REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 29, 2000 — As the finishing touches are made on three 1,024-square-foot traveling displays, Microsoft Corp. today announced it will hit the road with a 25 U.S. city Meet Me tour beginning Sept. 14 in malls and shopping center locations across the country. The tour is designed to give visitors a hands-on introduction to the latest Microsoft® operating system designed specifically for the home user, Windows® Millennium Edition (Windows Me). The tour will feature an interactive home-like display, where visitors can get acquainted with the product by creating and sharing photos, experimenting with music in new ways, producing a video, accessing the Internet and playing games. In this interactive display, visitors can test drive the latest home PC advances in music, digital media and home networking.
“Microsoft is pleased to introduce Windows Me on Sept. 14 and deliver on our customers’ demand for OS enhancements in the areas of digital media, home networking, improved online experience and PC health and support,”
said John Frederiksen, general manager of the PC Experience Solution Group at Microsoft.
“With this Meet Me tour, Microsoft is taking an exciting and unprecedented step to introduce the power of Windows Me to people in malls all across America.”
Microsoft and major sponsors – including Compaq Computer Corp., Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM Corp., Panasonic and RCA – will visit the following cities during the next two and a half months: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Mich., Houston, Kansas City, Mo., Los Angeles, Miami, Fla., Minneapolis, Minn., New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Ore., San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Fla., and Washington, D.C. Sponsors will provide the latest consumer hardware, software applications, peripherals and services that, in combination with Windows Me, offer visitors an optimal home computing experience. The event is free and open to the public.
Test Drive Windows Me
Visitors will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Windows Me operating system, experiencing hands on the various enhancements in the areas of digital video, photo, music and home networking, and observing live demonstrations as they navigate through the home-like setting.
Visitors can capture 15 minutes of fame in the video area, where they can star in their own
“Hollywood”
video. After video cameras capture the occasion, visitors can use Windows Movie Maker to create, edit and post their movies on the Net for friends and family to view.
In the digital photography area, visitors can create a family photo album by taking pictures with digital cameras in a simulated vacation setting and then using the Windows Me Scanner and Camera Wizard to easily organize and share their photos via the MSN® Hotmail® Web-based e-mail service.
In the music area, visitors can experience the latest in digital music advancements with Windows Media™
Player 7.0. Visitors can download and play their favorite music and choose from a variety of media players and
“skins.”
In the interactive display’s home networking area, visitors can experience how easy and fun it is to share files and Internet connections by accessing the Internet and going head-to-head in multiplayer gaming using the latest hardware equipment. Visitors can also see how one family has taken advantage of Windows Me to easily and simply network multiple PCs and share printers and files in their home.
Meet Me Tour Dates and Locations
The Meet Me Tour will visit the following locations beginning Sept. 14.
West Coast Tour Sponsored by Hewlett-Packard
Sept. 14-17, San Francisco, Sunvalley Mall
Sept. 21-24, Seattle, Northgate Mall
Sept. 28-Oct. 1, Portland, Ore., Clackamas Town Center
Oct. 12-15, Orange County, MainPlace/Santa Ana
Oct. 19-22, San Diego, Westfield Shoppingtown North County Fair
Oct. 26-29, Phoenix, Paradise Valley Mall
Nov. 2-5, Denver, Cherry Creek Mall
Nov. 9-12, Kansas City, Oak Park Mall
Central Tour Sponsored by Compaq
Sept. 14-17, Chicago, Woodfield
Sept. 21-24, Ann Arbor, Briarwood Mall
Sept. 28-Oct. 1, Minneapolis, Mall of America
Oct. 5-8 Washington, D.C., Fashion Centre at Pentagon City
Oct. 12-15, Baltimore, Marley Station
Oct. 19-22, Pittsburgh, South Hills Village
Oct. 26-29, Cleveland, SouthPark Center
Nov. 2-5, Cincinnati, Kenwood Towne Center
Nov. 9-12, Houston, The Woodlands
East Coast Tour Sponsored by IBM
Sept. 14-17, New York, Roosevelt Field
Sept. 21-24, Boston, Burlington Mall
Sept. 28-Oct. 1, Philadelphia, The Court at King of Prussia
Oct. 5-8, Miami, Aventura Mall
Oct. 19-22, Tampa, Tyrone Square
Oct. 26-29, Atlanta, Lenox Square
Nov. 2-5, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Collin Creek Mall
Nov. 9-12, St. Louis, St. Louis Union Station
About Windows Me
Windows Me is the latest version of the Microsoft operating system designed specifically for the home user. It improves the home computing experience by delivering enhancements in the areas of PC health, digital media, home networking and the online experience.
Consumers will be able to obtain retail versions of Windows Me on Thursday,
Sept. 14. In addition, Windows Me will be preinstalled on new PCs. The estimated retail price for Windows Me is the same as for Windows 98: $209 (U.S.) for the full-package product and $109 (U.S.) for a version upgrade from Windows 95. For a limited time, Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition users may upgrade for $59.95, after which the $109 price prevails. Parties interested in learning the estimated retail price in local currency for other countries should contact their local Microsoft subsidiary. Reseller prices may vary. More information about Windows Me is available at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/newsroom/winme/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software – any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, Windows, MSN, Hotmail and Windows Media are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
