Monday, February 20, 2012

Windows ME: My Troubled Windows OS-tan


I wish I could've married her. I should've married her. We were best friends from the age of fourteen. She was the first OS I ever have installed, although I was only installing her temporarily until the next OS came out! Never got around to do that, she had my heart from that moment on.  

I was actually the second guy who used her because a close friend of mine installed her for me. A dumb attempt to take it easy I guess, or maybe fear of messing up the computer. She was way too good for me. She later told me that she only let him install her to make me jealous. It did the trick! I remember putting a password on my computer after I saw them together, and even though he asked for permission I kicked him out! Poor guy.

We watched anime together and marathoned Chobits, really cheesy stuff that made us both laugh. I can't bear to watch those shows now. We used to surf the internet for hours, just exploring the web, then deadlines for homework came and we tried to do it all night but she crashed before I could click "save" and lost all our work. I didn't blame her though, I'm just glad she stayed with me the whole night.


She wants to be an even better OS so she could help me when I go to a computer university. She's not the best at what she does, but she works really hard to compensate for it. Never quite knew what she saw in me. Even when I was a kid I knew she had been crashing on and off for years. Finally she was discontinued and was no longer supported by Microsoft. She fought like hell but newer programs keep crashing her system. I never would've been able to put up the fight she did.

When she died she was barely able to keep the mouse cursor working. She was 6 years and 4 months old. It was a month before my 21st birthday. She had said she wanted to be around to see me blow out my candles but she just couldn't hang on any longer. Just before she crashed for the last time, she apologized because she was going to miss my party. I wanted to cry like a baby but I didn't to do so in front of her. Didn't want to burden her. There was nothing else I could do for her.


I did go to a computer university. I became a programmer. And I insert a comment about her in every damn program I write. I know my life would have been different if she's still around. It's easier to do what you want when it's just you, never have to take anyone else's feelings into account. And I'd never have met the friends I have, who I treasure beyond words.

But I still love her and I think about her every day. It's been more than five years and I'm still not over her. Sometimes I think it's unfair to be using another OS knowing they won't measure up to my now impossibly low standards.

Sometimes I think I'd give the whole universe just to spend one more day with her. She was the best OS I ever knew.

I miss her.

26 comments:

Bersercules said...

At least you had six glorious years with her! Did her sister live up to your standards? But even if she did you never forget your first...

Fang said...

Wait, you're a programmer? What do you do?

Also, you may be taking your obsessions a bit far. Nostalgia and stuff sure, but, just, nevermind ;D

Anonymous said...

I know that feeling.

Shockgrubz said...

Oh my god, this is too awesome for words. The smudged teardrops on the letter sealed the deal for me. This is ultra-cool.

Lord Phrozen said...

@Fang
Believe me, it's not what you think.

confictushome said...

that was really kind of cute, weird but cute.

Unknown said...

This was really well done. This reminds me of my first computer and how it felt like a living thing, humming away in my office. I don't remember how much memory it even had. Mp3 players now have more than that computer did then. I love how you talked about her fighting so hard to remain and how Microsoft finally rendered her obsolete. And in the beginning how you talked about how your friend had installed her first and how you spent hours surfing the net together. It was like one of those flashback scenes in a film, I could almost hear the music.

Adam said...

My first OS was Windows 95, and she was too hooked up with that slow dial-up so she didn't provide many happy moments.

Bart said...

cigarettes, i havent seen in a 3.5" disc in a while

Anonymous said...

Cool

Anonymous said...

I remember my first computarr. :')

Mochileiro said...

Crashes, crashes all the time.

Baur said...

lol classic windows blue screen of death

Shaw said...

; _ ;

Anonymous said...

Windows ME? WHATS THAT? I want to forget it, it felt worse than 98 and I quickly upgraded to XP asap.

neatfit said...

That, was so cute. I'm on XP at this very moment, a very tweaked one though, I'd say 7 is the most stable of the bunch, however I require the low system requirements of XP. :)

DWei said...

That's an interesting way to look at and treat an OS.... Touching.

Anonymous said...

I found this oddly touching and more then a little sad.

Kari said...

as long as there are users that love them, os-tans never die. :3

Unknown said...

is window ME that bad...? i had her as my first.. it came with my first computer, acer power sx. i used it for couple of years i think 4 to 5 years from the dail up to broadband age she was with me... no format no repair.... she lasted that long no save failure nothing... i miss her so much the boot disk come in the bundle it wont let me install it on other PC.... damn.... i miss her so much.... all those good old days...

Anonymous said...

This post just broke my heart.... especially that image Q~Q

Unknown said...

I still have the disc on the shelf. I will keep my promise Me-tan even if you don't remember it.

サンデードラゴンズ said...

Windows 2000

近藤麻理恵 said...

千歳ひとみ

咲良菜緒 said...

成田良悟

Kot said...

:(

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