aeroOS

What did I make?
I built AeroOS! It's a fully functional, browser based desktop OS that's basically a love letter to the "Frutiger Aero" the popular aesthetic of mid 2000s (think Windows Vista, Windows 7, and early Mac OS X). I built a custom window manager so you can drag and minimize windows, added a 3D glass dock with that classic magnification effect on hover, and threw in a bunch of skeuomorphic apps. right now, it has a Notepad, a detailed mechanical analog clock, a live weather dashboard, and a Welcome app.

What was challenging?
Honestly, nailing the aesthetic was the hardest part. It is surprisingly difficult to recreate authentic 2000s glass UI using modern CSS. If you aren't careful, it just ends up looking like modern Apple glassmorphism. Getting that true Frutiger Aero vibe meant stacking crazy complex box shadows, using sharp 50% split linear gradients to get those harsh glass cuts, and layering inner white borders so the UI actually looks like thick, physical acrylic glass.

What am I proud of?
As a person who loves designing as much as I love web dev, I'm proud of how I was able to blend those two together. I'm really proud of the details, like the vista pearl CSS orb, the red counterweight on the analog clock’s second hand, and the custom Vista style cyan loading ring. Seeing all those tedious, tiny CSS tweaks finally come together into a desktop that actually feels like a real machine from 2007 is just incredibly satisfying.
How to test it?
Just head over to https://aero-os.vercel.app/ and you'll be on the desktop. Have fun!