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Before the Windows 7 launch event, media and guests were ushered into a corridor filled with paintings of Windows 7 wallpapers, which have been noted for their eclectic nature.
Media and guests await entrance into the auditorium before the rollout of Windows 7. Microsoft designed a high-profile event to generate positive publicity for the operating system.
The event's oversized screens displayed a variety of media, ranging from Microsoft's Windows 7 ad campaign to a product demo of the operating system.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the stage after being introduced by Kylie, the 5-year-old who stars in many of Microsoft's latest Windows 7 ads.
Windows 7 will give users an experience that's "simpler and faster," Ballmer told the audience during his keynote remarks.
Ballmer described the network of designers, partners and customers who contributed to the construction of Windows 7 as its "secret sauce."
Brad Brooks, corporate vice president of Windows Consumer Marketing and Product Management at Microsoft, gave a run-through of Windows 7's media capabilities.
Brooks demonstrated how Microsoft's embrace of the cloud allows a Windows 7 interface to run on not only PCs, but also televisions and smartphones.
Part of the presentation focused on HomeGroups, a Windows 7 feature that allows devices and new PCs to be seamlessly integrated into a home network.
Brooks demonstrated the customizable nature of user libraries in Windows 7.
Windows 7's networking abilities allow different types of media and applications to be run on a wide variety of screens within a network simultaneously, as Brooks demonstrated by playing a number of videos as well as music.
After the keynote addresses, Microsoft ushered guests into a separate area containing PCs and televisions running Windows 7.
Ballmer observed Windows 7 operating on a series of laptops, including ones equipped with touch-screen functionality.
Microsoft has signed partnerships with a number of companies, including CBS and Amazon.com, to port everything from TV shows to Kindle books onto devices running Windows 7.
Microsoft's partners, such as Dell, are hoping Windows 7 will spur an increase in PC sales this holiday season. Here, Dell's Adamo ultrathin notebook is shown running the new operating system.
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NEW YORK—Microsoft launched Windows 7, its new operating system, in a high-profile event in New York Oct. 22. Headlined by CEO Steve Ballmer and even featuring an appearance by Kylie, the 5-year-old who stars in many television spots in Microsoft's latest ad campaign, the event was designed to show Windows 7 as having a simple, understandable interface that allows the user to carry out networking and multimedia functions with ease.
As part of the presentation, Microsoft ushered media and guests into a special exhibit area where many PCs, including laptops and desktops with touch-screen functionality, were on display. The hope for Microsoft and many of its partners is that the release of Windows 7 will spark an increase in PC sales.