I was in Pittsburgh, Pa. for the launch event.  I have a whole bunch of pics on flickr that were taken that day.  Here are a couple of my favorites:

This one is a collection of all the Windows 4.0/95 paraphernalia that I collected over the months prior to release, as well as preview program discs and SWAG picked up from Pittsburgh.  Also included: the USA Today articles from the week of the launch.

It’s cookies! The Windows logo filled with red, blue, green, and yellow sugar cookies.  Kind of gives a new meaning to “Windows cookies.”

The product launch was pretty amazing.  Here is a YouTube video that sums up all that went on at the Microsoft campus before and during the launch:

http://www.youtube.com/v/y0CRWAz09r8?fs=1&hl=en_US&hl=en

Even though I enjoyed the ads, it still escapes me why Microsoft would ever use a song that contains the lyrics “You make a grown man cry” in the commercial to sell their Operating System…

I have been toying with it for a couple of months and have to say it is an improvement over Vista, but I also have to agree with most of the media in saying that I don’t think I would recommend that the average user run out and buy the upgrade version of Windows 7 to install on their existing home PC’s.  I would wait and get it with a new PC.  Most of the time an OS upgrade is more of a hassle than it is helpful.  The only way I would recommend getting a Windows 7 upgrade now is if you were planning on reloading your computer completely in a fresh start kind of way.

Upgrades tend to take forever, and rarely do they improve the performance of the PC.  So unless you plan on formatting the hard drive and starting over, I’d wait just a bit.

I wish Microsoft would be a little less secretive about the upcoming Zune HD.  I’d like to know if it’s going to have enough storage to effectively replace my Zune 80.  I’d also like to know if I need to prepare to take out a second mortgage to be able to afford the device.

“Wingdings?!”  At least they have a sense of humor.

As a friend pointed out to me last night, most people around here have set up their computers to dial only the last seven digits of their ISP’s dial-up number.  (623-xxxx) Well, effective February 28, all 10 digits must be dialed, including the area code.  For a quickie guide to setting this up, look below.  (Of course, if you can’t get on the Internet, how are you reading this?)

For Windows XP and Windows Vista, the fix is basically the same.  These screenshots are from Vista, but the steps for XP are just the same:

Go to the Windows Control Panel and double-click “Phone and Modem Options”

The “Phone and Modem Options” window appears.  (Imagine that!)

If you already have a location titled “My Location” you’re on your way! Not all dial-up software is the same, and some do not use the Windows modem options to configure their dialing.  Hopefully, yours will.  If you have a “My Location” line like mine above, click on “Edit…”  If not, click “New…” (Though I can’t guarantee you that this will work for you.  If you don’t have a location to start with, your software probably doesn’t use Windows to configure the modem.  Sorry!)

If this is a new location, you’ll have to give it a Location name.  “My Location” is just fine.  Or, you can make up your own.  Once you’ve reached the above screen, click on the “Area Code Rules” tab.

You may have an existing rule for 304.  If you do, select it and click “Edit…” If you do not have an existing rule for 304, click “New…”  Either way, you will reach this screen:

If the Area Code field is empty, type 304 in there.  Here is the key step: Click the box beside “Include the area code.” That should be all there is to resolving this problem!  Click OK three times to get out of there!

And, hopefully, you will be back online.