2004 was a seismic year for many. Facebook launched in February, music artist Usher released his now-iconic single "Yeah!", Shrek 2 came out in May, and Spider-Man 2 followed in June. For me, though, 2004 marked the first time I built a PC.
I still remember the specs: 120GB storage, a GeForce 5600 graphics card, 512MB memory, and a 17-inch TFT Monitor. The main aim of this PC was to play Half-Life 2 once it was released in November. Fun fact: I even emailed Gabe Newell, CEO of Valve, the company behind Half-Life, to ask if my PC would run the game well. He assured me it would, and indeed it did.
Fast forward to 2024, and an app called UTM is now available for iPhone and iPad. It allows you to install old operating systems like Windows XP on your iPhone or iPad, and then install apps and games from that era. After a few hours, I was able to load up and use Microsoft’s operating system on my iPad, replicating how I used to with my old PC. Thanks to Stage Manager, I was also able to play Super Mario 64 DS through Delta, a retro gaming emulator that was recently updated to support the iPad and its divisive multitasking feature, at the same time.
It’s only been a day, but I love that I’ve revived the ghost of my gaming habits and my very first PC from 2004 thanks to UTM and Delta.
Causing a riot on Threads
Post by @daryleebaxterView on Threads
Installing Windows XP on my iPad was an easy affair. After installing UTM, I downloaded a disk image of Microsoft’s operating system and selected it through Apple’s Files app so that UTM could start the installation process.
I managed to find my very old product key for Windows XP, and after an hour, I was brought to the familiar desktop. Everything worked as expected, from internet access to sound. What I loved to see was the ability to play Space Cadet Pinball, a game that came pre-installed with Windows XP. As shown in the Thread post above, I was playing Pinball while Delta was running Super Mario 64 DS, and I loved every second of it. Hundreds of Thread users seemingly agreed as well — since posting that image on the site, I’m still being asked about how I got Windows XP to work on my iPad.
I’ve experienced no slowdown on my M1 iPad Pro using these apps side by side. I spent the rest of the day trying to browse the web within Windows XP, with no success — the internet has moved on since the days of using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 6 web browser. Nevertheless, I’m still in awe that an operating system that once required the power of the first PC I ever built is now contained within an app.
That’s not the end of my time with UTM though. There’s potential to see if games can directly work within Windows XP as well — such as DRM-free games from vendors like GOG. These games can be downloaded and stored for however long you want. However, some games require Windows 10 at a minimum, so I’m currently looking into installing that operating system onto my iPad next. I’m curious to see if I can play games like Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness and Second Sight on the tablet with no issues.
Using Windows XP to play Space Cadet Pinball is just the start of my experiences with UTM. With Amazon Prime Day about to start on July 16, this app only gives you another compelling reason to consider buying Apple’s tablet if you also want to relive part of your childhood.
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