Sneaking into the auditorium for the Windows 2000 launch rehearsal

At the 2000 Windows launch in San Francisco, Microsoft sent developers to an expo to demonstrate new features and answer questions; a smaller group attended the main event. Arriving early at the Civic Auditorium, Raymond Chen found an unlocked door and slipped into the empty upper level, where he watched preparations for the show. The elaborate stage included a towering mock laptop, projection screens, concealed surprises behind curtains, demo stations, and an airplane cabin for a sketch about mobile computing.

During a rehearsal, the giant laptop opened to a simulated Windows sign-in, followed by a video montage and an announcement welcoming Patrick Stewart. Chen briefly believed the actor was about to appear, only to see a headset-wearing crew member stand in as his placeholder while technicians checked camera and lighting positions. Chen returned to the waiting crowd without revealing the host. The live event later unfolded largely as planned, with Stewart delivering the presentation. Chen recalls his extraordinary stage presence: even technical material read from a teleprompter sounded persuasive in Stewart’s voice. The airplane sketch demonstrated infrared file sharing and other mobile scenarios, a reminder of technologies that have since faded from everyday memory.