
25 Ways Things Would Be Different If Microsoft Were Headquartered in Minnesota

- Their #1 product would be Microsoft Storm Windows.
- Instead of an hourglass icon you'd get a walleye.
- Occasionally you'd bring up a window that was covered with frost pictures.
- Dialog boxes would give you the choice of "Yah, sure" or "Thanks very much, not right now, but maybe later."
- Instead of "Ta-Da!", the opening sound would be a car with a cold battery cranking over and over and over and over...
- The "Recycle Bin" in Storm Windows '95 would be an ice-fishing house.
- Whenever you pulled up the Sound Player you'd hear "Kirrrrrby Puckett!!!"
- Instead of "Start Me Up," the Windows '95 theme song would be the Gedney Pickles jingle.
- PowerPoint would be named "Don't Point" because "power" is just too aggressive and pointing isn't polite, anyway, don't you know.
- Microsoft's programming tools would be "Visual Lutheran" and "Visual Evangelical Lutheran."
- Storm Windows 95's logo would incorporate a hotdish.
- Microsoft Word would be Microsoft Apology.
- Instead of WWW servers, Microsoft would have 3M servers.
- New Shutdown WAV: "Do you have to leave so soon? Have another cup of coffee, dear."
- Instead of VPs, Microsoft big shots would be called "Winter Carnival Royalty."
- Hardware could be repaired using parts from used appliances bought at garage sales for 50 cents apiece.
- Microsoft Office replaced with Microsoft Skyway.
- Five words: Norwegian Bachelor Farmer Screen Saver.
- Well, the first thing you know, Bill is known as "that nice man up the block who sponsors the Little League team."
- Spreadsheet software would include examples to inventory prize-winning jam and pickle recipes from the State Fair.
- Flight Simulator replaced by Driving Your Pickup Out on the Lake Ice in Late March simulator.
- Microsoft CEO: Mr. Gates. We want to be respectful, don't we?
- Car block heater plug'n'play interface.
- Screen saver would be a guy shoveling his driveway and then the snowplow coming through and pushing a mound across the driveway bottom. (Or, a Zamboni circling the screen...)
- Instructions for use would include "Please press the control key when you have a minute, okay?"




