Holy bump of death... well far be it for me to not chime in on this one. I started playing around March/April 2001, right after Velious. I definitely had no new UI - started with the clunky old marble looking one until someone showed me the way, to this UI
http://members.cox.net/raahvinmt/images/EQ000002.jpg
- which I used until <whenever> the newer UIs came to being. As you can see by the image number, this is actually the 3rd screenshot I ever took in game. Oh, the old days... never be the same.