For many PC enthusiasts around the world, XP was their first operating system. Some of you may have started with earlier or later iterations of the OS, but XP was a very special time in Windows’ history. It was when PCs still felt personal, when the built-in tools had charm, and when third-party apps blended seamlessly into the everyday experience of using a computer. The software from that time didn’t just help you get things done; it shaped how an entire generation learned to edit videos, send messages, listen to music, and pass time between homework assignments. These 6 apps are absolute classics that I genuinely miss.
Windows Movie Maker
Many hours were spent perfecting montages
Windows Movie Maker is single-handedly responsible for introducing a massive number of people to video editing. It’s one of the most approachable video editors ever shipped with an OS. The timeline was simple, drag and drop editing just worked, and transitions were easy enough for anyone to understand.
I distinctly remember using it to stitch together gameplay I recorded with Fraps, and if a child can figure out how to use it, that’s a sign that it’s probably well-designed. Learning how to use it helped me graduate to more advanced editing applications later in life, like Sony Vegas Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro. It really is a shame that it’s no longer included with Windows.
Why did they ever change it?
Windows Media Player reached its peak around the XP era. The interface was clean, the library view was intuitive, and the performance was fast in a way that today’s stock media apps can rarely match, maybe with the exception of QuickTime on macOS. And of course, the visualizations that came with it, especially the “Battery” and “Alchemy” ones. Those were just plain iconic.
MSN Messenger
Modern messaging apps got their vibe from MSN
Before Discord servers and multi-platform chat apps, MSN Messenger was the way to talk to your friends after school. Custom emoticons, screen names, status messages, nudges, and music-status integration gave it a level of personal expression modern messaging apps rarely match. It remains one of the most beloved pieces of software to date from the XP era, and for good reason. So much of what MSN did right has leaked into other modern messaging apps that we still use today.
Space Cadet Pinball
Synonymous with XP
Space Cadet Pinball was the ultimate built-in distraction. It’s so deeply ingrained with XP specifically that pretty much everyone who’s used XP at one point or another will remember firing up Space Cadet Pinball. It’s an utter shame Microsoft never made a follow-up, or even anything close to it. All we get with today’s Windows installations are ads for Candy Crush and Solitare, which is unfortunate.
Winamp
The best way to listen to tunes on XP
Winamp may not have been a first-party application, but it’s so closely tied with that era of Windows. It was the best way to listen to music on XP; the interface was great, it was lightweight, customizable, and fast in a way that some modern music apps fail to match, especially the streaming ones. The classic skins, plugin support, and visualizers (MilkDrop anyone?) made your MP3 collection feel alive and personal. Winamp still has a cult following today, and can still be used, although the era of MP3 music consumption is largely over.
Microsoft Plus!
Premium features you pay for
Microsoft Plus! was one of the earliest examples of a premium customization pack. It added wallpapers, themes, sound schemes, and even updates for core apps like Movie Maker. It’s understandable why Microsoft canned these kinds of premium packages available for purchase, but they added a certain charm to the OS that is sorely missing from Windows today. I can’t imagine the response would be very positive if they started charging for things like this again, though.
They weren’t perfect, but it was the beginning of an era
These apps weren’t perfect, and many of them look primitive by today’s standards. But what they offered was pretty novel, and in some ways, they offered things that are missing entirely from today’s applications. They were the tools that shaped how millions of people used their computers, discovered music, learned digital creativity, and connected with their friends.
They might never come back, but the nostalgia for the Windows XP era lives on because the software from that time wasn’t just memorable; it was functional, did what you needed it to do, and largely got out of your way. A lot of today’s apps (especially those developed by Microsoft themselves) can learn a lot from the XP era.
