Microsoft spent much of 2001 focused on getting Windows XP out the door, and it had plans for a public launch that would rival, if not dwarf, that of Windows 95. And after revealing the new branding for Whistler at a February technical workshop, it scheduled its next public milestone, a broader reveal to non-technical journalists.

“Windows XP is the most important Windows release since Windows 95,” Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told reporters at a mid-February 2001 event held at Seattle’s Experience Music Project (EMP). “It’s time to give users brand-new reasons to upgrade their PCs. We’re delivering new experiences.”