Is Windows XP Y2K or Frutiger Aero?
Before answering the question posited in the title of this post, a brief rundown of Y2K and Frutiger Aero is needed. Y2K and Frutiger Aero refer to visual styles used in technology (it can apply to other things such as architecture and logo design, but is most commonly applied to technological developments) throughout the late 90s and 2000s. Y2K was prominently used between 1997 and 2004, and is known for futuristic designs, chrome colours and curved product designs (the iMac G3âs bubble design being perhaps the most blatant example of this). Frutiger Aero was the successor to Y2K, being prominent from 2004 to 2013. Frutiger Aero can be categorized by glossy textures, water and nature themes (fish and bubbles being especially common), aurora borealis, bokeh and skeuomorphism (in a technological context, this refers to making icons resemble their real world counterparts). It should also be noted that the element of futurism found in Y2K is also found in Frutiger Aero, though it is often created through applying the glossy texture to natural themes. The best example of Frutiger Aero is in my opinion, Windows Vista.Â
Given this, answering the question of where Windows XP stands may seem obvious. It was released in 2001, placing it firmly in the Y2K era. However, things are not that simple. Firstly, the icons in Windows XP show more of a lean towards skeuomorphism compared to previous versions of Windows.Perhaps the most well known wallpaper of the Windows XP era was the one pictured below, showing a sky and green hills. These natural themes show more of a slant towards Frutiger Aero. That being said, the menus themselves often used chrome colours like blue and white and the screensavers (especially 3D Pipes, 3D Flying Objects, Mystify and Starfield) were also very clearly influenced by the Y2K era. The windows themselves (such as the browser) were also more Y2K than Frutiger Aero. This places Windows XP as a sort of hybrid between the two, a transitional OS between the blatantly Y2K Windows 2000 and the blatantly Frutiger Aero Windows Vista.
(Pictured: 1- Windows XP home screen and start menu, 2- 3D Pipes screensaver)
This doesnât still fully answer the question though, because this raises a question - given Windows XP doesnât really fit fully into either Y2K or Frutiger Aero, what DOES it fit into? The answer to this is a less well known visual style known as Luna. The first designs for this Luna style were done in 1999, as an early concept build for Windows XP - however the first build to actually use the official Luna style was âWindows XP build 2415 (Lab06_N)â in January 2001. This build was a pre-Beta build for Windows XP, and was created to show what this new Luna style would look like. This build has noticeable differences to the version that was eventually released, however the staples of this style were there with obvious changes to their previous blatantly Y2K Windows 2000 design. This style would go through various slight changes with builds 2423, 2426, 2428, 2481 before build 2600 was finally released to the public in October 2001. Build 2600 was the version of Windows XP we came to know and love.Â
(Pictured: Windows XP build 2415, first use of Luna theme)
Versions of the Luna style were tested for their next OS, Windows Vista. Various Luna styles were used for very early concept builds for Windows Vista (builds 4093 and 5048) across 2004 and 2005. The final concept build for Windows Vista using the Luna style was âWindows Vista build 5059 (vbl_wcp_avalon)â in around April 2005. This was presumably dropped for the decidedly more modern Frutiger Aero style used in the released version of Windows Vista. This build is also notably the final build that used the Luna style. In this build, the Luna style is pretty clear and comparisons to Windows XP can be drawn. However what is noticeable is the much more Frutiger wallpaper, a glossy green image featuring a natural theme. The contrast between the green and black could also draw comparisons to the aesthetic of the aurora borealis images despite not actually being one. In fact, when I saw the smaller version of the image of this build, I had assumed it was aurora borealis until enlarging the image and realising itâs grass.
(Pictured: Windows Vista build 5059, final use of Luna style)
This wouldnât actually be the last use of the Luna style though. Whilst this was the last use of the Luna style in a full OS build, aspects of the Luna style were used in other future Windows builds. The âRoyaleâ style used in Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 took many features from the Luna build. BetaWiki even describes it as `Royale is a family of visual styles created for Windows XP whose design maintains the overall proportions, look and feel of Luna, while also using glossy elements typical for Frutiger Aero designs`. Furthermore, the Sticky Notes app in Windows Vista AND Windows 7 used a design inspired by the Luna theme. Windows Embedded Compact 7, which was released in 2011 and is part of their Windows Embedded CE family of operating systems made for smaller devices and equipment such as cameras and GPS systems also used the Luna theme.Â
If I was forced to make a decision between Y2K and Frutiger Aero, I would say that Windows XP is more fitting of Y2K due to lacking the glossy textures that make Frutiger Aero a distinctive aesthetic. That being said, it is perhaps more accurate to view the Luna visual style as a transitional phase between Y2K and Frutiger Aero, as a separate category of its own.
(Pictured: Windows XP running Internet Explorer)