Windows 2000 Professional Wins Popular Mechanics’ “Design & Engineering Award”

REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 17, 2000 — Windows 2000 Professional, which becomes available to consumers on Feb. 17, has earned Popular Mechanics magazine’s prestigious Design & Engineering Award for technology.

The magazine announced its year 2000 award winners in its December 1999 issue. The awards recognize innovative design and engineering quality in new products in five major categories — automotive, home improvement, science, technology, and outdoors.

In honoring Windows 2000 Professional, the magazine called Microsoft’s new client operating system
“the ticket to turn your computer into a powerhouse.”

It touted Windows 2000 Professional’s
“smart menus,”
which adapt the Start menu to the way users work by automatically showing the applications most often accessed. The magazine also lauded
“a vastly improved security system”
over previous versions of Windows NT, a built-in encrypting file system, as well as other features.

“We keep our eyes open for anything that we think will be a big success in technology,”
said Tobey Grumet, technology editor of Popular Mechanics, who helped make the award selections.
“We knew this [product] would have an impact on the business world, and for technology in general. There’s truly genius in the people at Microsoft.”

Grumet and Joe Oldham, editor-in-chief of Popular Mechanics, visited Microsoft’s Redmond campus on Jan. 14 to present the award to Brian Valentine, senior vice president of the Windows Division, and Iain McDonald, Windows 2000 project manager.

Oldham said that each year, Popular Mechanics takes nominations from readers and industry experts for the awards. The magazine’s section editors then make the final selections. Each category typically has multiple winners, and this year, 24 products were honored in the five categories combined.

Valentine asked Tony Ackerman, a testing lead for Windows 2000, to accept the award.
“It’s not me who should get the credit for this; it’s the team!”
Valentine said.

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