Merlin can be called up to help by clicking on him or pressing F1: He'll respond with a list of choices that are appropriate for the screen you're working with (Figure). Assuming you understand basic mouse usage, you can begin with the first step of the intro, which discusses hardware (Figure). Why Merlin couldn't take advantage of pre-recorded Windows Media sound files is beyond me: Everything he says in this introduction is pre-canned anyway.Īt this point, Merlin flies over to his spot on the left side of the screen (Figure) so you can begin the introduction.

Thankfully, speech balloons duplicate everything the little critter says otherwise, it'd be impossible for many people to understand him. Merlin's onscreen antics are accompanied by some of the worst computer-generated speech I've heard since 'B17 Bomber,' an early 1980's Mattel Intellivision video game. Merlin introduces himself (Figure) and then explains that he's there to help (Figure). Then, a Welcome screen similar to the Windows Me Setup application appears, but with one major difference: An animated Merlin agent (Figure) pops up to guide the user through the OOBE ( Figure and Figure). When a new Windows Me-based computer is booted for the first time, the system launches a special OOBE application that begins as a white screen that fades (Figure) into the Windows Me logo (Figure). Experienced Windows users may find the introduction a bit simplistic for their tastes, but then we need to remember that this is aimed at a far wider audience: People that have never before used Windows.

And in this exclusive SuperSite preview of the Windows Me OOBE, I take a look at what you're going to see when you turn on your new PC for the first time. Microsoft has designed an 'Out-Of-Box Experience' (OOBE) for customers that receive Windows Me with a new computer, one that is designed to get them up to speed with their new operating system as quickly as possible.

With primary goals of simplicity and ease-of-use, it's no surprise that Windows Millennium Edition ('Windows Me') is designed to make things obvious for new users from the get-go.

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