Finally the day has come and the rest of us (well, you - but I felt that excited anyway) without a Volume License (or if you work at Microsoft) could get and use Windows Vista and the 2007 Office System (known as Office from here on in).

The British Library was chosen as two Leonardo De Vinci codices were being brought together for the 1st time in over 500 years.  One was owned by the British Library and the other by Bill Gates, who appeared in person to launch the event.  These books, plus other treasures from the British Library can be accessed and downloaded from http://www.bl.uk - I've put some info on how to demo it at  British Library Demo of Vista and the Windows Presentation Foundation and the Windows Vista Magazine have put their copy in the same format http://wpf.windowsvistamagazine.co.uk/ttpdownload/browserapp.xbap.

As always I would like to thanks everyone involved - the partners and their customers who helped to shape and deliver Windows Vista and Office and the Windows and Office teams who put up with my rantings and demands and finally (still) invited me to the launch event to see it all so close up.

Anyway, the day in pictures (clicking on the thumbnails will bring up a larger version - some will go "massive" as they quailty is better on those)

The day started with a discussion between the customers, Doug Richard , the customers, the partners and Microsoft - think of this as a "what I'm going to ask you, so don't be scared... unless a great insight grabs me, and then I'll ask you something different" session

The characters includr Richard Abel, with a great reference at http://www.bcentral.co.uk/products/accountancy-firm-aggarwal-profits-from-windows-vista-and-office-2007.mspx?xid=sbissues_020207 then the man in the blue shirt with the beardy is Mike Haigh - Windows Client Supremo for Small and Mid-Market customers.   Next to Mike is the man who runs Bradley Photography and who said on stage "Using these tools has saved me time and will result in me saving 2 months in every 12) - his story can be found on bCentral - "A portrait of a small business"

On the other side we have Adrian Barkey from EJC (posing as a thinking man) and then Susanne Dansey (Readycrest) and Scott Dodds (Head of SMS&P within Microsoft, so a very important man).  The guys from Portfolio managed to keep out the lime light in these snaps, but their story how they were able to go Green with Office and Vista can be found at http://www.bcentral.co.uk/products/windows-vista-and-microsoft-office-2007-help-portfolio-communications.mspx?xid=sbissues_020207

The on with the main event - which was a media packed frenzy which meant I was not going to get in.  However, a spot opened up in the second row, so here are the pictures as it went along:

After the massive TVs carried the videos it started with Gordon Frazer introducing the day, followed by the CEO of British Library and Bill Gates having a chat:

Then we went into the demos for consumers by the Windows Client team, Cynthia, David and Simon (who reminds me of a what not was looking over the wall) and of course a solo piece from Dan of the Feeling, before the groups concert

Then on to the business launch with Doug Richard, quizzing each customer as to the reality of their solutions being "worth it".  The session was introduced by Scott Dodds and David Frost of the BCC who shared some amazing stats (such as 40% of businesses don't have a firewall and 50% don't backup daily), but then each customer talked through their solutions, with each using a partner (EJC.IT and Readycrest) with the exception of Bradley Photography who were very IT literate.

Finally the after show party, first with the Windows Vista Magazine and then at an exclusive party in Covent Gardens

ttfn

David