Hi, Club WebTV members,

What can happen in a year? Well, this September kids going back to school are starting a grade higher than they did last year, to add another year of knowledge and experience to their noggins. You may be looking at your little darlings (and devils) and thinking, "What? New school clothes already?"

September 17, 1997 also marks WebTV Networks' one year anniversary of service to our customers. We've really grown, too. Last year WebTV Networks had three buildings in downtown Palo Alto. Now we have nine. Originally we had two major Internet access partners, and now we have over 12, as well as OpenISP. Now, even if we don't have a POP near you, you can find one yourself. When WebTV Internet terminals hit the stores last year we had 2 content partners, Four11 and Excite. Now we have 15. Last September we announced Microsoft as an investor. This year they are our parent company.

Microsoft announced their intent to acquire WebTV Networks in April, and the acquisition was made complete on August 1st. Microsoft's purchase of our company can only mean better things for our customers. Their technology and financial support can only enhance the WebTV experience. Check out May's WebTV Tips for answers to most questions WebTV Networks users have about this change.

In the past year we've also added an amazing list of features to our product at no additional charge to our users. Those of you who have been with us since November will remember when the only kind of audio you could listen to was MIDI, when there was no way to switch users without turning the terminal off and on again, no MessageWatch feature, and no Club WebTV.

Now, you can listen to MIDI, Mod, MPEG, WAV, RealAudio, and other sound formats; you can switch users from your home page, you can set Message Watch to automatically check for your messages every day, and you can read a new issue of Club WebTV every month. And we haven't stopped improving.

Club WebTV has also grown and developed since its premier issue in February. This month you'll find links to previous months' columns at the bottom of each column. Remember, if you ever want to read a back issue of Club WebTV, scroll to the bottom of the Everything Else column.

The past 12 months have added thousands of people to the Internet through the WebTV Network. Those thousands of people have learned new online skills, and probably have met new people. Many have set up their own web sites, using only their WebTV Internet terminals and their television. Some of you have written to us to tell us you've found your significant other on the Web. Some of you are even getting married.

Who knows what will happen a year from now? What size clothes will your kids wear? What will your kids teach you next year? Who will you meet online? What will they teach you? What will show up on the WebTV Network? What new columns will show up in Club WebTV, and what will you learn from them? I hope you all stay Club WebTV members and find out!

   Sincerely,

   Sonya Trejo

   Club WebTV Editor-in-Chief