Windows 8 was a crappy mess of an OS, but the sound scheme was GOAT. Pardon my internet slang, but this was the only scheme I hesitated to turn off. We’ve covered other Win8 sounds here on this blog, but the ones that stand out over time are the sounds for the “hardware insert” and “hardware removal.” Like call and answer, the two sounds compliment each other.
Here’s the hardware insert, a sprightly F Major Seventh chord. Click on the black stemmed noteheads. (Click rapidly for extra fun.)
In and out goes the USB, and pleasurably does she sound, a tiny fanfare of electrical excitement.
The entire Windows 8 sound scheme is in the key of F major, a pleasant FACE of a key. The simple timbres evoke a perfect future where machines sound softly and never buzz or bloop—a nice contrast to the ubiquitous marimbas of iphones.
What sonic pleasures does Windows 10 offer? I’m too scared to open my backdoor to find out.
