The famous Windows XP wallpaper, "Bliss," captured in 1996, looks drastically different today—here’s how the iconic landscape has changed over time. advertisement. Zee News.

Windows XP shipped with a version measuring just 800 by 600 pixels. Anywho, Inside History has a series of follow up images taken from the same vantage point in 2006, 2020, 2024 and 2025.

The photo you see above -- the default wallpaper for Windows XP -- is probably the most recognizable image in the world. What you probably didn't know is that it's a real photo, called Bliss ...

The 73-year-old photog is the man behind the tranquil image of a rolling hill and bright blue sky that served as the default background for Microsoft’s Windows XP operating system.

A Windows XP desktop, with the “Bliss” image in the background. In 1998, photographer Charles “Chuck” O’Rear was driving from Sonoma County through Napa on his way to Marin County.

For people who can't get enough of Bliss or other '90s- and 2000s-era Microsoft stuff, the company has also released a few retro-themed high-resolution wallpapers on its Microsoft Design site.

The recreation of the iconic Windows XP wallpaper in Minecraft was well-received by thousands of people on the official Reddit page. The post went viral, garnering over 12K upvotes and over a ...

He thinks that everyone age 15 and older will remember "Bliss" for their whole lives. "XP's gonna go away. The photograph will not be seen as much as much as I've seen it in the last 12 or 13 years.

This years' design is based on the classic Windows XP "Bliss" wallpaper; The sweater is available in limited quantities for $75 starting now, with proceeds going to The Nature Conservancy.

Iconic Windows XP background is photo of Sonoma County hillside . If you're looking for Bliss, it's on private property, but it's clearly visible just off Highway 121 in Sonoma County.

Twenty-one years after giving us the iconic wallpaper Bliss, Chuck O'Rear is back with a sequel - Windows' Iconic Wallpaper Created in 90's, 'Bliss', Gets a Sequel ...