Windows XP’s default wallpaper
Bliss (above) may very well be and arguably one of the most viewed photo of all time and being the default wallpaper of Windows XP certainly helped in that cause. Windows XP which still account for 42.8% of worldwide operating system.
The photograph was taken by professional photographer Charles O’Rear, a resident of St. Helena, Napa County, for digital-design company HighTurn. According to O’Rear, the photograph was not digitally enhanced or manipulated in any way. The photograph was taken on the side of the highway 12/121 by a hand held medium-format camera. The approximate location is 3101 Fremont Dr. (Sonoma Hwy.), Sonoma, CA. The coordinates for the hill are 38.250124,-122.410817.
The photo was taken in 1996, five years before the release of Windows XP and here’s what the location looks like after 7 years.
Captured by Simon Goldin on November 26, 2006
Captured by Tony Immoos on May 2, 2010
Captured by Google Street View on May 19, 2011
