Microsoft had a secret Windows XP theme that made it look like a Mac

Microsoft created a secret Windows XP theme that made the operating system look more like a Mac. A recent leak of the Windows XP source code has revealed Microsoft’s initial work on the operating system and some unreleased themes that the company created during its initial development of XP in 2000.

One is labeled “Candy” and includes a design that closely resembles Apple’s Aqua interface that was first introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo in 2000. Although the topic is incomplete, the Windows XP start button and Various buttons and UI elements are clearly related to Apple’s Aqua Match.

Microsoft never released their Aqua theme for Windows XP, and we understand that it was used in the initial source code for the operating system. Windows developers seem to have used the theme as a placeholder to build the theme engine for Windows XP. The item itself is described as “Whistler skin with eye candy” and is marked “for internal use only”. Whistler was the code name for Windows XP.

Microsoft moved to a Blue and Green Moon theme for the final version of XP, which many called Fisher Price-esque when the operating system was originally released in 2001. The theme engine in Windows XP was a major update to the operating system, which allowed for a third party -themes and a lot of customization.

Microsoft was developing Windows XP during an era in which there was fierce competition with Apple for desktop operating systems. Later in the 2000s, Apple mocked Microsoft with banners at its annual developer conference that read “Redmond, turn on your copiers.” Apple also ran a Get a Mac ad campaign focused on flaws in Windows, and in particular Windows Vista.

During the 1990s and 2000s, Windows was heavily influenced by the classic Mac OS and what later became OS X. Apple has also borrowed some features from Windows, particularly in regards to windows, navigation, control panels, and file and folder browsing.

The leak is rare information about the early development of an operating system used by millions. We reached out to Microsoft for comment on the unreleased Windows XP topic and will update accordingly.