Ive always liked the look of these CDs

Posted by matt_is_boring@reddit | vintagecomputing | View on Reddit | 12 comments

Windows 98

Windows 2000

Windows XP (2 of them)

Office XP

Office 2000

And yes, they all came with the keys!

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This was a big deal for me too when Microsoft introduced it. The first time I believe it was Windows 2000 Professional. I have the retail RTM Office 2000 Professional discs and they were not hologram until SR 1. But it made the tangible side of Microsoft software felt like you owned something special. I remember persuading my Dad to purchase so many software just for this. Between the end of 2000 and 2003, we got Windows 2000 Professional, Office 2000 Premium, Windows ME, Windows XP Professional and Home and Office XP Professional upgrade.

When I started beta testing Microsoft products I would get complimentary retail copies at the end of the beta program. But the design of the discs became more conservative by 2007. They weren’t as impressive. They were also holograms versions of Volume License Media Kits too, I’ve collected many over the years. My most prized one being the Windows XP Professional RTM October 2001 which uses the FCKG product key.

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Calman00@reddit

Reminds me of the beginning of the Select program when we were receiving literally a 50 pounds case of CDs with all versions in all languages of everything MS was selling besides video games. And the we were using like 8 of the thousands of CDs in there.

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TrannosaurusRegina@reddit

Some of the greatest achievements in visual artwork of the past few decades.

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inquirewue@reddit

I was 12 when XP came out. My dad and I waited in line for it at CompUSA on release day. I could not believe how cool the CD was. I remember I set it up on my desk and soldered a little LED light together to illuminate it. I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever owned.

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stas2k@reddit

I remember being under 18 and staying for the night in a Internet Club just as the RTM ISO dropped. No broadband at home, so I am downloading it until the admin of the place comes over and says: "Don't waste bandwidth, I have it on a local FTP." And that is how I got my copy

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Complete_Entry@reddit

My XP64 got disc rot. I had to buy it at a vacuum cleaner store because it was NOT common.

Like I worked in a computer store and had to go to a vacuum store to get it. I felt so embarrassed.

When BB had the vacuum cleaner store as the criminal witsec, I believed it.

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my-names-gavin@reddit

Does anybody know why Microsoft changed to this iridescent design other than an attempt to identify a potentially counterfeit copy of the media?

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inquirewue@reddit

I think there is an old Technology Connections video that touches on this. Basically security through expensive equipment. The bootleggers wouldn't be able to afford the machines needed to create the disks. Same way that PlayStation CDs worked. There was a strip of data that could not be printed on the CD by any burner unless you literally owned a factory.

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