OS-tans are moe anthropomorphic personifications of popular operating systems, originating on the Japanese imageboard Futaba Channel. The designs of the OS-tans, which were created by various amateur Japanese artists, are typically female; for example, the personifications of Microsoft Windows operating systems are often depicted as sisters of varying ages. The -tan element in the term is a hypocoristic suffix in Japanese that implies extremely youthful endearment. Though initially appearing only in fan works, the OS-tans proved popular enough that Microsoft branches in Asian countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Japan used the OS-tan personification concept as the basis for advertising campaigns for Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Silverlight, respectively.
History The concept of the OS-tan is reported to have begun as a personification of the common perception of Windows Me (Released in 2000 by Microsoft as the 9x counterpart to Windows 2000) as unstable and prone to frequent crashes. Discussions on Futaba Channel likened this to the stereotype of a fickle, troublesome girl and as this personification expanded Me-tan was created and followed by the other characters. One of the early works to predominantly feature the OS-tan was an interactive Flash animation showing a possible intro to an imaginary anime show known as Trouble Windows. It was first published on 2004-04-19 and appears to have quickly spread worldwide, its first known appearance outside of Futaba Channel being on the site Misfile. However, it may have spread more widely after the flash animation was uploaded to YouTube in 2005.
Commercial products Ohzora Publishing produced one book based on OS-tan characters, titled Trouble Windows OS-tan FanBook (とらぶる・うぃんどうず OSたんファンブック). It includes illustrations by over 25 contributors. It also includes 95-tan, ME-tan, XP-tan figures, titled OS Girl 95, OS Girl me, OS Girl XP respectively, but include a molded space for 2k-tan (named OS Girl 2K). ME-tan, 2K-tan, XP-tan were designed by GUHICO of Stranger Workshop, while 95-tan was designed by Fujisaki Shiro from H.B.Company. Parthenon Production Limited, company had commercialized Pink Company's OS-tan products. MALINO from Deja Vu ArtWorks produced the Me Document and Shared Folder! trilogy, which were sold in digital format. The Japanese version of Windows 7 Ultimate DSP Edition includes the unofficial Nanami Madobe mascot. This inspired Microsoft Taiwan to launch an official mascot for Microsoft Silverlight, Hikaru. This was followed up by giving Hikaru "sisters", Lei, Aoi, and Yu. A special package of the Japanese Windows 7 Ultimate DSP Edition, called the Touch Mouse Artist Edition or Touch Mouse Limited Edition Artist Series, came with an animated tutorial Windows theme (with custom sounds and three desktop backgrounds) featuring Madobe Nanami.
Tan suffix The Japanese suffix tan (たん) is a mispronunciation of chan (ちゃん), an informal, intimate, and diminutive honorific suffix for a person, used for friends, family, and pets. In this case, the mispronunciation is used intentionally to achieve the contrived cute or charming effect that is commonly associated with its use by young children and is also sometimes added to the names of non-mascot characters. The personifications as a whole are commonly simply called mascots or mascot characters, and as such the -tan suffix itself means nothing outside its role as an honorific and its implications of cuteness. Normal suffixes, including -san, -chan, and -kun are also used in the name of some OS-tan, depending on the character and the speaker's preference; the suffix may indeed be omitted entirely.
Classic OS-tans
MS-DOS MS-DOS-tan is most commonly represented as a shy schoolgirl, with black or dark grey hair in pigtails decorated with "DOS"-shaped hair ties; her hair ties are usually blue, but are sometimes depicted in the colors of the MS-DOS prompt logo as shown in Windows. She wears round glasses, a white button-down blouse with a light blue skirt and suspenders. She carries around a keyboard, and is usually peeking around corners.
Windows 3.1 Windows 3.1-tan is depicted as a gothic girl with a cat named "DOS-nuko" who represents MS-DOS 6.22. Some depictions of her are cheerful or deadpan. She has long white hair with red eyes, a purple bow on her hair, a lavender gothic dress and a purple bow on her chest with a "3.1" brooch. Her cat can transform into a cat girl with a nurse outfit. This specific design is called "Grandma", but she mostly looks young. 3.1-tan is called "oobaba-sama" which means "Grandma".
Windows 95 Windows 95-tan is depicted as a Yamato nadeshiko who fought a battle with the Mac-tans in the 1990's and has retired. She was aware of developments of the Internet and multimedia, but however, she is unfamiliar with developments after Windows 95 such as the USB. She has long brown or orange hair, brown or pink eyes, and a bow of the Windows logo, a kimono of the hana256.bmp wallpaper in the Japanese version of Windows 95 and black sandals. She is often depicted as a motherly and kind woman.
Windows 98 Windows 98-tan is a shy girl with an appearance of a middle school-aged person. She also has a mecha box, just like Windows 98SE-tan. She is 98SE-tan's sister. She has a dark history notebook. She has a blue bob cut, a golden 98 hair clip, blue eyes, a sleeveless white shirt and a blue or black skirt, blue or black thigh highs and brown or black shoes. She also has blue or black gloves. Windows 98SE-tan is depicted as a girl with an appearance of a middle-school-aged person who is prone to aggression and holds a can opener with her. She is a fan of professional wrestling. She has a mecha box, which is inspired by Vulcan from Zatch Bell. She has periwinkle or blue hair, a side ponytail with a cherry shaped hair tie. She has a green or teal sailor uniform.
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