Best. Windows. Tattoo. Ever.

Posted on by

Or is it an anti-Windows tattoo? I’m not sure… Paul got this Windows 98 bluescreen tattoo done by Sam Rulz at Two Hands Tattoo in Auckland, New Zealand.

Update: If you’re wondering about the motivation, the artist explains,

What Paul loves most is the idea of explaining this tattoo to his grandkids, when Windows 98 is so outdated as to be completely obsolete. The knowledge that this tattoo’s subject will certainly become outdated was key to inspiring Paul’s decision to make something so indefinitely fleeting so indelible. As was the idea of taking something so mundane and using it in such a way usually reserved for subjects the wearer deems important. Truth is Paul doesn’t love Windows 98, and Paul doesn’t hate Windows 98, Paul doesn’t really give a fuck about Windows 98 one way or another.

The guts of it is; Paul wanted this Tattoo because it goes against the norm, it is not an image that one would see and instantly consider appropriating as a tattoo. It encourages people to think and ask questions, not necessarily ask Paul questions, but question what they currently think or know about Tattoos. That’s what good art does; it stirs conversation within the audience. The same goes for all other art forms, painting, film, music… You may not like it, you may not understand it, the important thing is that you’re thinking about it, you’re not just a passive viewer. All art has an intended audience, its very possible that what you are looking at, watching, or listening to …wasn’t made for you.

155 thoughts on “Best. Windows. Tattoo. Ever.”

  4. Not sure whether that’s excellent or not….suppose it depends on ya sense of humour….I think it’s kinda geek chic (no offense intended)

  6. Fucking hell. That’s pretty intense a tattoo to get, even for a geek. I know Microsoft has traumatised millions, but I wouldn’t let it go as far as carve my flesh (I’d rather go for a kernel panic tattoo instead 😉

  21. A small price to pay for being able to, Overclock, Mod, Upgrade, Game, Code, Soft-mod, Compatibility, Performance…the list goes on for a PC over a MAC ; ) but hey, you can play the sims on a mac =P

  23. i cant help but think that knocking someone out with that tattoo on your arm would be so grand.

  28. Knew there’d turn out to be a little Mac/Windows debate in here lol

    And yes, the tattoo amuses me as an avid Mac lover.

    It all depends on what you want to use the computer for. And you can always get a PC without Windows 😉

  34. I use a windows 98. On it right now! It’s only good for storing my music and surfing the web. It will crash twice a day on average and there are a lot of websites that make it crash for some reason, but thankfully not BME.

  36. “Or is it an anti-Windows tattoo?”

    It is a pro Linux tattoo I think. Or pro BSD, if you are more paranoid. Or is it pro Solaris? Plan9? BeOS?

  37. That is awesome from a geek POV and really well done from a modding POV. The lettering looks nigh perfect and it’s very straight. I can’t even write on unlined paper without slanting, let alone tattoo someone.

  38. Freaking kewl tattoo, hope we see some more of those… love it!!! A PC lover here. . . let the exploits of both sides continue. LINUX 4ever.

  40. I also see it as an anti Microsoft/Windows Tatoo…

    Thats why i, and many others use LINUX, Ubuntu 7.04…

  44. Would’ve been better if his arm was tattooed blue and the text left as white/skin colour.

  46. This is the stupidest thing i’ve ever seen. how is this guy gonna feel when he’s 75 and has that stupid thing sagging at his wrist.

  47. Fool!!! Fool is all I can use to describe this, yea blue screen of death, not funny… What a fucking retard…

  48. Omg, u forgot to put macs screen of death

    “(insert program) has unexpectedly quit. You will need to restart your computer.

  49. ^Why are people like the last two comments even on bme? Damn us, Let’s all go and get tribal!

  52. the mask with the tongue hanging out and spikes on top…have the same one hanging in my room and tattooed on my shoulder blade. i thought mine was one of a kind 🙁

  56. Oh bad flashbacks! The Blue Screen of Death! And always in the middle of something important =(

  57. Never ceases to amaze me what people will do. That is cute for now but how about 30-40 years down the road when he won’t be able to read it as it fades. Yes we do all age.

  59. what is the thought behind this? has he suffered by the bsod so much that he has to have a public record of it?

  60. I can imagine mac users must be confused. The concept of written instructions on a screen tend to frighten the “one button mouse” brigade 🙂

  61. Hahah this dude is my flatmate, he fucking rules. My gf, Sam, did the tattoo! http://www.myspace.com/samrulzok is her tattoo myspace page.

    Best tattoo idea ever. I told him that he should get a mac tattoo, then said ‘ah nah wait, they never crash’. Turns out the next day I got a Kernel Panic and my comp is totally fucked. Karma’s a bitch!

  62. blue screen of death… is that the best you can do mac fans? how about “this application unexpectedly quit…”, you can’t even give me a reason. Or the good ol color wheel which sticks around like a giant herpy. all you mac users are probably aware that pc has far superior gaming abilities, and far superior games. And Im sure all of you douche bag mac users are aware that pretty much all buisnesses used microsoft spread sheets. So why don’t you guys go make another “cool movie” about it, and we’ll keep the buisnesses around the world running, including apple. Ha ha bitches, mac sucks.

  64. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ITS THE BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH!!

    So many lost essays and reports!!

    *runs to hide* If I can’t see it, it didn’t happen!

  66. Haven’t had any BSOD messages on my PC of ages osx x86 if far superior to windoze on any pc but I wouldn’t write NERD all over my arm

  67. Hehe nice, though I would rather have a Guru Meditation (hint Amiga) tattoo. 🙂

  71. I thought I was a nerd because I had this on a t-shirt…I bow before this dude, and hand him the crown of nerdness.

  72. pero que es esto? lo proximo que será tatuarse la biblia en verso?? dios que pirada esta la gente. y yo me hago una pregunta: por que no hay ningun comentario español en este foro?? soy yo la unica tonta que escribe aqui? VIVA SPAIN, JODER!

  73. pues no se…….. para ser para toda la vida me parece un tema de tattoo un poco equivocado….. pero si a el le gusta…..

  74. Pos Hija no eres la unica, este tio es mas tonto que pichote que me tio la picha en un bote y no la pudo sacar..
    Estamos en la epoca en la que todo el mundo busca sus 15 minutos de fama a base de demostrar su deficiencia mental.

    UN SALUDO PA TODOS.

    VIVA ESPAÑA COJONES

  79. jajajajjajajajjajajajajaj a eso es a lo que se le llama un verdadero friki o komo se escriba… en fin.. hay gente pa to… personalmente no e visto un tatto mas feo en mi vida… q asko…

  80. vaya una mierda de tatuaje,ya veremos si con el paso del tiempo esas letras siguen igual de nitidas xDD

    a to esto alicia,porque no me agregas al msn,que es [email protected] y asi luego podemos decir que nos conocimos en un blog de un guiri,bueno la idea es tonta,pero los dos venimos del mismo lao,ea

  83. What an asshole. The ugliest tattoo ever. Stupid fucks like you should not be born.

  85. que te den por saco mario23. fíjate lo tonto que eres que solo te falta hacerte el Tatuaje Windows este de mierda.

  86. only thing gayer than this tattoo is the fags bragging about their Macs. all of you, die

  88. now it’s funny but let see when you get older if you still want to have this tatoo..

  90. Un auténtico gilipollas. Otro pobre tipo patético de los que desgraciadamente abundan por la red.
    G I L I P O L L A S

  92. ati si que te iva a gustar que te diese “por saco”

    y no,no tengo tatuajes ni me gustan,matá

  94. A este tio habria que ir a buscarle a su casa y cortarle el brazo con una lima. Hay que ser subnormal pero bueno q haga lo que quiera.

  95. Vaya tonteria de tatuaje,ademas de ser estar en un sitio q no viene a cuento. como decian por hay ese tatuaje en un futuro no tiene ni pizca d gracia y menos hay.

  97. w0w… you’re terribly stupid! Into 10 years, you will visit the “laser store”.

  98. Por el bien de la especie humana, espero que este tio (o gilipollas que es mas correcto) nunca tenga descendencia.

  101. Ya sólo te falta tatuarte las tres luces rojas de la XBOX360 y haces la tontería completa xD

  104. Menudo kapullo de pelotas!!!! Komprendo ke para tener tu momento de fama kieras hacer la koña, pero kuando te hagas viejo y te mires el puto y jodido tatuaje, pensaras lo SUBNORMAL ke fuistes.

    Putos payasos…

  106. That guy is going to wake up a few weeks from now and totally regret that. I have to admit, its kinda funny, but that has to be one of the most impulsive ideas Ive seen.

  107. alguien me ha estado suplantando, yo soy la del primer comentario y este. me parece vergonzoso que haya aqui gente que suplante en comentarios. como diria tamara: me parece patetico! y claro que te agrego mario 23. será por conocer a gente…si quiere alguien mas que no dude en decirlo.
    gracias

  109. este tio es tonto y solo lo aprenta??…como se le ocure acerse eso en el brazo???….asi a voz de pronto yo opino k es…mmmm…esto….mmmmm…..como decirlo sin k parezca ofensivo….mmmm….GILIPOLLAS!!!…
    Saludos desde ESPAÑA!!!!^_^ O_0

  116. A mi tb me parece patetico q la gente se dedike a suplantar a las demas!! hay q estas aburrido! mario23 te kiero!! lo nuestro si es amor!! un flechazo en toda regla y con punto de partida en una pagina friky!! q triste son nuestras vidas….

  119. claro que es amor!!sobre todo cuando lo practicamos, tu disfrazada de tux, yo de manzanita de apple…y el del tatto metiendonos su pantallazo por el culo…si esq es precioso…

  120. joder que ignorante de tio, jaja, bueno ali ya vamos siendo mas los que entramos y comentamos en castellano, ARRIBA SPAIN AND YONKIS!!!

  123. my name is ytcracker and i am an internet legend. my wikipedia is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YTCracker

    most recently, i’ve been featured on mtv and spiketv because of my awesomeness.

    anyway, enough bragging – onto the tattoos.

    http://www.ytcracker.com/images/invincible.jpg
    just snapped that with my webcam – i touch my left arm for temporary invincibility.

    http://www.ytcracker.com/images/lnd.jpg
    i designed this tattoo – the background is the legend of zelda shield, the rest of the stuff you probably recognize. the meaning of the tattoo is the first hand is a human hand and the second hand is a ghost hand, meaning when youre dead you can still play the game, hence “legends never die.”

    http://www.ytcracker.com/images/foreverridin.jpg
    you can see my nerd life tattoo across my stomach and “dg inside” – thats digital gangster for all you n00bs – http://www.digitalgangster.com keep it treal

    yep.

    – bryce

  125. menos mal que al castron este no le dio por ponerse una carta de ajuste… o el arranque de la bios…
    es mas facil haberse tatuado… SOY TONTO

  126. la gente sigue suplantando. pues que os den panda de gilipoyas!! de que vais??suplantaros a vosotros y dejarme en paz!! sois mas tontos que el del tatuaje!

  127. “All art has an intended audience, its very possible that what you are looking at, watching, or listening to …wasn’t made for you.” This is exactly the way i’ve always looked at and considered art. Wether you’re looking at a painting or watching a fight between two skilled fighters, you’re seeing forms of art. Everyone has a different opinion about what art is and i think that’s why art is such a great concept. Everyone can individually love or hate the same thing for their own personal reasons.
    Greetings,
    Tim

  128. well you deff. got ppl talking.. 151,now make it 152 with the addition of mine… awesome tattoo.. effing brilliant…

  130. Seguro que el “artista” es un MACOSO, con esa mierda se eternizó su odio a windows.

    Frikis macosos..

  131. #

    love macs. it’s funny though! (got cut off..)
    rebecca on July 26th, 2007 at 4:50 pm

    …Your Mac cut you off?

  132. as a statement: very well done, you got people’s attention as you wished and got them to debate about the art of tattooing.

    as a tattoo: sucks mucho big time ! you would’ve been better off photoshopping it unto your arm instead of actually getting the tattoo…

    i luv bmezine, keep it up!

  133. Well, it’s obviously brilliant: look at the response it’s provoked.

    Perhaps this tattoo will take on another level of meaning right after Paul crashes, er, dies. At that point a Fatal Exception will definitely have occurred and it will be apparent that someone pressed a key and the current Paul application has been terminated. Will someone be able to press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and bring him back to life or is that just a hint about future reincarnation?

    And wait a minute: Windows 98 apps didn’t run in their own protected mode memory space, so one app crashing often brought down the whole system. Stay healthy Paul, the whole she bang is counting on ya 😉

  138. Anda personaje k eres un liante friki amerikano tendrias k se anda k kuando te vea tu madre la kara de verguenza se deveria de kaerte

  139. fijate la puta casualidad,que estoy ordenando las webs,y digo,que web es esta,entro y me fijo,el notas del tatuaje,va, borrar,y para mas sorpresa al cargar me encuentro a alicia23 contestando algo,leo mas arriba y veo que me an usado el nick mismo que yo puse, dandole coba y como no,ella contestando,cariño,esa ironia que usas es bastante patetica,no ves,contestando una y otra vez mensajes en un blog de un colgao,vamos,que al final,to lo tomastes en serio,y tan en serio..

    en fin….

  140. paso de lo que me digais, soy libre de opinar lo que me de la gana para eso estamos en un país libre. y si te molesta te jodes!!

  141. I think it’s awesome and definately worth the comments. I love all the people who hate it with that “my ideas are the only ideas ever. i’m normal and weird shit that i don’t get is lame. people who do stuff i don’t get are idiots.” ah. self check fellas. ctrl – alt – deleted. Time to learn that we don’t all have your level of genius/ignorance. ps. sam rulz rules!

  143. wtf? are you freaking retarded? why the hell would you do this? get a brain, then a life dumbshit.

  144. im getting PRETTY sick of hearing this “when you get older and wrinkly blah blah blahf GIGHJ:grg;” bullshit.

    people with tattoos get them becasue they like them, if you’re on this site talking trash like that odds are you are here from an outsourced link, so i really would rather not give you the time of day to bitch you out. but honestly- get them now while you can, if you die tomorrow you wont get a tattoo you could enjoy. this guy could die next month, and then he wouldnt have to worry about what it looked like when he was 75.

    live for now. not for later. later may never come.

  149. I support ya man, and your reasoning behind it. It IS all too true how “TBSOD” will become something of the past soon, and will be forgotten almost entirely.

  152. I cant believe someone is using windows 98 in 2007. I was like 6 then. I’m using Vista Ultimate with dreamscenes and its awesome. I might get a MS Windows logo tattoo on my shoulder.
    I’ve never seen vista blue screen. Is it even blue any more?

  155. “It encourages people to think and ask questions, not necessarily ask Paul questions, but question what they currently think or know about Tattoos.”

    Bull. Shit. People get random or pointless or just plain stupid tattoos all the time. Don’t give this guy credit for being artistic- it is not artistic just because it is random. If you were to ask me, he just wanted a tattoo and couldn’t come up with a good idea so he used, “it makes you ask questions,” as an excuse.. That and he want’s to show everyone how much of a nerd he is.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *