This Is What Microsoft’s Website Used to Look Like…You’ll Be Shocked

Microsoft has been at the forefront of the tech world since the mid-1980s as the world’s premier name in computing. With the release of the first retail version of Windows in 1985, it has grown into one of the world’s biggest companies, with a November 2024 market cap of over $3 trillion. 

However, it wasn’t all that long ago that even Microsoft’s website was a far cry from the world we know today. Many of the products that would help the company grow into a giant corporation were still in their infancy.

With this in mind, let’s take a walk down memory lane and look at Microsoft’s website from 2001 to see what the world was like before the dominance of the Xbox and Surface lineup. 

Windows Offers

When it comes to 2001, the Microsoft website is about as 1990s as it gets. It’s almost surprising to see such a tech industry titan have a website that once looked like this. Still, this November 2001 page comes on the heels of Windows XP’s launch on October 25, 2001. 

Originally selling for around $99, it is no surprise that Microsoft emphasized different launch offers to encourage millions of computer users worldwide to upgrade and install. 

Microsoft’s older website is far from the color and glamour of its current website. You’d be hard-pressed to find anything about Windows 11 on Microsoft’s home page. Instead, the company is unsurprisingly more focused on Microsoft 365, which generates significant revenue. 

Getting Into Gaming

This November 2001 snapshot of the Microsoft website, courtesy of Wayback Machine, is hot on the heels of the Xbox launch. This page from November 21, 2001, is just one week after the console’s November 15 launch. As a result, the Xbox is front and center, and Microsoft claims, “Games will never be the same.” Little did they know they would shake up an industry. 

Fast-forward to 2024, and the Xbox still takes top billing on the Microsoft website. Between savings on the Xbox Series X and promoting Game Pass, there is a definite emphasis on the company continuing to try to build on its gaming console, which contributes around 10% of its revenue. 

No Hardware? 

One notable omission from the Microsoft website is that something needs to be mentioned about hardware. There are plenty of software references, but hardware is not mentioned anywhere. The website is also full of helpful information for those who use Microsoft software at home or work, but again, nothing about the hardware the software runs on. 

Looking at Microsoft’s website today, you see a rotating carousel that mentions Surface Pro 11. As a Microsoft staple product, there is every reason for the company to promote its hardware, which has been considered among the best ways to experience Windows 11 for years. You don’t even have to scroll down on the website much beyond the carousel to see a link to “Shop Surface devices.” 

Home and Business

One of the biggest takeaways about the old Microsoft website is how little is mentioned about the company’s efforts for both home and business. As sizable as these two areas were for the company, you only see an “Information For…” bar on the left-hand side of the screen. Clicking through provides more information, but it’s still surprisingly limited on the main home page. 

The opposite is true when you look at Microsoft’s website today. The page is built around consumers’ needs, including Xbox, Game Pass, Surface, and Microsoft 365. 

Thankfully, it takes business customers little more than a second of scrolling down to get an entire section of content related to “For business.” This portion of today’s website contains information about Copilot, Microsoft 365, AI, and even Microsoft Ignite, the company’s annual event for IP professionals and developers. 

The image featured at the top of this post is ©MikeDotta ./Shutterstock.com.