GoKawiilMicrosoft used Patrick Stewart as surprise host for Windows 2000 launch rehearsal
A Microsoft employee recounts sneaking into the empty upper level of San Francisco's Civic Auditorium before the Windows 2000 launch event, watching staff rehearse the show. The rehearsal featured a giant mock-laptop stage prop, video montages, and an announcement revealing actor Patrick Stewart as the event's celebrity host.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The account offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how elaborately Microsoft staged its product launches in 2000, treating a software release like a theatrical production with celebrity hosts and custom sets. It also shows how closely launch details, including the identity of presenters, were guarded from staff until the last moment.
- Patrick Stewart served as the celebrity host for Microsoft's Windows 2000 launch event.
- The staging included a 10-meter mock laptop and elaborate set pieces like an airplane cabin.
- Even Microsoft employees attending the event didn't know the host's identity until the rehearsal.
Source: devblogs.microsoft.com — Raymond Chen, 2026-11-02
Published there as: “Sneaking into the auditorium for the Windows 2000 launch rehearsal”
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