Author: Anonymous
This is the desktop of the Compaq Presario 5000. It comes with Windows ME and a set of applications. First, let's check out the pre-installed wallpapers and screensavers.
So you got a couple new wallpapers that you can't find anywhere else (OEM wallpapers). All the wallpapers are the same except different colors which I find nice. I have "Sapphire" selected as my wallpaper because I really like the color...its one of my favorites. Some of the other wallpapers you'll get are Ruby, Jade (which funnily enough was the name of a theme on Longhorn), Gray (which is...kind of boring and depressing tbh), Emerald (its pretty), Amethyst (pretty much Sapphire but seems a bit lighter) and the brightest of them all...Amber! Amber is actually orange and is pretty nice.
No special screensavers which isn't unusual...the most OEMs will do in terms of wallpapers and screensavers are...well...wallpapers. Now let's take a look at some of the pre-installed goodies on here.
So first you have Compaq ServiceConnection which harasses you to check for software updates for your PC (I clicked "No" already previously).
The icon for it is in the taskbar...clicking (or double-clicking) opens the application up and shows this generic thing. It is on an endless connection because their servers are down because they are no longer alive (sadly). I did click "Yes" when that dialog popped up a 2nd time...nothing happened so lol. Now let's checkout an application on here called Compaq Remote Support.
So upon launch you get this nifty little dialog promoting the Carbon Copy software and telling you how to get a trial. It also tells you what the software is which is a support software used by Compaq's technicians. Let's continue.
Doesn't work because it requires a phone directly hooked up to it which I don't have plus its a VM. It probably wouldn't work even if I had a phone hooked up but its useful to know that laziness was growing in the 2000's. Now let's checkout "Presario Treasures" which is seen on the desktop.
Well apparently launching it launches this which tells me it requires an internet connection but good to know it supports LAN and not just dial-up. Let's continue.
Well apparently it takes you to "presario.net" which doesn't exist anymore HOWEVER you can notice that IE got a special makeover by Compaq. You can see the special thing in the top right corner. They replaced the Windows logo with their company logo. Guess that's nice. It is a GIF so that's also nicer.
I'm surprised Microsoft didn't sue them. This is from the "Free Internet Trials" shortcut on the desktop. This looks exactly like Windows ME's OOBE. MyPresario was apparently a thing back then however what about all of Compaq's other non-Presario PCs...did they get access to any special sites? The Compaq.Net crud also interests me as like...eMachines did that crud years later and are dead...Compaq did that earlier and they died. It seems like a curse on whoever OEM starts an ISP.
This is the "Online Backup" shortcut on the desktop. It pulls up a local web file that advertises Compaq Online Backup which is "free with your Compaq.NET subscription." On the bottom it says "powered by aBackup". Not sure if they're still alive or not. Its not a bad ad but why make a local file about it? That's just...hoarding money.
Clicking the "try it now" button brings up "presario.net" again which no longer exists. Now let's check out something that actually still works.
Surprisingly this comes with Netscape which is odd since IE is already here. However at least it means people back then who used this PC didn't have to use IE to download another web browser.
So...apparently this dialog randomly popped up while I was going to get Netscape launched. I'm not too sure if that's normal or not but it doesn't have a title bar or anything.
Its odd to know that Compaq made not one but two custom browsers. The one on Netscape isn't as nice with the picture though (seen by the "Stop" button) but everything else is nicer than how they setup IE.
This is the nicely customized Help and Support application. This is the "Compaq Help" shortcut on the desktop. It looks nice you have to admit. Reminds me of XP's Help and Support application slightly.
This looks more like registering your copy of Windows ME than registering your Compaq PC. Do all of Compaq's setup programs look like ME's OOBE? God
Oh well this is totally normal. I wonder what happened. Oh well...not checking that out.
The Compaq Presario 5000 comes with Microsoft Money 2000 Standard Edition which is quite nice might I add. We don't really need to start adding taxes though now do we?
Well that's it for this PC. We'll see you in the next review.