The year was 1997. Long before the mergers and acquisitions, Compaq was on top of the computing world. Their line of computers were doing phenomenal, and were consistently rated in the top of their class. Giving Windows 95 users the hardware needed to get the most out of their operating system, there was only one thing left for them to do - get a mascot.
Which is why they hired the guy who played "Q" on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Very little information is known about how John de Lancie got the job, although one can speculate. It is possible that some advertising executive found it amusing that Mr. de Lancie played a character sharing a name with Compaq's latest computer gimmick. Maybe they just thought he was sexy. But regardless, he was hired.
The highlight of John's tenure with Compaq was a pre-packaged movie that was included with every new Compaq Presario that came out in 1996 and 97 - an interactive digital extravaganza that was completely computer generated, aside from John. Welcoming you to the world of Compaq, he went though and described the features within, from the buttons on the computer tower to control your CDs, to the built in AOL software, and most importantly the "Q" button - an early form of Windows workspaces that would allow you to escape from your current desktop and go to another. While the registration movie had its own rewards, there was another incentive piled on - the chance to win a vacation for two anywhere in the continental United States. Sadly, de Lancie was not eligible to accompany you on the trip.
Over the years, the existence of the Compaq introduction has been forgotten - only a mention on a few random sites, and the appearance of foreign, incomplete versions on YouTube. This is a shame, as there has been nothing like this before or since, registrations replaced with cold screens that play a soft medley, leaving you wholly unprepared for what is to come next. John de Lancie refused to leave us in the dark when it came to our Compaq Presario's. It is only fair that we do the same for him.