Unveiling the Origins of 3D Pipes and Other Windows Screen Savers
Back in the 1990s, Microsoft delighted users with a range of screen savers for its Windows operating systems. Among them, 3D Pipes stood out as a fan favorite. The mesmerizing display of interconnected 3D pipes in vibrant colors filled computer screens when they were not in use.
[embedded content]
This week, a fascinating revelation about the creation of 3D Pipes and other Windows screen savers has come to light. Former Microsoft developer Raymond Chen shared insights in his blog, The Old New Thing, shedding light on the origins of these beloved screen savers.
According to Chen, an unnamed friend who worked on the Windows OpenGL team in the mid-1990s revealed that they had introduced hardware acceleration support for the API. However, they lacked a means to showcase the graphics capabilities enabled by this support at the time.
The OpenGL team faced a dilemma as Windows NT 3.5 was nearing release. They wanted users to witness the hardware acceleration in action but were wary of jeopardizing the stability of the operating system. To address this, Chen’s friend proposed demonstrating OpenGL effects through a screensaver, allowing users to experience the enhanced graphics without risking system stability.
The team decided to turn the demonstration into a contest, with members creating various screensavers for consideration. The winning screensaver would be integrated into Windows NT 3.5. While the specific developer behind 3D Pipes remains unknown, it competed against other creations like 3D Text, 3D Maze, and 3D Flying Objects.
Chen recounted a fortuitous turn of events where a member of the marketing team stumbled upon the new screensavers the night before a scheduled meeting with a prominent computer industry magazine in New York City. Impressed by the displays, the marketing team member insisted on including all the screensavers in the product, negating the need for a vote.
3D Pipes quickly gained popularity among office workers using Windows NT 3.5 and later made its way into Windows 95, becoming a staple in subsequent Windows operating systems. However, Microsoft opted to remove it from Windows Vista upon release. Despite its retirement, 3D Pipes remains a cherished piece of Windows nostalgia.
