???? – 2009retired
Dell Inspiron Mini Series
“Small screen, big first love: it fit the whole internet in a bag.”
“Where our desktops learned to wear their hearts as gadgets.”
Windows Live Gallery, codenamed Customise, was Microsoft's online marketplace for the small things that made Windows feel personal. Launched on July 24, 2006, it offered desktop gadgets for Windows Vista and 7, web gadgets, extra buttons for Windows Live Toolbar, and Messenger extras like emoticons and activities. It was the little shop of personality for a generation of desktops.
The gallery was officially retired on October 1, 2011, closing its doors on years of downloads and customizations. What it left behind was a memory of an era when you could dress up your desktop and your Messenger conversations with a few clicks. It retired gracefully, having done exactly what it set out to do.
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“Small screen, big first love: it fit the whole internet in a bag.”
“It saw you wave. It never needed a controller. Rest easy, Project Natal.”
“Two years, a billion dollars, forty-eight days on the shelf — gone too soon, loved anyway.”