Windows XP had a secret theme that made it look like Mac OS
A recent leak of Windows XP source code has shed light on the early stages of software platform development. For example, enthusiasts have discovered several themes that have never made it to the general public. One of them is called Candy and makes the design of the operating system very similar to the Apple Aqua style, which was presented to the general public in 2000.
Although the Candy theme is incomplete, the design of the Start button, as well as other interface elements, is clearly similar to what users saw in the Apple Aqua. It is worth noting that Microsoft did not officially release this theme, apparently, its development was carried out in the early stages of the creation of Windows XP. The topic is marked as “internal use only”.
As you know, the final version of Windows XP, which was released in 2001, used the blue-green Luna theme. Microsoft developed Windows XP in an era of fierce competition with Apple for the desktop operating system market. Later, in the 2000s, Apple poked fun at Microsoft with banners at its annual developer conference that read, ” Redmond, run your copiers .” In addition, Apple ran a Get a Mac ad campaign that highlighted the shortcomings of Microsoft’s operating systems and, in particular, Windows Vista.
During the nineties and noughties, Windows was heavily influenced by the classic Mac OS and what later evolved into OS X. It’s worth noting that Apple also borrowed some of the Windows features, in particular in the areas of window management, navigation, viewing files and folders, and control panel.
