Why I’ve covered Microsoft for 25 years

I’ve ever been fascinated by Microsoft, and it’s led maine connected a somewhat surreal way to covering the institution for astir of my life. It each started successful my teenage years, erstwhile my curiosity implicit the interior workings of Windows led to little moments of fame and tons of moments of occupation with Microsoft’s lawyers.

As a nerdy teen successful the aboriginal ’00s I would walk hours gathering PCs to tally prerelease versions of Windows, and I would regularly lug my customized machines and CRT monitors to location parties. I would DJ the latest MP3s I had downloaded from Napster and effort to impressment my friends with a concealed caller Windows diagnostic they had ne'er seen before.

While Windows seldom impressed my friends, my passionateness for unreleased Microsoft bundle truly kicked up a cogwheel with Windows XP. Codenamed Whistler, it was a large departure, visually, from Windows 2000 and Windows ME, and determination was a batch to play astir with during aboriginal beta builds.

Microsoft issued nationalist builds of Windows XP successful precocious 2000, but the truly absorbing parts were hidden distant successful the regular builds that Microsoft’s Windows engineers were moving on. I wanted to get entree to arsenic galore of these arsenic possible, truthful I started to downlo …

Read the afloat communicative astatine The Verge.