this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2026
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Win2k was one of the best versions of Windows.
It was really the first release of NT for everyone - it added dynamic events (Plug and Play) to NT, and used the same shell (visually) as 9x (though NT4 did too, IIRC).
It replaced the DOS-based version of Windows, and could actually let you use a lot of DOS software still - which NT4 really struggled with.
XP was a step improvement over Win2k, it wasn't until Win7 that we saw the next big improvement - proper 64 bit support (XP had a version with it but it was a niche thing).
For me, everything after 7 is a disappointment.
The biggest thing was DirectX on an NT kernel (starting with Win2000). I think the history of DOS and Windows is inexorably linked to being able to do business and play games on the same machine.
It’s also when Microsoft started certifying drivers. They’d solved a lot of OS bugs with NT4 but systems were still unstable due to poor drivers (and dodgy hardware). WHQL solved a lot of those problems.
XP was more than just a reskin of 2000, but not much more. I think XP feels more significant than it was technically because of the different UI and the longevity due to the troubled Vista launch.
Ah, yea, DirectX - that was HUGE.
And I remember printing became a lot better under NT4 and then again under 2000, then went back in the shitter, haha.