This is what I think too, but the amount of people I hear that say XP was the best windows makes me wonder, do the more colourful buttons, lighter backgrounds, (maybe not rounded edges?) make for a better UI than win95 ultra-consistency (very grey, X not highlighted)?
Can any proffesional designers chip in?
(Win2k was the peak windows, although using win3.1 web emulators to play solitaire is my peak nostalgia)
> the amount of people I hear that say XP was the best windows makes me wonder
It's just a function of generational popularity IMHO. Windows XP broke into the mainstream in a way that 98/2000 had not, for a number of reasons. It was literally garish, but between people looking for a "wow" factor after years of grey borders, and the increased amount of total desktop users, more people loved it right there and then than anything that preceded it or followed it. I wouldn't extrapolate any big theory of design from this phenomenon.
As a long-time Windows user at the time, I can say that "the dream" back then was OSX.
Can any proffesional designers chip in?
(Win2k was the peak windows, although using win3.1 web emulators to play solitaire is my peak nostalgia)