Tech Giants Hop Aboard Windows XP Launch

NEW YORK — In a cramped corner of the Marriott Marquis theater in Times
Square, Microsoft boss Bill Gates joined with 50 of the biggest names in the
technology industry to start the ball rolling on the much-hyped launch of
the Windows XP operating system.

“XP was a dream that started a decade ago…Tomorrow marks the completion of
that dream,” Gates told journalists just hours after Microsoft lifted the curtain on its Partner Pavilion, where technology
plays are showcasing hardware and software services built for the new
platform.

Accompanying Gates on the small stage were representatives from Adobe Corp.,
Agere Systems, Canon U.S.A Inc., Corel Corp. and SnapStream Media.
Immediately after his brief remarks, Gates and other Microsoft executives
toured the partner booths.

Microsoft group president Jim Allchin helped tout the new operating system.
“Technology companies from every corner of the PC industry will display
their hardware and software built for the XP platform…It’s really exciting
for me to see so many partners offer such a wide range of Windows XP
solutions.”

The Partner Pavilion, which resembles a trade show, includes exhibits from
independent software/hardware vendors showing off their Windows
XP-compatible products.

The exhibition included companies operating in the fields of digital
photography, music and video; mobile devices and wireless support; home
networks; and real-time Internet telephony.

Among the more prominent products on display were scanners, printers,
external drives and add-in cards.

In addition to the Partner Pavilion event, CompUSA Inc. and Gateway Country
are planning a late-night Windows XP Madness event at their Manhattan retail
stores the further hype the event.