Die-hard Windows XP fans rejoice, your footwear of choice has arrived. Microsoft has launched special anniversary edition Windows XP-themed Crocs. Yes, that's Crocs as in the famously ugly foam clogs. And, yes, these special edition versions have been plastered liberally with an XP-inspired colourway.
That, of course, means they've been fitted up with the iconic Bliss wallpaper. The top of the Crocs have been Blissed out with fluffy white clouds and a blue sky, while the soles rock the green grass of Bliss's rolling hills.
But wait, there's more. You also get six Microsoft-themed Jibbitz, which are basically user configurable pins and badges, in this case including a mouse pointer, the MSN logo, Internet Explorer icon and, yup, you guessed it, the Clippy assistant from Office.
Oh, and Microsoft is also throwing in a Bliss-printed drawstring backpack in which to store you Crocs. Or just up the XP'ed goodness.
And how much does all this Windows nostalgia cost? $80, apparently. The catch is that these XP-themed creepers are currently only available for pre-order on the Microsoft store for employees.
Will they ever be rolled out for we mere mortals? The Verge reports a "worldwide launch" will follow, but it's not clear when. But in case you're interested and as we've noted previously, not only was the hill in the OG Bliss wallpaper real, the high-saturation image that looks thoroughly fake wasn't even manipulated.
The Bliss image was taken in 1996 by photographer Charles O’Rear. It was acquired by Microsoft some time between then and the 2001 release of Windows XP. Oh, and the hill in question was located in Sonoma County, California. Indeed, it still is, but it's now a vineyard rather than grassy knolls.
By some measures, Bliss was once thought to be the most viewed photograph in the world. An awful lot of peepers have been pointed at an incalculable number of images since. So, it's hard to say whether that remains true, if indeed it ever was.
Either way, with Bliss now immortalised in Crocs, the only remaining question is whether you're bold enough to wear 'em.
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