Windows XP is getting long in the tooth thanks to five years with the same user interface. Many elements in Windows XP looked crusty the day it hit the virtual shelves thanks to a severe lack of attention to the details making the interface. Icons, splash screens, animations and other subtleties of the operating system are carried forward as far back as Windows 3.1. Instead of looking at those ugly old icons until you upgrade to Windows Vista, give 'em the boot and XPize your system. It seems like such a simply thing, but appearance really does make a difference in how it feels to use Windows on a daily basis. Side-by-side screenshots of something as simple as the animation used during the file copy process tell the tale. [Windows XP $0.00]
