@atom Time to install XP Antispy.
Seriously, XP had a reputation for being overloaded with bloat back in the day. Ironically, its now remembered as simple and uncomplicated, because all versions that came after were even worse in that regard.
@cvtsi2sd @guenther @atom
Yes, it was definitely possible earlier, but I don't remember Windows older than XP coming preloaded with links to external services. This is what I'm talking about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Explorer#Task_pane
"…a set of "Picture tasks" is shown, offering the options to display these pictures as a slide show, to print them out, or to go online to order prints"
@cvtsi2sd @guenther @atom
I can definitely remember this "order prints online", there might've been other "tasks" like that — like I said, I never was an avid Windows user.
There also was this Windows Live Essentials thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Essentials which offered even tighter integration with online services.
XP didn't come preloaded with it, but AFAIR, it was offered via Windows Update among optional updates.
@cvtsi2sd @guenther @atom
It was in the later stages of XP lifecycle so I doubt anyone was actually installing it, but they did exist and with those, XP looked very similar to the (mock) screenshot in the opening post. This Windows Live suite is the reason for this screenshot to not look that alien to me 😂
