From pixels to pinot: The Windows XP ‘Bliss’ wallpaper hill was real and this is what it looks like now

The Legacy of Windows XP and Its Iconic Bliss Wallpaper

Windows XP remains a cherished chapter in the annals of Microsoft’s operating systems, often celebrated for its user-friendly interface and vibrant aesthetics. Among its most iconic features is the “Bliss” wallpaper, which captures a serene landscape of rolling green hills under a bright blue sky adorned with fluffy white clouds. This image has become synonymous with the operating system, evoking nostalgia for many users.

Curiously, the hill depicted in the Bliss wallpaper is not merely a figment of digital manipulation; it is a real location nestled in Sonoma County, California. The photograph was taken in 1996 by renowned photographer Charles O’Rear, who later sold the rights to Microsoft prior to the operating system’s launch in 2001. The original image, captured using a medium-format camera on film, boasts a resolution of 4,510 by 3,627 pixels, a stark contrast to the 800 by 600 pixel version that shipped with Windows XP.

Inside History has documented the evolution of this picturesque site through a series of follow-up images taken from the same vantage point in 2006, 2020, 2024, and projected for 2025. By 2006, the once lush grassy hill had transformed into a vineyard, a change that has persisted in the most recent images. This transition aligns with Sonoma County’s reputation as a significant player in California’s wine production, contributing approximately 6% of the state’s output with around 60 grape varieties. The Sonoma Wine Grape Annual report indicates that in 2021, the county produced an impressive 24 million bottles of wine from roughly 62,000 acres of vineyards.

Despite its enduring legacy, Windows XP is now a relic of the past, with Microsoft ceasing support for its Home and Professional versions in 2014, followed by the final embedded point-of-sale version in 2019. The operating system was a monumental success, even finding its way to the International Space Station, where it was ultimately replaced by Linux in 2013. Windows XP is often regarded as a significant advancement over its predecessors, Windows 98 and Windows ME, and remains a beloved version among users.

In the realm of modern operating systems, Windows 11 made its debut in 2021, leading many to speculate about the potential arrival of a Windows 12. However, recent announcements from Microsoft during CES suggest that 2025 will focus on a “Windows 11 PC refresh,” indicating that any new version may not be imminent.

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From pixels to pinot: The Windows XP 'Bliss' wallpaper hill was real and this is what it looks like now