The Windows XP startup sound is without end engrained in my thoughts, these tinkling chimes bringing again recollections of AIM, Civilization III, and countless hours spent making an attempt to obtain music via Napster and Kazaa adopted by countless hours spent making an attempt to take away the viruses I by accident downloaded via Napster and Kazaa.

The sounds of Windows are as a lot part of computing historical past as the rest you’ll discover, and the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast is doing a two-part series on the history of the startup jingle. It begins earlier than computer systems have been even capable of have startup sounds, and it traces their evolution via composers like Brian Eno and musicians like Robert Fripp and the Seattle Symphony. The first episode is out now, and it’s each a superb pay attention and a humorous time capsule. You’ll know instantly while you began utilizing computer systems as quickly as you hear the correct startup sound.

The present additionally makes the case that startup sounds are about extra than simply startup sounds. You can inform rather a lot in regards to the state of expertise by the constancy of the audio; you possibly can perceive how an organization considered its merchandise by the vibe it was making an attempt to speak, and you may hear computer systems go from sci-fi funkiness to on a regular basis actuality. The Windows 98 sound even morphs from mono to stereo, as if to say, “look what we can do now!”

In case you’re feeling additional nostalgic, right here’s an ideal video of each Windows startup and shutdown sound, again to again. (And don’t miss Microsoft’s slow-fi variations of them both, or the a cappella group that’s scary good at imitating them.)

Some are undoubtedly higher than others, however the actual lesson right here is you want a startup sound. Windows 8 didn’t have one in any respect, and you know the way Windows 8 turned out.

Twenty Thousand Hertz has carried out a couple of tech-related episodes earlier than, taking a look at the Netflix “ta-dum” sound, the Xbox startup sound, and Minecraft’s unusual sound effects. But nothing brings me again like Windows XP.