XP-tan
 | “If possible, could I have some more?” This article could be expanded on and use more details, and needs them as much as XP-tan needs more RAM! |
| Windows XP Professional-tan | |
| |
| Character Information | |
|---|---|
| Common Names | Windows XP-tan |
| Other Names | XP-[chan/tan], XP Pro, Windows Experience, Whistler, Saseko |
| Faction | Windows Family |
| Lineage | WinNT |
| Appearance | |
| Height | *none listed officially |
| Hair Color | black (most common), or brown, or dark blue |
| Eye Color | blue |
| Design | |
| First Appearance | 2004 |
| Technical Information | |
| System Personified | Windows XP Professional |
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
| Debut | 21 Oct 2001 |
| Latest release | Service Pack 3 (21 Apr 2008) |
Character Details
XP-tan is a dark-haired girl with ribbons in her hair and an XP hair ornament worn on the left side (infrequently, she is depicted with ornaments on both sides). As Windows XP is criticized for bloating a system and being very pretty without being equally as useful, XP-tan wears tight clothing and has large breasts. Also, as Windows XP used up large amounts of memory for its time, XP-tan is often seen eating or holding an empty donburi labeled Memory.
XP-tan's personality is shallow at best, filling the role in the manga as the typical eye candy character. In Deja Vu's doujin, she is seen as a somewhat dense but undeniably beautiful and envied character, easily compared to Mikuru Asahina from Suzumiya Haruhi no Yūutsu. She has had the most hentai scenes out of any of the OSes, much due to her large breasts, often drawn comically huge. However, her characteristically large breasts are envied by most other characters.
She is somewhat involved in the Homeo saga, playing a minor role as a foil to Homeko.
Shift in characterization
The portrayal of XP-tan as a shallow piece of bloated eye candy seems to have changed ever since the debut of Windows Vista, its much higher hardware requirements and even fancier interface. In hindsight, XP had very high requirements for its time, but nowadays is able to run well on low-end computers, and XP's Luna GUI is simple-looking compared to Vista's and 7's Aero. While XP-tan may still be portrayed as dense and a big eater, she's now more likely to be seen as more reliable, dependable and practical than she ever was before.
See also: