The Windows XP Frog Mystery…
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- I love you xp frog
This Windows XP profile pic friend has permeated my brain for 22 years, maybe not that long. but a while so today I set out to find him, and failed. sorry spoiler, I didnt find anything about this frog in the slightest, but I had a good time failing at least,
Thank you so much for watching and for still being here through these 2 months of no uploads, That will never happen again. If it does that means I'm tied up with chains and ropes and chains and you should call the police, in seriousness though thank you for still being here :3, Ill see you in the next one. Very very soon.
Michael MJD's Bliss Video: • Bliss - The Story of W...
NationSquids Autumn Video: • Autumn | Windows XP's ...
👠My Socially Things👞:
Twitter: / bjiru_
Steam: steamcommunity.com/id/bjiru/
Discord house: / discord
Martin Van Buren: bjiru.com/Martin_Van_Buren.gif
Chapters: (∩^w-)⊃━☆
0:00 WHAT MYSTERY?
2:19 Finding the What kind of Frog This is.
8:09 Finding THE XP Frog Picture.
10:32 Failure.
Music Used (In Order):
Half Pipe - 1080° Snowboarding
SUPERBEAT: XONiC - Back Around
IDK, I CANNOT FIND THE NAME OF IT AGAIN IM SORRY!!!
Gallop Racer 2001 5 - So Far
Psychometrer Eiji - Till Dawn
(づ๑•ᴗ•๑)づ𓆏 ---- thats a frog - Zábava
i enjoyed this video! although i don't really involve myself much in the windows scene nowadays, i am the person behind the windows aesthetics projects and i'm happy that my research and archival efforts continue to be appreciated for years to come. perhaps one day the answer to the question "who took frog?" will arise, even if it's buried deep in corporate archives
if anyone is curious what i'm up to nowadays, i am still involved with various preservation projects, especially related to music; i'm a trusted editor on vgmdb and have been cataloguing thousands of albums there. i myself am a musician, please consider checking out my work!
Thank you for everything you did for that Windows project, and for continuing to archive things. (By the way, fellow trans person. She/Her.)
Thank you for all you do Fusoxide good luck with your music and whatever else you may do :3 🎵🎶
@@princessCashel trans ppl trying not to day they're trans , lmao
Thank you
Hi btw :3
Even as a child I thought it was a rubber toy like a rubber duck. Never would have thought it was a plushie.
Agreed even the pixely microsoft picture reads as a rubber toy to me, even on the crappy crt moniters of the time.
sam
Same
I just thought it was 3D graphics or some other digital art. Low res enough and the tech certainly existed.
same
God damn, that "Chess image is the default dad profile picture" statement was crazy accurate 🎯
That was me as a kid
I grew up as an ultimate dad, my dad was a fish
I remember when my dad was setting up his then-new NEC laptop and the chess picture was automatically assigned by default.
It's the default administrator profile picture
i think even my dad had the chess image as his picture on Windows XP years ago, it's just the universal dad image now
I think it's so awesome there's one guy out there who's dedicated a large portion of his time and effort to track down different windows XP profile pictures and setup a wiki for the wallpapers.
Your pfp though...
that's me :) i'm a gal, she/they. this was my big hobby during around 2018-20, but it's been on the backburner nowadays. i am involved with other preservation and research projects though, such as editing vgmdb and sometimes archiving ringtones.
@@fusoxide Nice to meet you! Hopefully the lil frog will be found eventually. I will look through some Polish thrift stores, maybe I can find it somewhere. Not any concentrated effort, I just like to browse thrift stores.
@@UltimatePerfection sounds fun, hehe. it is of course possible that it could have been used in books in the 90s and 2000s - and those usually include copyright/author acknowledgements for stock photos used. even bliss was found in a very old russian textbook for example
@@fusoxide The way I see it, if the frog pic is the picture of a real life object, it is out there somewhere. The real frog, I mean. So even if we can't find the original picture, we can at least find the frog.
very intrigued by the fact you thought it was a plushie- even at the very low res, its details look too smooth and painted to be a plushie
I'm tickled by the idea that a bunch of toy manufacturers might have been inspired by the design of a rubber frog used in a random Windows avatar.
We gotta 3D model then print the XP Frog.
Froggy!
Froggy!
Froggy!
Froggy!
Froggy!
Hey, I know where this is from! It is a bath toy! I had one when I was younger, before Windows XP even came out, so I assume the toy came before the profile pic. I got it from the dollar store. There were actually three of them that looked exactly like this, down to the exact coloring and paint, along with a large, flat, dishlike "mama" frog the three could ride on made of the same material. I have no idea the manufacturer or anything, but seeing as it was from the dollar store, it may have been produced in China or similar.
So I looked it up because that seemed like a searchable set I looked up "90s rubber frog bath set" and the link to an ebay listing "Vintage Simple Toys Green Frog Rubber Squeak Bath Tub Toy W/ Mini Frogs Floats" and that looks like The frog with a bigger one.
I think you might be on to something!
👀 so invested in this situation
Someone pin this comment! 😂
I thought of this toy too! And when I looked it up, the shape appears to be pretty darn similar. The only thing is that they don’t have the bumps on the back like the windows one does. I do definitely believe that this is where the Windows XP frog came from though. We just have to find the right set.
Oriental trading company might be able to dig something up depending on if they still have stuff from before their bankruptcy.
Interesting that you thought it was a plush. I always thought it was a rubber frog like a rubber duck even when I was younger.
I’m pretty sure I used the frog when we were just using the default before I uploaded my own images. My brother was the skateboarder and mum was the gerbera (the flower) as it was actually her fave flower. I think my sister was the soccer ball considering she played at the time.
So Im not the only one!! He does look very much like a plush
@@bjiru_ You are still the only ne, that's not what they said lol
@@bjiru_manifesting ur own answer lmao
@@niamhsurtees9276let him manifest 🙏 🤲
one thing that always gets me... when thinking about lost things... is that there are probably a bunch of these sitting in various stages of decomposition in a landfill somewhere.... like they're not gone.. just lost............ but still THERE...............
oh him? that's just Joe. he was head of HR at microsoft when I worked there back in '04. chill guy.
I still have my plushie frog I won from a Pizza Hut claw machine as a child. He is my prized possession and he has a cute little Christmas hat. Watching this video was very nostalgic for me. I hope you find your Froggy soon 🍀
Okay so, MJD/LGR content mixed with Scott the Woz humor/editing? I immediately love this channel!
Hello i am from russia and I actually vaguely remember this frog from my childhood it is still on sale I used this phrase to search for it “лягушка игрушка резиновая для ванны” it translates to “frog toy rubber for bath” I added the for bath part because i vaguely remember that the frog was a bath toy . Also I can help with Russian to English translation if you need it.
hello it seems what the frog in question is similar but different sorry
ура
Shit, I also grew up in Russia, but I remember this userpic very well. But I never wanted one because there were frogs just like them in toy stores. I googled лягушка игрушка резиновая для ванны in the Yandex search engine and the first picture is almost the same frog, except for the back part painted dark green
Apparently they were made in Asia, using the same mold for casting
The "Joseph.jpg" filename may indicate that either the frog, the creator of the frog, or the company is named "Joseph".
a forg...... used to talk to one back in the days
you talk to an green?
i love green it's my favorite color
@@mrluthfians01green is not a creative color
Froggy?
@@VreyIsGrey nu uh
Little internet searches like these are my favorite kind of content to watch on CZcams. It’s sooo interesting and fun to watch. It’s like watching a very niche piece of history unfold
As a frog, I appreciate the effort and your interest
No problem, it’s an honour mr frog 🫡
EASY LEGENDARY TIER I LOVE FROG!!!!!!!!!!🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
YOOOOOOOOOOO POLYGON DONUT
I WAS GONNA SAY I WAS JUMPING FOR JOY WHEN HR WAS PUT WHERE HE BELONGS!!
PONGON
omg is that the polynut
There was always something charming in this frog and I also low-key wanted to obtain it and swim with it in a bath when I was four. Probably mainly because green's my fav colour and that shade in particular is my fav as well. Back when I had XP and I played solitaire I always played it just for the sake of seeing that frog again.
God bless you in your future searches
I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE ! ! !
thank you so much.
we love xp frog
FINALLY AFTER 2 MONTHA SIDOIUFHEIUFHIOUHGIOURHIUGDOUIDFIOUVNDFUIOHNBPDF
YIPPIEEEEE
Your my fav youtuber! ✨
I know alot about 90s/early 00s nostalgia!
P.S I'd love to have a compition of our knowledge.
You found it???? Where is it
Where's the video
@@andrew08 No. He said "FINALLY AFTER 2 MONTHA" because it has been 2 months since his last video (the experimental phones one)
Lmao. That is hilarious.
Your hyperfixations are inspiring me to make videos of my hyperfixations
After watching this video I now care a lot about this frog and I need to know where he came from and who he is.
Probably the best video
Everytime I become happy every time this dude says "Frog"
I mean any time, it makes me smile
I mean I just like the way he says it sometimes
:)
I was in junior high in the U.S. in the mid-to-late 1990s. This exact squishy rubber frog was widely available as keychains from places like Claire's sometime between 1996 and 1999! The range may be a little narrower, but it was definitely within that span. Lots of kids at my school had them, and I had one too! Rubber ducks, frogs, etc were really on trend. I think it had something to do with the culture cycle of 1960s/70s 'hippie' aesthetics being quite popular. You could find lots of stuff with ~hippie aesthetics~ at places like the tween accessory store Claire's, Walmart, Target, Limited Too, such places.
i am kinda sad that those old windows xp aesthetics died out, i really liked them and i think they are really calming and nostalgic. feels like home i dont know how to explain it. sadly everything nowadays is really modern and simplified which looks okay too but i really miss the windows xp-7 era of things.
I know how you feel, Its deffinatly a lot of nostalgia, but I also do feel those aesthetics of aero glass or charming pixely things of XP genuinly had so much more personality then the flat design of more recent years past
Frog was taken by Gabe Palmer, in December 1999, He may have the original in his personal portfolio.
Did you watch the video?
I watched this video a few days ago and enjoyed it. At 6:00, I was like, "wow! I can't imagine finding the exact same frog on a stock photo site. That's crazy!" and then moved on with my day.
It's only now, after receiving likes on my extremely old Tweets in reply to Windows Aesthetics, that I realize I HAD found the same exact frog stock photo in reply to that exact tweet you linked! I would have appreciated a shout-out in the description or something, but it's honestly just kind of amusing - I forgot that I'd even been the one to find it! And I'm glad you at least were able to email the photographer.
FROG!!! POG!!!!!!
You probably wouldn't wanna hug the Windows XP frog, but you likely would wanna squeeze its cheeks to make it open and close its mouth and look excited.
I am so happy about this frog still being relevant decades later.
6:14 That is not the same frog, notice the pupils which are larger and moved upwards. This is a distant cousin.
in other words: it's a different copy of the same toy, rubber toys like this do tend to have slight differences between each one due to their relative cheapness in terms of production
@@yoymate6316 thanks! its klonoa from the game "klonoa: door to phantomile" :3
That is just simply how cheap production works. Cheap and quick paint application. It's a common thing amongst doll enthusiasts to find the doll with the best-printed face due to so many coming out a bit wonky. They can be missing certain layers or be printed with a tilt or a shift up/down/to the side. Something even cheaper like a bath frog is sure to be way more varied than that.
@@arekrekas213 so a less than distant cousin
@@Chromeno yeah, more like a brother/sister
This feels like a video that polygon donut would make lol
Big xp frog fan here, just a thought: could the rubber duck profile picture have been from the same photo shoot as xp frog? They both have the white background and are both rubber bath toys, perhaps if we could find the rubber duck photographer we could ask if they took the xp frog picture?
How is he so sure that the picture in the "wife sells frogs to save husband" article isn't the source of the XP profile picture? I say they look the same, especially when I notice the same direction of lighting in the pictures. You can just erase the background of the picture from the article in white to get the profile picture.
It is very possible this was just a set of old bath toy moulds that came out, most of them would have been thrown away or damaged by now and if it was in the 90s not many images would exist, also companies share(steal) moulds and alter them he looks like a big one. My boyfriend remembers a toy with a similar and pose (definitely not the same one though look up specifically 1990s rubber frog bath toy) without bumps and finer details and we were born in 2001 with older siblings.
Edit: Other image of the big one being from Alamy makes me believe this may have never been for market and mass-production and was made specifically for stock and commercial images, he might be in a landfill, there may only have been one and they just painted him twice for all we know.
0:04 are you play game
no.
Absolutely deserved to be the first video at the top of my homepage as soon as i opened the app 🐸
I have a feeling this was a toy that was mass-produced only in the '90s.
Probably the 2000's too, it would feel more fitting to the time period
1:05 really appreciate the era specific versions of the websites. that old ebay interface takes me back and modern ebay doesn't have the same charm like before 😭
I used to own this rubber frog as a kid. I lost it one day, sadly.
I HAD THIS FROG TOY GROWING UP!!!! or at least one that looks extremely similar. it would light up and play music (i dont remember the music) and besides the electronics in it it was definitely made of rubber or something similar to bath toys from that time. i sadly don't remember anything more about him but knowing my family he might still be in a box somewhere in storage.
Where is the link to these frogs?
You aren't the only one who loved this frog as a kid, I was very much in the same boat. Whenever I run a Windows XP virtual machine I always choose the frog profile picture as I once did oh so long ago. I also went on a small search a few months back, and while I did correctly assume he was a rubber frog toy and not a plush, I was never able to find anything regarding it either aside from the 2001 article you mentioned. Great job finding "Joseph", it is amazing to see this toy from another angle! I really do hope we can find the full resolution image some day.
ngl, but before this video, I always thought that frog was made of rubber and had a hole on top, like, a hollow frog toy, good video...
It’s very funny watching you try and find where this frog was from, because I had the exact same frog as a bath toy when I was younger. Bumps and everything!
windows xp frog my beloved
I'm not saying that this is what the frog is from, but the design of the frog looks similar to the designs of the frogs used in the board game "Froggles." Unfortunately, I couldn't find a picture of the game pieces online.
I admire your level of obsession.
So I can sew
The temptation to make a Frog plushie is very high xD
to me the frog looks more like playground equipment. like some big plastic thing kids would sit on or smth
Love the ever changing “plushie throne” int he background, now with a big ass turtwig and a big ass Wheatley with a Garfield on his head
when i was a kid my sisters and i had the xp frog that came with a set of pool or beach toys.
Maybe the frog was owned and the picture taken by an in-house employee at Microsoft?
my dad has the motorcycle guy pfp, and the reason why i say has is because he has an ancient hotmail email and somehow the pfp synced over to modern outlook (no clue how thats even possible) so everytime he sends an email that pfp will show up
I legit found this frog on the street in my hometown, lying in the gutter
Please post him on youtube. Also, what country are you from?
The most prestigious lost media photo to ever exist
Every time a stock photographer is contacted in regards to one of their photos, they always respond with short, curt, and brusque responses, almost as if they're annoyed at having been asked about _their_ product. If someone is contacting you to inquire about one of your products, don't you think you'd be a little bit nicer?
Fun fact, the Chess image is actually the default profile picture. The administrator account uses it.
I'm calling him Frug- just like you do- now
the editing style in this videos is great +1 subscriber
how did you mention a banger (michael mjds bliss video)
I'm sorry to bring this up but your accent is fascinating. You're like a chill millenial Dr Evil who doesn't care about megalomaniacal plot and just wants to tell people stories on CZcams instead.
Hello! This video got my attention, because I’ve been interested in frog, because I know I’ve seen him in real life! I have a memory of feeling those bumps on his back. If you’d like I can give all the details I have.
the real frog was the friends we made along the way
Bro i'm from morocco and when i was young (kid) i remember i have this toy
I love it when I end up on this part of YT. It’s so comforting.
I loved this video!!!! Keep up the good work and I hope you have an amazing day :)
As a Russian, I just wanted to say that this Russian article says that the woman had a collection of frogs, not ducks
That frog has gotta exist 🐸
this was a great video lol I want xp frog now
I just wanted to say that in the thumbnail for Maya Winky's Lord Farquaad ASMR, she is holding a very similar frog. I haven't watched the whole video so I don't know if the frog is part of it, but it looks somewhat like Windows XP frog.
Different frog, judging by the mouth.
Glad I got here early enough to become aware of the search for windows xp frog before this blows up and we find him lol
Hey um, have you tried using toad instead of frog in your searches? The bumps on its back seem to indicate that it's a toad. I imagine it might make a little bit of difference if it was sold as a rubber toad
genius
When I was little I would sit on my dad's lap and play XP solitaire. My dad would hum Blue Danube quietly, and if there was a move I could make, he would hum really loudly and that would make me giggle like a maniac
I had no idea this frog had such a mystery behind it. I did use it as my windows XP PFP at some point. If we ever find the source, I'd be glad to know as well.
The Windows XP source code has been leaked, maybe digging through it might help? Can't guarantee the original fullres image is there, but at least there could be some relevant metadata.
This frog is truly a mystery.
I always imagined the frog as a small plastic toy, like what you would get from a capsule toy vending machines, but I guess it might make sense as a bath toy. I also thought the shape was a little too definite even in low resolution to be a plushie, but now that you said it, I want one too
I spent a lot of time on win xp as a kid and loved the bliss background. I actually ended up moving to santa rosa jus a short drive away from the location the photo was taken. I spent so much time looking at that mountain range as a kid and now I get to see it when I go outside.
Dude this video is so cute hahaha now I'm interested in Frog!!
good video!
i have the same garfiled plush as you in the background!
Im glad to know more people are hyperfixated with this frog.
idk what its about him but its so cool. With his little smile and big ol' eyes. Plus, empty head no thoughts. Just happy frog.
Here's to this video getting a gazillion likes and millions and billions of views, until the guy who has this frog sees it.
Frog design was the agency behind the logo of Windows XP, though not sure whether it's just a coincidence or if they are related to the frog image
I got really excited seeing this video cause I have a rubber toy frog from when I was little that looks so similar! But unfortunately isn't the xp frog because it didn't have the bumps on its back
It looks like some kind of prize you'd get from a claw machine when you were actually trying to get the knockoff Discman, so it's probably just some cheap ephemera that hasn't been manufactured in 25+ years from a factory in Asia that now makes bad iPhone clones. Unless there's another person wirh a rubber bathtoy collection, I'd say the chances of finding the original are minimal, but at least you got us one leap closer
I think your absolutely correct, finding the manufacturer is likely next to impossible
I used that frog as an avatar as a kid!
I had an irl toy frog that looked like it, but it was a pink from with blue stripes. I don't have it anymore, but I got it from a party grab bag at a friend's birthday party. It had a rubbery texture and when you squeezed it, its roll tongue unrolled out like a partyblower.
Are you sure that frog is the same one? The pupils in the eyes in the XP icon/russian article do not touch the top of the eye, they are surrounded by white completely, while the one you found it seems the pupils extend to the eyelid. Also, the material seems different (the eyes are less shiny), the colour is darker and there don't seem to be lips in the XP icon like your find has. Admittedly that could all be due to lighting conditions, but I think the placement of the pupils is definitely different!
Come to think of it though, it's maybe possible that the one you found uses the same mould as the XP frog and was just painted and coloured differently, as I'm sure toy companies reuse or distribute the same moulds for slightly different products.
A Michael MJD reference but everything goes right
I’m so glad I got to learn about windows xp frog
The Frog looks like the Nick Jr. logo froggy from when I was little a little bit aww! 💖
Lmao I follow both nation squid and Michael mjd, and I also follow you so it’s like a strange crossover
i had him as a kid! (im 33 and was a kid when he was new) it was a squeaky toy that my dog eventually mauled i remember i won him at a carnival ring toss where you usually win the fish but for kids they gave toys out if the parents diddnt want a fish in the house. hope this helps your search.
I always enjoyed frog I learned to play solitaire as a kid just to be able to enjoy frog more
I've seen that exact frog get sold on street shops in hong kong, it's a rubber toy
This is the most entertaining video of a f*cking frog! 🤣🤣
I had that exact same frog when I was basically a baby, I believe it was a gift from one of my dad’s friends, either way I loved that little guy he made bath time a lot more fun
Incredible video
*my dad: chess piece then changed to spaceman*
*my mum: butterfly then changed it to duck*
*mine: palm trees then my runescape character lol*
*i went through a lot of frogs* ...a phrase combination i never thought i would hear 😂