LiveBlogging the Windows 7 Launch

By Richard Hay, on October 22nd, 2009

10:17:56 AM: Welcome to the Live Blog for the Windows 7 Launch here in New York City. The venue is open and lots of mingling happening.

10:18:52 AM: All of the art on the walls are the wallpapers that first showed up in the RC version of Windows 7.

10:23:46 AM: Windows 7 Launch Wall Art. http://twitpic.com/mgyfn

10:26:02 AM: Just got to meet Tom Warren from http://neowin.net

10:35:22 AM: We have just been allowed to enter the main area for the launch keynote. 25 minutes and counting. http://twitpic.com/mgzp7

10:40:48 AM: Just shifted over to the netbook for the keynote live blog. Much easier typing then the Blackjack II Thanks for all the RT’s!

10:42:45 AM: Windows 7 is still the number 3 trending topic on Twitter.

10:43:11 AM: It is standing room only for the launch keynote – literally – no seats in the venue

10:46:23 AM: The amount of bandwidth being absorbed in here must be HUGE! Smartphones, netbooks, laptops.

10:48:46 AM: The infamous @winobs netbook: http://pic.gd/67f754 Me: From @tchachra who is attending the event with me!

10:50:08 AM: Kylie is now up on the video screen with her latest commercial for Windows 7.

10:51:14 AM: Just a note – you have to refresh the blog entry to see the updates on the live blog. 10 minutes to go! http://bit.ly/1SOpeU

10:57:03 AM: They are running all of the Windows 7 commercials from the entire campaign right now.

10:57:38 AM: We are just a couple of minutes away from the keynote and Steve Ballmer for the NYC Windows 7 Launch.

10:59:03 AM: There are some curtains up marking off other areas which appear to have PC’s setup. I am assuming we will get to check those out afterward.

11:00:43 AM: The lights just went down and Kylie is showing us how to improve pictures with Windows 7 in her photo commercial.

11:02:30 AM: Tami Weller has just come onstage. She is the Corporate Vice President and CFO, Windows & Windows Live.

11:03:18 AM: 1 billion customers for Microsoft.

11:03:37 AM: Kylie from the Windows 7 commercials is here!

11:04:51 AM: She is going to demo Windows 7 for us! She just introduced Steve Ballmer.

11:05:47 AM: Kylie just told Steve Ballmer he was late this morning. He just gave her a netbook – it’s pink. And there she goes!

11:06:34 AM: Steve just said he was an enthusiastic personality – you think?

11:07:04 AM: 45,000 stores selling Windows 7 as of today. 8 million beta testers!

11:09:09 AM: 3,000 Microsoft engineers, 50,000 partners and 8 million beta testers helped build Windows 7.

11:10:08 AM: Discussing the Wishing Wall that was used to help tune Windows 7.

11:11:31 AM: Windows 7 Works the way you want; Simplifies every day tasks and makes new things possible.

11:12:49 AM: Unfortunately I guess Kylie is not demoing Windows 7 – that would have been cool.

11:13:40 AM: Talking about Windows without walls. Connecting PC, Phone and TV screens.

11:14:30 AM: Just mentioned that Brad Brooks will be demoing some of the Windows 7 features. He is Corporate Vice President, Windows Consumer Marketing and Product Management.

11:15:06 AM: The 7 wonders of Windows 7.

11:16:00 AM: Demoing Device Stage with a Nikon Digital DSLR camera.

11:16:49 AM: Using Windows Live Photo Gallery to manage the pictures. Making a movie now with Windows Live Movie Maker.

11:17:55 AM: Less than 3 minutes to download pictures and make a movie with music.

11:18:39 AM: Demoing multi touch now with a HD screen. Showing off Windows Media Center now.

11:19:26 AM: Rest assured I will fix all the spelling errors later today (Done)

11:20:43 AM: Showing Content Channels in Windows Media Center. Announcing a new interactive Internet experience with CBS that you can get via Media Center.

11:21:29 AM: You can get HD streaming to anyone’s Windows 7 PC with this deal between CBS and Microsoft.

11:22:08 AM: Discussing Netflix now being available in Windows Media Center as well to stream movies to your Windows 7 PC.

11:22:46 AM: Touch looks a little sensitive – took him three tries to close the Windows Media Center app in the demo.

11:24:09 AM: New announcement – In early November Amazon will release a touch enabled beta application for Kindle content viewing on your PC.

11:24:40 AM: Demoing Homegroup now for sharing files, printers, etc.

11:27:30 AM: Homegroup automatically starts installing printer drivers when selected. You can move a laptop in between home and work easily with HG.

11:28:32 AM: Demoing Remote Streaming feature – connecting to a PC in Redmond Washington as part of the demo. Showing the Family Guy Windows 7 bit.

11:32:27 AM: Now showing PlayTo feature. Connecting a Windows 7 PC to AV gear, digital picture frame an Xbox and HDTV.

11:34:17 AM: One Windows 7 PC driving 17 screens and devices. 54% resources being utilized. Wow very cool. Demo done.

11:34:44 AM: Steve Ballmer is back on stage now after the demo by Brad Brooks.

11:35:06 AM: 300 million PC will be sold this year with Windows on them.

11:35:58 AM: He just said the "new" Hulu application. Hmm wonder what that means?

11:38:46 AM: Today we have computers that are for every room, for every person for every facet of their lives.

11:40:34 AM: They just opened the curtain and they have a bunch of scenarios setup to show off Windows 7 PC’s.

11:40:59 AM: Showing off an Acer Aspire now. 15 second boot up.

11:41:47 AM: Showing off an HP Envy now – 1-2 seconds wake up from sleep mode.

11:42:21 AM: 7 hours of battery life on that HP Envy. One button and it is asleep in 1 second.

11:42:58 AM: Demoing a Sony touch screen system.

11:43:34 AM: Just had Stephen Boots walk up and introduce himself – said he is watching my Tweets! Hello Stephen!

11:44:18 AM: Showing Dell Latitude new touch screen – dual monitor between laptop and desktop monitor. Uses cordless connections for data and power.

11:45:54 AM: 50 or 60 frames per second on the newest generation of netbooks! Many under 500 dollars.

11:46:45 AM: Showing Acer Aspire Revo – about same size as half a ASUS netbook. Starting price around $200.

11:48:24 AM: Discussing the graphics API, Direct X 11 and Windows 7. The graphics are unreal.

11:49:19 AM: Showing a carbon fiber case style netbook. The gear in it sounds like a bleeding edge desktop system.

11:49:49 AM: Dell Adamo thin laptop. I missed the thickness but it is thin. Wow.

11:50:48 AM: Discussing retail and hardware partner deals that are out there now.

11:51:21 AM: OK – end of the keynote. Going to go around and check stuff out. More to follow.

11:56:02 AM: OK back mobile but still live blogging.

12:06:37 PM: The Acer Revo 3600. http://twitpic.com/mhaf1

12:13:04 PM: The Samsung ION 510 Netbook. Carbon fiber case. http://twitpic.com/mhb16

12:20:44 PM: Demo of Kindle for PC. http://twitpic.com/mhca7

12:33:54 PM: Checking out 3D gaming glasses – wow. NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision. Very light and nifty.

12:37:53 PM: NVIDIA 3D Glasses. http://twitpic.com/mhedp

12:39:06 PM: Was just shown a demo of a game called RUSE. Touch enabled game of the Command and Conquer style. Wow.

12:48:23 PM: Dell Adamo – a very slick looking system. http://twitpic.com/mhfyj

12:53:03 PM: I am wrapping up my live blog of today’s events. Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Richard Hay (3332 Posts)

Richard is the Owner of WindowsObserver.com and has been involved in tech for over 25 years. His first website – AnotherWin95.com – came online in 1995. Back then he used GeoCities Web Hosting for it and what you see here today is the result of the work he has continued on the site since 1995. In January 2010 his community contributions were recognized by Microsoft when he was awarded the Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award for Windows Desktop Experience. In January 2011 he was renewed as a Microsoft MVP but in a new category called Windows Expert - Consumer and in January 2012 he received the award for the third time.

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