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CLICK "MORE" TO FIND OUT WHAT THIS IS!!!
This is the set of videos for the MSN Preview
that shipped with the MSN 2.0 software,
created on October 17, 1996.
MSN 2.0 was supposed to be a radical shift in
the way people viewed online content. The
preview featured a variety of "real people"
who represented the 6 channels of the
software's main section, called On Stage.
Most of the acting is really canned, but what
else would you expect?
Unfortunately, the software was way ahead of
its time. In 1996, people were trying to use
this software with 16 MB RAM and 14.4k
dial-up modems. No one really knew what to
expect from the Internet back then anyway.
You'll hear these people talk about web sites
and e-mail like it's something
unprecendented.
This effort from MSN failed because computers
in 1996 weren't ready for all of this
content. The internet would ultimately become
a place that people could browse by
themselves, without relying on a single
online service. By 1998, MSN's entire site
was back to a "normal" page, with no more
fancy content. Regardless, this set of videos
was probably the most interesting promotional
item that MSN has ever put together.
There are 8 parts to this video:
0:00 - Outside the theatre
0:45 - Inside the theatre's lobby
1:58 - Channel 1 (MSNBC news, weather,
sports) - watch a truly vintage MSNBC
commercial hosted by Brian Williams
2:32 - Channel 2 (showbiz, games, drama)
3:09 - Channel 3 (arts, nature, history)
3:54 - Channel 4 (self, health, wealth)
4:31 - Channel 5 (media, zines, attitude) -
the weirdest one BY FAR! stay tuned for this
part. this girl coined the phrase "too stupid
to stop" that haunted some people during the
installation process of MSN 2.0
5:07 - Channel 6 (fun, teens, comics)
These videos were filmed some time after July
1996 and before September 23, 1996. I
couldn't find any information about any of
the actors/actresses who appear throughout
the videos. They all go uncredited.
Tags : msn microsoft msnbc software classic program 2.0 preview advertisement ad commercial old-school vintage |
