NEW YORK, Oct. 25 - Today Microsoft Corp. announced the worldwide availability of Windows XP with a celebration in the business capital of the world: New York City. Customers are now able to acquire the new Microsoft Windows XP operating system on new personal computers and in retail stores throughout the world. Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates presented the keynote address at the most important product launch in Microsoft's history, accompanied by leaders from the PC industry, more than 50 Microsoft partners, a special welcome by New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and an appearance by television's Regis Philbin at the event in Times Square's Marriott Marquis Theatre. "Today is a great day for PC users and a great day for the PC industry,'' Gates said. "With the launch of Windows XP, we are entering an exciting new era of personal computing. This powerful new version of Windows offers so much to customers -- it unlocks the full power of the PC and enables them to enjoy the best of what the digital world has to offer. "New York City is the perfect place to announce the worldwide availability of Windows XP,'' he said. "I want to thank all the people of New York City for welcoming us here, to congratulate them for their unbroken spirit, courage and determination, and to urge all Americans to join us in recognizing that New York is absolutely open for business.'' In addition to the launch event in Times Square, a panel of industry leaders including Gates, Intel Corp. President and CEO Craig Barrett, and CEOs of major computer manufacturers discussed the state of the personal computer industry and prospects for the forthcoming holiday season and beyond. Microsoft will also sponsor a free concert in Bryant Park dedicated to the people of New York City featuring international music and film sensation Sting. The launch festivities also extended across the globe, with more than 50 events worldwide, including CEO Steve Ballmer in Europe and President Rick Belluzzo in Latin America in addition to 62 events in key U.S. locations. Launch of Windows XP Offers Customers Unprecedented Value Never before have customers been able to get such incredible value in their PCs. New personal computers with Windows XP are now offering more, in terms of processing power and peripherals, at historically low prices. Many retailers are offering tremendous incentives for customers to obtain Windows XP. The value being offered by computer manufacturers and retailers bodes well for customers as they begin their holiday shopping. As part of the incentives being offered at retail stores, Microsoft is working with resellers to offer free memory to customers with the acquisition of Windows XP. Customers will have a range of options for making their PC optimal for Windows XP, including these: -- PNY Technologies Inc. announced that customers who obtain Windows XP Professional will receive a PNY 256MB PC-133 SDRAM memory module, a $79.99 retail value, free with a mail-in rebate, plus Symantec's new Norton AntiVirus 2002 software, a $49.99 retail value. The promotion will run during select periods starting today through Jan. 31, 2002, at leading retailers. -- Kingston Technology Company Inc. and Network Associates announced three Windows XP promotions. Customers who acquire Windows XP Professional and McAfee Internet Security Version 4.0 can get a free Kingston ValueRAM 256MB memory module with a mail-in rebate; customers who acquire Windows XP Professional can get a free Kingston ValueRAM 128MB memory module with a mail-in rebate; and customers who acquire Windows XP Home Edition and McAfee VirusScan can get a free Kingston ValueRAM 128MB memory module with a mail-in rebate. The promotions are available through Dec. 31, 2001, at OfficeMax, Office Depot and Best Buy retail stores. Windows XP Professional and Home Edition "With Windows XP on today's computers, customers will experience a much more enhanced yet simplified computing experience,'' said Jim Allchin, group vice president of Windows at Microsoft. "Customers can do things they've never done before with a PC; likewise, business users can work smarter and faster with more-productive tools to meet the demands of any-size company.'' Windows XP Professional is the operating system of choice for businesses of all sizes and for people who demand the most out of their computing experience. Windows XP Professional includes all the features of Home Edition, plus remote access, security, performance, manageability and multilingual features to help users improve productivity and connectivity, and work even smarter. Windows XP Professional offers enterprise customers increased dependability, usability, security features and communications, which have resulted in tremendous enthusiasm for this much anticipated release. One hundred and fifty thousand desktops have already been deployed, and more than 1 million more are committed to be deployed by enterprise customers. In addition, hundreds more corporations have already begun testing and evaluating Windows XP, further underscoring the benefits of Windows XP for enterprises. Windows XP Home Edition is designed for individuals or families and includes experiences for digital photos, music and video, home networking, and communications. Both editions of Windows XP will be available at retail in upgrade and standard versions. More information on Microsoft Windows XP is available on the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/ .