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15 Years of Microsoft Bob

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the celebrate-good-times-come-on dept.

harrymcc writes "Microsoft Bob — still synonymous in the tech industry with 'embarrassing flop' — shipped fifteen years ago this week, on March 31st, 1995. When the Windows interface featuring animated cartoon helpers was announced, it was hyped to the heavens and briefly accepted as a breakthrough that showed where software was going. Instead, dismal reviews and poor sales killed it after only a year on the market. At Technologizer, we're marking the anniversary with a complete look at how it came to be and why it failed so resoundingly — and how Microsoft tried again with Office's 'Clippy' and other attempts to revive the basic idea."

4 of 191 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Oh great... by piripiri · · Score: 3, Informative

    There you are, take some screenies in your face.

  2. Re:Don't Forget Melinda Gates... by Daltorak · · Score: 4, Informative

    How did she meet Bill?

    She was Unit Manager for Microsoft Bob...

    This isn't correct. MS Bob was released in 1995; Bill and Melinda met in 1987. She'd just joined Microsoft and was a programmer -- and by all accounts, a pretty good one at that. Plus, she's pretty hot, and she was 23 that year. Wouldn't you scoop up a girl like that, especially back then when women were still really rare in the field?

  3. Re:My Mom Liked Clippy by nmb3000 · · Score: 4, Informative

    I had a college friend who called me in a panic once, she had a paper due the following day and Clippy had popped up and WOULD NOT GO AWAY.

    I have to say I find that unlikely considering that the Office assistant does not steal focus away from the program you're using and that moving it out of the way is as difficult as clicking and dragging it to the side of the screen. And the deep, secret menu to get rid of it? Right click and choose "Hide".

    Every time this topic comes up, it seems like the people most vehemently against Clippy and MS BOB were the people who never actually even saw or used them. They just see that it's fashionable to hate them and jump on board.

    --
    "What do you despise? By this are you truly known." --Princess Irulan, Manual of Muad'Dib
    /)
  4. Re:If you have Windows XP, you got a copy of Bob by Thud457 · · Score: 3, Informative

    No mod points today, so thank you. That was interesting, amusing and brief.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff