Yesterdays SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005 and BizTalk Server 2006 Launch. in NYC got off to a great start when to my surprise I received a VIP Badge that entitled me to an early breakfast and entrance into the Keynote. There were two to three thousand people there to celebrate the Launch, learn stuff and grab the free bits.
People were coming up to me whom I hadn’t seen in years, and everybody from NYCDOTNETDEV and NJMSDEV.ORG was there having a great time. Microsoft’s local DE’s Sagee, Al and Bill whom I’ve known since 1999 were there directing the developer track. All the local MVP’s were there wearing Microsoft shirts, no photographs please and they did a superlative job in the Experts Area answering all the tough questions.
The Vendors area was buzzing with activity, the usual fishbowl drawings, t-shirt give-aways and pendants that flash blue light. We each received a orange card that needed to be stamped by ten vendors to be eligible for the big drawing. At the conclusion of a great day came the drawing and the grand prize was not the XBOX 360 that everybody had been anticipating, but rather a obsolete black and green legacy XBOX. Cries of DOORSTOP and BULLSHIT could be heard from the baffled and bewildered New York City crowd.
With all the money spent on the XBOX 360 and yesterdays Launch Event you would have thought they could have gotten hold of one or two new XBOX 360 consoles and a few dozen games just to thank the New York community for our continuing support.