Sneaking into the auditorium for the Windows 2000 launch rehearsal

During the Windows 2000 launch event in San Francisco, Raymond Chen sneaked into the empty upper level of the main auditorium and witnessed the opening rehearsal from an unlocked door. The rehearsal revealed that Patrick Stewart would be the celebrity host, though what first appeared on stage was actually a crew member in a headset doing a stand-in run-through for the camera and lighting crews.