After more than five years in the making, Microsoft is unleashing the Vista operating system at an elaborate event in Times Square.

Does the "wow" really start now?

Or was Monday's gala event just another product launch? Derrik J. Lang takes in the view at the Vista premiere and files a series of real-time reports from the booked-to-capacity ceremony.

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3:31 p.m.: The invite said doors open at 3:30 p.m. I'm here on time. But I'm told to stand in a line -- a very long line, taking up an entire block in Times Square.

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4:32 p.m.: The "wow" starts when? I hope Vista's load times are shorter than this line has been. After standing outside in the freezing cold for over an hour, I'm finally subjected to a very thorough bag search and then allowed inside the Nokia Theatre. The lobby has been transformed into a makeshift Vista museum, displaying the operating system's capabilities in alcoves such as gaming and communications.

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4:38 p.m.: Inside the theater, a group of percussionists and DJs -- apparently they're Bill Gates' opening act -- perform. A shirtless percussionist begins beatboxing: Mrmrmrmicrosofffft. Vrvrvrvista.

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4:42 p.m.: "The show will begin in ten minutes!" an announcer screams. Wait a sec. This is a show?

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4:52 p.m.: The show has begun. Angels and Airwaves perform "What a Wonderful World" while giant plasma screens flash the words "Windows Vista" and "The 'Wow' starts now" and "More entertaining." (At least that's it was Angels and Airwaves.) As soon as they're done playing, the band disappears and stagehands take everything off the stage. I wish the line to get in here moved that quickly.

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4:56 p.m.: Bill Gates takes the stage. He begins talking about Windows 95 and how much the world has changed. "Today the vision of the digital lifestyle has really become mainstream," he says before listing some of Vista's features. Behind him, the giant screen reads: easier, safer, more entertaining and better connected. I look behind me and see not every seat in the theater is filled.

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5:08 p.m.: Bill Gates exits and Michael Sievert, vice-president of marketing, begins showing off Vista and Office 2007's features. Every time he shows the audience how to crop photos or change fonts, audiences members begin clapping. Now he introduces the gaming capabilities, which includes cross-platform gaming with Xbox 360. He begins playing Uno with his son in Seattle. The game freezes for a second. Disaster? No. The machine recovers. And the audiences claps, naturally.

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Derrik J. Lang is an asap reporter in New York and blogger for The Slug (http://asapblogs.typepad.com/theslug/ ).

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