Microsoft’s Ugly Sweater of 2023 Is Windows XP’s Iconic Default Background – Ars Technica

Windows Its longevity—plus Microsoft’s complete control of personal computing in a pre-iPhone, pre-Android world—has helped make its default wallpaper one of the most recognizable images on the planet.

Microsoft is back at Bliss Hill again with Entry this year In the now traditional ugly retro computing jacket series. The blue hem at the bottom and on the sleeves evokes the bright blue taskbar of Windows XP, and in case you don’t immediately recognize Bliss as a “computer thing,” there’s also a giant mouse cursor hovering above it.

Previous ugly sweaters have included the Minesweeper theme, MS Paint, the Windows logo, and the immortal Clippy. Microsoft Ugly sweater website It also contains wallpapers and a few retro Easter eggs for people who have some time on their hands.

Microsoft says sales of the limited-edition Bliss jacket will benefit Nature Conservation Organization And its “initiatives to combat the climate and biodiversity crisis.”

For people who can’t get enough of Bliss or other 90s-00s-era Microsoft stuff, the company has also released some retro-themed HD wallpapers on Microsoft’s own design website. Among the images on this site is a 4K rendition of the Bliss wallpaper.