[ Fuzzy Memory ] Windows CGI Promotional Video
March 3rd, 2013 by Benj Edwards
Every once and a while, I receive emails from people looking for a certain game, electronic toy, or computer from their distant past. I then pass it on to intrepid VC&G readers to crack the case.
The Clues
Matt V writes:
I forget whether it was on Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, but I remember Windows coming with a CGI video that was something like a ball going through a Rube Goldberg machine… at the very end, the ball rolls up to a guy (maybe Bill Gates?) who looks at the camera and says “Cool!”
I don’t remember it being shown anywhere specifically; I seem to remember finding it by looking through random directories for *.mid files (back when hearing music from a computer was fascinating) …
It’s possible that it wasn’t specifically a Windows video, I suppose it could have been installed when I got my sound card as well.
Anyone else remember this?
The Search Begins
It’s up to you to find the object of Matt’s fuzzy memory. Post any thoughts or suggestions in the comments section below. Matt will be monitoring the comments, so if you need to clarify something with him, ask away. Good luck!
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Have a memory of a computer, video game, computer software, or electronic toy you need help identifying? Send me an email describing your memories in detail. Hopefully, the collective genius of the VC&G readership can help solve your mystery.
March 3rd, 2013 at 8:33 pm
Accepted Answer
FOUND IT!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlI-AckwjNk
I remembered stumbling on this video back in the Windows 3.x days, too
March 3rd, 2013 at 8:34 pm
Wow, Dan. That was fast! Awesome work.
March 3rd, 2013 at 11:10 pm
That’s it! Odd that it’s labeled Packard Bell, though… I had an IBM PS/2, but maybe it came with the CD-ROM drive we bought?
Thanks for finding that, I had searched everything I could think of on Google and could never find anyone else mentioning it…
March 4th, 2013 at 12:35 pm
Wow, that was COOL! Love that animation!
March 4th, 2013 at 12:40 pm
I don’t know about the Packard Bell thing either. My first computer (where I found this) was some crappy no-name IBM PC clone. To add to the fuzzy memories, I remember there being some Windows multimedia app where I found it at, and there was a bunch of WAV and MIDI files in there as well, with names and descriptions, ranging from a sound clip of the shower murder from Psycho (with the description “Norman’s Back!”, if I remember right) to some MIDI bossa nova music.
March 5th, 2013 at 3:15 am
I remember this too, I saw it on the CDROM that came with the book “Multimedia for Dummies” , it had a ton of random midi, wav and very low resolution avi files on it.
March 6th, 2013 at 3:09 am
What… what was that?
Gates was really dorky at the end of that.