NEW YORK– Nov. 23, 2009 – In New York City, it wouldn’t be the holidays without the annual department store window displays. Among the most famous are the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue, a holiday tradition since 1949.

Windows 7 Holiday Display

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PC Lounge on Level 8

Windows 7-based PCs are featured at Saks Fifth Avenue NYC to showcase the features of the new operating system, released Oct. 22, 2009. Customers can also share their holiday wishes via a Twitter feed which can be viewed from the 50th Street windows.

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Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Flake

A passerby snaps a photo of the Saks Fifth Avenue front holiday windows at the unveiling. Windows 7 helps to power the displays, which feature animated, 3-D scenes from the book "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Flake." The story is told through 20 synced video monitors.

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Flipping the Switch

Saks Fifth Avenue Chairman and CEO Steve Sadove lights up the Windows 7-powered holiday window displays with Kathleen Hall, general manager of Windows 7 marketing at Microsoft Corp., on Nov. 23 at the Saks Fifth Avenue store in New York City.

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Snowflake Spectacular

Windows 7 powers the Saks Fifth Avenue NYC front holiday windows, unveiled during the sixth annual Saks Fifth Avenue Snowflake Spectacular.

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Holiday Wishes

Along with Windows 7 technology in the Saks Fifth Avenue NYC front holiday windows, the 50th Street windows also feature Windows 7-powered monitors with a live Twitter feed. People can share their holiday wishes via the Twitter hashtag #holidaywindows.

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Holiday Carols

As part of the Saks Fifth Avenue NYC holiday window unveiling, the nationally acclaimed Staten Island elementary school PS22 Chorus performs holiday carols.

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Kristin Chenoweth

Broadway performer Kristin Chenoweth sings during the Saks Fifth Avenue NYC holiday window unveiling. Chenoweth will soon be starring in the Off Broadway production of "Love, Loss, and What I Wore."

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Powered by Windows 7

A close-up look at one of the front holiday windows of Saks Fifth Avenue featuring a mechanical display (top), and Windows 7-powered monitor (bottom) illustrating the story of Twinkle.

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For 2009 the Saks windows get a technology assist from Microsoft and Windows 7. This year’s windows will feature scenes from Saks’ holiday children’s book, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Flake” – the story of a snowflake named Twinkle. More than 20 video monitors provided by Microsoft and powered by Windows 7 will help animate some of the book’s key scenes. The windows will also feature ice-skating penguins and a voiceover of the book that is audible to passersby. In addition, holiday shoppers can tweet their holiday wishes using #holidaywindows and have them appear in the Saks windows, making the windows interactive.

Along with the display windows, Saks and Microsoft have created interactive in-store lounges for shoppers. The specially constructed lounges feature Windows 7-based PCs, with Microsoft experts on hand to answer questions about the software and hardware. Shoppers who can’t be in New York City this year can still participate by downloading a special Windows 7 holiday theme pack featuring Twinkle and some of the key scenes from the book at the Windows Personalization Gallery.

Special events at the Saks Fifth Avenue window unveiling, which took place Nov. 23, included an appearance by Broadway singing star Kristin Chenoweth, currently appearing in the Off Broadway production “Love, Loss and What I Wore.” Steve Sadove, chairman and CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue, and Kathleen Hall, general manager of Windows 7 marketing at Microsoft Corp., also participated.

For Broadcast Media

Links to b-roll footage from the event: streaming (.wmv) | broadcast-quality (.mpg)