Microsoft’s Windows 10 Device Launch Event in Pictures

I can’t tell you the number of times over the years that Wi-Fi at a Microsoft event has been pretty much non-existent. The same was true for the Device launch earlier this week in NYC. Just 30 minutes prior to the keynote kickoff, Frank Shaw assured a group of reporters from The Verge beside me that Microsoft has prepared enough bandwidth for everyone and that connectivity should be stellar. This was after they had complained about not being able to connect. About every 5 minutes after that, a voice over the event room’s loudspeaker recommended that everyone logoff personal Wi-Fi devices and connect directly to the network provided. Microsoft must’ve had a good laugh over this later because no one was able to connect to the supplied Wi-Fi the entire time. One journalist threatened to leave due to the connectivity problems and was subsequently ushered to an analyst table where a hard-wire connection was available.

Me? I felt like an astronaut whose tether broke during a spacewalk. I resigned myself to the fact I’d have zero connectivity (ashamed and feeling like a fresh-faced Jimmy Olsen, I didn’t have a personal hotspot in my go-bag), so I set about recording the event through pictures. I have much to share about the announcements this week – mostly in honest commentary (like the business-focused article on device choices) – but to get started here’s a walkthrough of the event. The story told in pictures thanks to Microsoft Sway.