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First was Neptune, the blueprint for the then-likely NT Consumer release. (Some background: MS has long hoped for the melding of the Windows 9x line and the NT/2000 line into one all-seeing, all-knowing operating system for everyone. Windows 98 was supposed to be the last of the 9x line based on old 16-bit DOS code, and the next version of Consumer Windows was going to be a dummied-down NT/2000 version as it is about a billion times more stable, more secure, and just better than the 9x line. Neptune, based on Windows 2000 Professional Release Candidate 3, was to be the first fruit of this "Consumer NT" vision.)
Neptune looked a lot like Windows 2000 (since that's pretty much what it was). The setup was the same, the desktop was the same, and although there were significant differences here and there, it pretty much functioned just like Win2K.
Build 5111 was released as a Developer's Preview at the end of December 1999. Still very much a work in progress, it showed what the Consumer NT team was up to.
SETUP
Very similar to NT/Win2K. Some screenshots:
Neptune CD Autoplay Where are those dang files? Yes! Enough room on this partition!
First reboot after file copy Ain't the background pretty? Please wait forever...
NT/Win2K don't have these PC names
REGULAR OPERATIONS
Pretty much like Win2K. There are some differences however...
Neptune or Windows 98? Safe mode if necessary Starting up...
Cool logon screen Just like Win2K Microsoft Neptune!
Idiot-proof user management Buggy it is... Proof it's for consumers
Automatically create 1st account
Next came Whistler...
