By Windows Me, 3dfx Velocity, and SSD 840 Evo (PCGH-Retro, July 26)

…1999: Microsoft announces that it has reached the first milestone in the development of the new Windows Millennium Edition operating system, later abbreviated as Windows Me. On July 26, 1999, the first pre-release versions are delivered to testers. Windows Me is to be the last system based on DOS, the successor XP is based on the more modern NT kernel. Originally, however, Me was not planned at all – Windows 98 was supposed to be the last DOS-based system, but Microsoft changed its mind at short notice. The unloved Windows Me will never shake off its reputation as a half-baked interim solution.

…1999: On July 26, 1999, 3dfx Interactive announced the new “Velocity” graphics card series with the models 100 and 200. With this entry-level series, the manufacturer, which has meanwhile taken over the card manufacturer STB, is also attempting to conquer the office computer market. The Velocity series are stripped down Voodoo 3 cards. Ever since the Voodoo Banshee, 3dfx chips have traditionally had excellent 2D performance. But even this step does not protect 3dfx from impending bankruptcy.

…2013: On July 18, 2014, the so-called NDA, i.e. the non-disclosure agreement, was signed for tests of the Samsung SSD 840 Evo. At the time, Samsung’s SSD 840 was the most successful model series from the South Korean company and was not based on the SATA interface. Before jumping to PCI-Express-based technologies, a model refresh is dared, which is quite convincing. With Turbo-Write and the software-supported package of tuning and optimization software, there is a noticeable performance boost compared to the rather averagely fast Basic series.