Windows 7 launch day: what you might have missed

Windows 7 release day went off without a hitch, despite a downplayed feel at the New York party. Here's our list of things you might have missed.

OK, so it wasn't as exciting as, say, the possible extradition of Viktor Bout, but today was the first official day of Windows 7 availability.

We've already rounded up the best of the Windows 7 reviews, and reports from the New York unveiling were lukewarm at best. (PC World said the tone of the event seemed to "reflect an effort not to overhype Windows 7 but to let it float or sink on its own merits.") Here's a rundown of this launch day's notable mentions:

New hardware Those not gullible fortunate enough to have already reserved a $299 Best Buy-exclusive Nokia Booklet now have many more Windows 7-equipped machines to choose from. A host of manufacturers rolled out new equipment to coincide with Windows 7's release Thursday, and the folks over at Engadget collected many of them in a handy guide.

Release parties Sure, Microsoft wanted groups of friends to put together their own parties (check out the truly cringe-worthy video below – not since Songsmith have we seen a worse one), but some folks had a better idea: a Windows 7 illegal downloading party. Mashable points out the parody video from Funny or Die (warning: harsh language), and it's good for a few laughs.

Right from the source Windows devotees can now get their Windows 7 goodness right from the feet of Ballmer himself. Besides a new operating system, Microsoft on Thursday released an online store. Offering "great hardware paired with a finely tuned selection of Microsoft Signature software," the marketplace sells a mix of machines from the big manufacturers – including Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer, Sony, Gateway, Fujitsu, Alienware, Toshiba, Samsung, and Asus. The online store was joined by the opening of Microsoft's Scottsdale store, the first in a line of brick-and-mortar outlets that we first told you about in July.

Got a Windows 7 launch day story of your own? Hit the comments below, or find us on Twitter.

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