Windows Vista is a great leap in improvement on visual effects and graphic user interface (GUI) design. With or without Windows Aero Glass feature, Windows Vista provides stunning, streamlined, sleek, clean, aesthetically pleasure, easy-on-eye, pretty, attractive, wonderful and high resolution graphics to the system users that will cause you “Wow”. In this concept Microsoft launches another portal named Show us your “Wow” that allows your to showcase or show off your “Wow” moments via videos or photos, and take part or participate or play in “WOW” contents to win trip to famous vista in the world or Windows Vista Ultimate computer.

Show us your WOW

“Wow” is been defined by MSN as a word to describe an instinctive reaction which happens when responding to experience which are incredible, exhilarating, amazing, and made you awed. Microsoft expects you to “WOW” when you use Windows Vista. However, it’s not just Windows Vista that will make you felt “Wow”. There may have special moments, events or unique experience in your life that is “Wow”. If you able to capture the moments digitally in video or photo, then you will be able to upload and submit them to Show us your “Wow” website to play the WOW contest to win some greatly “Wow” prizes.

The “WOW” contest is open to everybody above 18 years old resides in the 18 eligible participating countries worldwide, e.g. United States, Canada, Austria, Brazil, China, India, Denmark, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands and Sweden. Participants have to create and submit digital photos and/or digital movies expressing what “Wow” means to them. The digital photo must be in .png, .jpeg, .gif, .bmp, or .tiff format, while video must not be more than two minutes in length and has to be submitted in .wmv, .flv, .swf, .avi, .mov, or .mpeg format with maximum size 100 MB. Contest entry closing date is at March 5, 2007.

The prizes of the Vista “Wow” contests will likely to make you “Wow” too. A Grand Prize with global “WOW” experience will be awarded, where the winner will embark on a seven day six night trip for two persons to winner’s choice of one of the following “Vista” locations: Taj Mahal (Agra, India), Empire State Building (New York, USA), Eiffel Tower (Paris, France) Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia), or The Great Wall (China) and a Canon High Definition Dvd Camcorder Hv 10. The grand “Wow” prize costs about US $15,000. Beside, 19 country or region-specific prizes which is either a Windows Vista “Ultimate PC” and monitor, awarded as a desktop or laptop computer worth US $1,500 will be awarded.

A Windows Live ID is needed in order to participate, upload and submit your “Wow” entry at showusyourwow.msn.com (contest expired). To win the prize, your digital creation has to be remarkable, memorable, has originality, visual or artistic impact, based on creativity, has photographic or video quality and global appeal. Even if you not intend to join the contest, you can always browse the submission from other users which demonstrate the possibilities of what exists when imagination and technology collide. You can pick the editors’ favorites or users’ favorites to view or simply browse all “Wow” submitted. Best of all, the site is designed based on Windows Flip 3D technology, where you can test drive the feature without having to install Windows Vista.

Update: Contest expired.