Windows XP

The most common version of Windows in the pre-2007 era, looking more or less like an updated version of Windows 2000 with a GUI by Chicco.

When it was my corporate OS, I made it somewhat palatable by using Cygwin.

But even Dilbert makes fun of it these days:

• SoftGPU, a GL driver for XP virtual machines
• nLite, a tool to automate “slim” installs of XP
• Automatically Slipstream Windows XP with SP2 and All Post-SP2 Security Hotfixes with a Single Command | smithii.com - .cmd files to automatically download most hotfixes and perform slipstreaming
• Project Dakota, an easy way to update XP after a fresh install from an original CD. It requires running the WGA tool prior to downloading an ISO, though, which is a pain if you want to update a machine with no Internet access whatsoever.
• Bart’s PE Builder
• Building a slipstreamed installation CD with SP2