New Zealand is the first country to experience the worldwide consumer launch of Windows Vista on 30 January, due to its position on the timeline. New Zealanders get the opportunity to buy Windows Vista in retail stores a few hours before Australians, 13 hours before the UK and a day ahead of Americans. The 2007 Microsoft Office system is being launched at the same time.
It’s about 1.30am NZ time on 30 January as I write this, so I guess some extra keen kiwi geeks will be ripping off the shrink-wrapping on their Vista OS right about now.
As Geekzone noted, the first purchase in the world of a Microsoft Windows Vista loaded PC took place in Auckland, New Zealand at one minute past midnight in the early morning of 30 January 2007. All Black Dan Carter kicked off the Vista launch by signing a laptop, which was then put up for auction for charity on Trademe (NZ’s version of eBay). There are also 15 copies of Windows Vista (Ultimate) digitally signed by Bill Gates, and other items, being auctioned to raise funds for New Zealand charity Cure Kids.
Tomorrow morning I’m part of a local media contingent checking out a digital home in Wellington, New Zealand. It’s a home outlayed with Microsoft technology, perhaps a bit like Bill Gates’ home! I’ll wait and see what it’s like tomorrow morning (if I can drag myself up in time) and will write up a report later for R/WW.
Originally published on ReadWriteWeb (archived copy)