintage operating system was officially introduced in 2001, and now, old enough that its last software update was released almost a decade ago.
A curious mind tried to give Windows XP a new home on a touchscreen MacBook from 2011 (via XDA). Yes, you read that correctly. Vintage tech explorer Michael MJD got hold of a MacBook a couple of weeks back, modified by Lingraphica with a plug-in touchscreen for accessibility.
It wasn't long before the tinkerer decided to install Windows XP tablet PC Edition 2005 on the old MacBook and recorded the experience on camera. A 36-minute-long video documents Michael patiently going through the rather painful process of getting Windows XP on the touchscreen MacBook using Apple's Boot Camp software.
Michael was able to track down a Windows driver from Internet Archive to work with the touchscreen (Hampshire Touch, TSHARC-12/10, USB). However, he was amazed to see that the uncalibrated touchscreen was recognized during the installation process.
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition was released more than two decades ago. It was designed to work on touch-enabled devices and could not be purchased separately. After not finding the tablet features on the device, the tinkerer proceeded to install a modified version of XP. He suspected that the operating system somehow verifies whether you're installing it on a regular PC or a tablet before adding the Tablet PC Edition features.
The installation then went through several ups and downs as he tried to get the drivers working on the touchscreen MacBook. While installing the display driver, he had to fix the license text file that got corrupted somehow as the driver files were copied to the machine.
After getting everything in order, he started exploring features such as Windows Journal and handwriting recognition on Notepad. He also played a few rounds of Ink Ball and installed a Half-Life on the machine.
Windows XP might give a feeling of nostalgia to many users. The long-gone operating system was popular for its Bliss wallpaper (you can download its official 4K version), which inspired last year's Windows Ugly sweater. It took almost two decades, but determined enthusiasts were able to crack Windows XP's activation algorithm.
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