Windows Vista Install Fest Highlights!

I'm happy to announce that our Windows Vista Install Fest was a smashing success! A very special thanks goes out to Bruce Cowper and the TechNet team for setting up and co-ordinating the event. The Nerds on Site were friendly and a great help also. Bruce announced on stage that this is likely the first public Vista related event ever set up by Microsoft. He also mentioned that Beta 2 is slated for around Christmas and will be a public Beta!

We had over 200+ attendees at the event (a large majority of them Toronto Windows Server User Group members and a good number of TASK members) and we collectively raised $250 for local charities and filled up a Volkwagen beetle with food! There were computers near the event entrance with Avalon-based feedback forms. If you came in with a USB key, you could also pick up a copy of the beta additions for VPC. All attendees received a 3 DVD set direct from Redmond: Windows Code Name "Longhorn" Beta 01/Professional x86, Windows Code Name "Longhorn" Beta 01/Professional x64, and Windows Code Name "Longhorn" Windows Automation Installation Kit. Don't even try contacting Bruce or I for a copy - they ran out like hotcakes! I even took a photo of a rare XBox 360 poster at the event using my phone.

There were great prizes at the event including Windows Vista ballcaps (these are the same ballcaps handed out to Microsofties at the Windows Vista Beta 1 ship event - you can see them on Robert Scoble's photo blog and in different videos on Channel 9), Halo 2, books, backpacks, shirts. Here are some of the highlights: Valentin Illiescu came onstage to give a great demo of his 3D Avalon chess application...I also had a few minutes in the spotlight to promote my upcoming book Professional WinFX Beta. Bruce demoed TweakVista - the "slowed down" animation registry tweak was especially effective.

If you would like to see photos of the event, check out the TWSUG website in the next couple of days. We will also post Bruce Cowper's slide deck and more information. Can't wait for the Beta 2 event! :-)