The story behind the most iconic wallpaper ever..and Ctrl-Alt-Delete

I ran across this story about the iconic desktop picture that was the default picture used in the XP operating system.  With the demise of the official support for the XP operating system I figured I would add this story-bit about the system, the picture and of course the "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" function that is a staple of everybody's experience with Microsoft products.

XP Wallpaper-Most Famous Photo Ever

The incredible story of the XP Wallpaper ‘Bliss’ image – now considered one of the most viewed photos of all time.

As the world mourns (or not) the end of the road for Windows XP—as of Tuesday, Microsoft is no longer offering support for the operating system—Microsoft Netherlands has posted this nine-minute film on its YouTube channel all about XP’s famous default wallpaper.

The backstory is told by Charles O’Rear, the photographer who snapped the iconic picture, aptly titled “Bliss,” in 1996 along a California highway north of San Francisco (reports seem to differ on whether it’s Napa or Sonoma).

This was Bill Gates explaining about the "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" feature that is used on all Microsoft based operating systems.

    
“Basically because when you turn your computer on, you’re going to see some screens and eventually type your password in, you want to have something you do with the keyboard that is signalling to a very low level of the software—actually hard-coded in the hardware—that it really is bringing in the operating system you expect,” Gates said. “Instead of just a funny piece of software that puts up a screen that looks like your login screen and listens to your password and is able to do that.
“So we could have had a single button, but the guy that wanted to do the IBM keyboard design didn’t want to give us our single button, and so we programmed at a low level… it was a mistake.” 

Here is a video explaining the story a bit more from the programmer that designed the feature.  David Bradley.

I will continue to check on viable options for upgrading my XP.  I don't want to buy a new computer...Mine runs fine for what I use it for...and the money I spend on a computer, I could use to .....Buy another gun.  Something that isn't obsolete as soon as I unpack it.