Windows on their world(1)

Take a tour around the company that made Bill Gates all his millions, and if you have time, you have time, you can even sail past his home

There are several ways that tourists and locals alike can visit Microsoft, officially and unofficially, for a glimpse of the world's largest software factory.

The unofficial tour of Microsoft's Redmond , Washington , headquarters has long consisted of asking friends or family who work there for a peek inside. Now, with Seattle 's biggest and most famous local company having passed its 30^th year of business, the official tour options have gotten better.

A centerpiece of the tour should be the company visitor center, which is pretty much the only place on campus open to the general public. The free center draws tens of thousands of visitor a year.

Experience their world

During 2004, the visitor center's manager, John Cirone, completely overhauled the visitor center. It reopened the following January with an entirely new look, with more artifacts from the company trove and handsome exhibits that showcase the company's products.

Visitor may sign in to get their photo taken for a temporary "smart card" like the ones that employees use to enter buildings and log on to their PCs. The cards personalize animated displays inside, in some cases displaying visitors' faces. The centerpiece is a time line that illustrates Microsoft's history with a collection of artifacts and kitschy pop-culture materials from the 1970s to the present.

Teens can bypass the educational stuff and beeline to the back, where a spaceship-like room is packed with Xbox video consoles and a thumping, surround-sound stereo setup.

Other exhibits let visitor film themselves in a digital movie or make a free call anywhere in the United States with a Microsoft-developed mobile phone.

Upstairs from the visitor center is the relatively famous company store. Visitor can shop there and buy paraphernalia such as Microsoft shirts and cups.

Vocabulary Focus   

centerpiece (n) the most important feature of something

overhaul (v) to improve something so that every part of it works properly

trove (n) a storage place that is full of valuable things

beeline (v) to go directly towards someone or something

Specialized Terms

kitschy(adj)  庸俗的 describing artistic, decorative design styles considered by many people to be ugly, lacking in style, or false, but enjoyed by other people, often because they are funny

console (n)  控制器 a surface on which you find the controls for a piece of electrical equipment or a machine

paraphernalia (n) 相关物品 all the objects needed for or connected with a particular activity