I recreated Windows XP as my portfolio
Years ago I stumbled across a basic version of this concept and it stuck with me. I knew if I was ever going to take on such a project, it would need to be flawless, but without coding experience it was just another idea that would never happen. By the end of 2024, as AI coding tools exploded everywhere, I finally had a way to make it real. I started from zero knowledge and spent months collaborating with AI agents as a learning experience. Every pixel and every function went through me. The AI translated what I asked for into code, but every decision was human. I didn't use existing OS…
I recreated Windows XP as my portfolio launched on September 7, 2025 with 1,032 votes, #4 of 8,160 launches that month and more than 99% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 1 year on.
In plain words
This is a browser-based recreation of Windows XP built from scratch as a portfolio project. The creator, who had no prior coding experience, collaborated with AI coding tools over several months to build a fully functional interface, making all design and feature decisions while AI handled code translation. The project uses minimal existing libraries beyond xp.css and paint.js, with the majority being original code written to demonstrate fundamental programming concepts and AI collaboration skills.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
This site is a Windows XP recreation in the browser. It is an OS simulation you boot in a tab, a web desktop built in HTML and CSS, not a Windows download or an ISO. I'm Mitch, a freelance visual designer based in Brisbane. I work across graphics, websites and interactive projects, with a particular interest in taking a visual idea through to something people can use. Originally from New Zealand, I studied Graphic Design at Queensland TAFE in my late twenties. My client work also includes video production, from player entrances to highlight packages for live events. Sport was an early influence on my interest in design. Growing up in New Zealand, the All Blacks’ identity was everywhere, and…from mitchivin.com
In the maker’s words, at launch
Years ago I stumbled across a basic version of this concept and it stuck with me. I knew if I was ever going to take on such a project, it would need to be flawless, but without coding experience it was just another idea that would never happen. By the end of 2024, as AI coding tools exploded everywhere, I finally…
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