digitalnirvana 646 Report post Posted April 14, 2011 (edited) Despite enjoying huge success with Windows 7 and the Xbox 360, there are several other products that Microsoft would probably rather forget about... 10. PlaysForSure Launched in 2004, at the height of the music industry's fears about piracy and illegal filesharing, the PlaysForSure format was Microsoft's attempt at a useful digital rights-management offering. Microsoft certified dozens of portable media players, network-attached receivers and mobile phones to support PlaysForSure music, and added the encryption to songs purchased from the MSN Music Store. Unfortunately, when it launched the Zune in 2006, Microsoft's attempt to take on the iPod didn't support the PlaysForSure format, leaving people with hundreds of songs they couldn't use on their new MP3 player. It was something of an own-goal for Microsoft, and highlighted the folly of DRM encryption. 9. Windows Mobile Microsoft's attempts to replicate its desktop computing success on mobile devices has proved something of a mixed bag. While the platform has undoubtedly offered much in the way of power and functionality, allowing users to get their emails on the go and edit documents on the move, the tired graphics, nested menus and clunky performance have blighted the brand's reputation. Indeed, mobile phone makers such as HTC have built a business on their ability to successfully 'disguise' the Windows Mobile OS, by overlaying the platform with their own user-friendly 'skin'. Even Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive, admitted the company had "screwed up" with its mobile operating system. Thankfully, Microsoft has gone back to the drawing board for Windows Phone 7 Series, its next-generation operating system. The entire platform has been reimagined for the mobile generation and features tight integration with social-networking sites, the ability to easily share content with friends, and a new look and feel that distances the operating system from the desktop. 8. Zune The launch of the Zune in 2006 was Microsoft's attempt to take on Apple's all-conquering iPod. Things haven't quite gone according to plan; during its first week of launch, sales of the first-generation Zune were dwarfed by those of the five-year-old iPod, while Microsoft's decision to offer the first-gen Zune in a fetching shade of poo brown also drew sniggers from the technology community. Despite an intense marketing campaign, and vast improvements to the device line-up in recent years, the Zune is still only available in the US and Canada. That said, more recent versions have won plaudits for their ease of use, the well-stocked and competitively priced Zune Marketplace for music, movie and TV show downloads, and an impressive list of features, including wireless syncing and so-called "social" features that allow Zune users to share songs with one another. 7. Microsoft Bob In 1995, the home computing revolution was in full swing, with Windows 95 proving hugely popular with consumers. But Bill Gates worried that computing newbies might still find the Windows OS confusing and off-putting, and encouraged his company to come up with a solution. That solution was Microsoft Bob, a non-technical computing interface designed to replace the Program Manager. Bob included a word processor and a finance tool, while the user interface resembled the inside of the house, with various rooms representing different applications. Users could decorate each room, adding and removing objects, opting for chintzy florals or minimalist splendour. It quickly became apparent to the Microsoft bigwigs that the house analogy didn't work, and that in some cases, Bob made life more confusing for computer users rather than simpler. Microsoft Bob was quietly put out to pasture in 1998; the greatest surprise was that he had limped on for so long. 6. Microsoft Ultra Mobile PC Microsoft's admirable attempt to launch a range of mobile personal computers never really got off the ground. The clunky, inelegant devices relied on fiddly stylus input, while battery life meant you could never stray too far from a plug point. In many ways, Microsoft was ahead of its time, fostering the idea of mobile computing before the technology was really there to support it. UMPCs have been superseded by netbooks and ultra-portable laptops, while new tablet-style devices such as Apple's iPad could mean the UMPC is consigned to history. Microsoft hasn't given up on the idea entirely, though; it's rumoured to be building it's own touch-screen, dual-display device, the Courier, which could blow competitors out of the water. 5. Windows Me Poor old Windows Millennium Edition, caught between two stools. The launch of Windows Me seemed curious at the time – it hit shops about eight months after Windows 2000 (the operating system that millions of Windows 98 users rushed to upgrade to) and barely had time to find its feet before Windows XP went on sale in 2001. The operating system failed to set the world alight – many users criticised it for being unstable and unreliable, frequently freezing and crashing, while a problem with System Restore often meant malware was reinstalled on the machine after a user had deleted it. PC World called Windows Me the "Mistake Edition", and its short shelf life and small user base seems to confirm that it was little more than a stopgap as Microsoft moved on to bigger and better things. 4. Microsoft Mira It seemed like a good idea at the time – a so-called Smart Display that could connect wirelessly to a desktop PC, allowing users to tap out emails or letters without being tied to their desk. Code-named Mira, the Smart Display was a battery-powered LCD monitor with a touch-screen interface. Users could type on it using a handwriting-recognition program or an on-screen virtual keyboard. Companies such as Fujitsu, ViewSonic and LG threw their weight behind the project, but it failed to resonate with consumers. One of the main problems was the fact that the display had to be tethered to a PC – they were not computers in their own right. And they were expensive, with the LCD displays costing almost twice as much as Microsoft had estimated, meaning it was cheaper for consumers to buy a fully functional notebook rather than a Smart Display. Mira's lack of success served only to show how much of a struggle Microsoft was finding the move from desktop computers to mobile machines. 3. Microsoft Office Assistant The Windows operating system was most people's only experience of home or office computing, and Microsoft took its responsibility to aid the masses very seriously indeed. The Microsoft Office Assistant, though, was its hand-holding nadir. The Assistant is better known as Clippy the Paper clip, an annoying animation that would pop up almost as soon as you created a new Word document. "It looks like you're typing a letter," Clippy would postulate at the first sign of a keystroke. "Would you like help with that?" No, cried a million computer users, as they bashed their keyboards in tearful frustration at the paper clip's constant, unhelpful interjections. Microsoft wisely switched off Clippy by default in Windows XP, but not before the little paper clip had passed in to .2. Internet Explorer 6 For millions of computer users, Internet Explorer 6 was their gateway to the web. The browser, released in 2001, was easy to use, and had some nifty new features. Unfortunately, it also had some serious security flaws, so much so that in 2004, the United States advised computer users to use any other browser in order to avoid the thousands of Trojans, viruses and malware programs being written for the platform. Until relatively recently, IE6 remained the world's most-used web browser, thanks in part to the fact that so much early software was built to work on the platform – in 2006, it accounted for 90 per cent of the global browser market. Some businesses continue to install IE6 on their office computers to support older websites and legacy systems, and despite campaigns such as Bring Down IE6, the browser shows no signs of fading away. Microsoft has done a good job of moving users to new and improved versions of Internet Explorer, but IE6 remains a vice-like grip over some parts of the web. 1. Windows Vista Launched in January 2007, Windows Vista was to be the computer operating system for the internet generation. It was designed to make it easier to share media and files between computers at home, featured a swizzy new graphical user interface and desktop "widgets" for at-a-glance weather updates and news headlines, and improved security and stability. For many early adopters, though, Windows Vista was nothing but a headache. Many users found that their printers, digital cameras and MP3 players didn't work with the operating system, because manufacturers had not had enough time to create and publish new drivers; those with older computers complained about how processor-hungry Vista was, making it almost impossible to use on anything but the newest, fastest computers; while others complained bitterly about the number of pop-ups and dialog boxes that formed part of the new User Access Control security feature. Microsoft's reputation for building solid desktop computing software was dealt a severe blow by the fallout from Vista. Executives at the company have acknowledged that the launch had been less than perfect, and although a number of problems were resolved by subsequent service packs, the lingering sense of disappointment remained. The successful launch of Windows 7 late last year went some way towards repairing that damage; lessons had clearly been learned, and Microsoft worked more closely with manufacturers to ensure the upgrade process was as seamless as possible. What do you think is the winner of Microsoft hall of shame? Source: telegraph.co.uk Edited April 14, 2011 by dipanlahiri Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Karthik R 246 Report post Posted April 14, 2011 IMO, Bing should find space among these. Bing, the rebranded old Windows Live Search. Microsoft proclaimed it as a different type of search engine, in fact – a “decision engine.” I have been widely using the relatively new Bing search engine in tandem with Google to compare the results without sacrificing my previous experience. Verdict : The chances of relevant results coming up was never as good as Google. First couple of results are tolerable, and the following were vague. Wiki items find no mention Now that aside I would pen down some words for Microsoft, Microsoft has been instrumental in bringing computing to ordinary people Through its marketing and products, Microsoft has done more than any other company to help users find ways to integrate computing into their daily lives. Its founder Mr.Bill Gates has donated more money to charity than anyone in history Read more here And finally, how many companies would dare to take on the bigwigs Sony in game consoles, Palm computing in handhelds, Sun in server operating systems, Oracle and IBM in databases, AOL in internet access, Google in search and mobile/tablet operating system? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
inception 75 Report post Posted April 14, 2011 And Microsoft is never a true hardware player like Apple or Sony! ...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
digitalnirvana 646 Report post Posted April 14, 2011 Karthik and Rudradeep, This is tongue in cheek post and highlights the gripes raised during MS bashing, ofcourse MS has revolutionzed the computing experience and made the PC ubiquitous by providing a homogenous user experience with Windows. However much Apple fanboys hate MS, it's contribution to computing cannot be ignored. But we must also recognize that as the size of a brand grows, it becomes less nimble and less prone to making drastic changes. Same has happened to MS, it is a behemoth and a sitting duck while more agile players like Google eat away at it's market. MS has taken on - Sony in game consoles - won with XBox - Palm computing in handhelds - had advantage earlier, but no clear winner as webOS is staging comeback - Sun in server operating systems - this space is still fragmented with Win server, Solaris and Unix, no clear winner - Oracle and IBM in databases - not sure how the picture is here - AOL in internet access - won by mandatorily including IE, also windows 9x bundled AOL starter packs - Google in search and mobile/tablet operating system - currently not winning I would say the future of MS would be the computing ecosystem i.e. cloud. If it purely sticks to offline OS it risks becoming irrelevant with the increasing use of Chrome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
abhi.r 95 Report post Posted April 14, 2011 Why windows mobile is in the list? i mean i didnt see any other smartphone in the market other than BlackBerry and Windows Mobile(pre iphone pre android)! So i guess win mobile was pretty revolutionising. Moreover.. Windows Vista was a stepping stone for Win7. Win 7 is awesome... and i think Vista was also good, its just those days other products were not compatible for vista.. They could not keep up with MS. Dosent that mean that Win Vista was like a product from Future? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Genius 817 Report post Posted April 14, 2011 All Those out there who comfortabley typing these topics on there windows PC's need to understand MS failiurs are indeed there failed atempts to bring something new, what you have now are results of what was introdused there is some one gets a Ferrari and drives in Bihar whose fault is it, Paly for sure - first attempt for DRM Windows Mobile: it was the only Platform available in 2004 that gave some multitasking (i got my first XDA O2 then for 44000/-) and it was surely a head turner, before that basic palm was there. what do you think all others came from namely android and iOS MS Bob: IT was there attempt to make GUI friendly to all of us man 1995 - i had my own first computer then - and having a system that was capable to run MS Bob - people used to come to me with Samosa @ my place and say "yar Bob dhekhana hai"- if u want to try i still have a installation with me Windows ME - it came with my first Acer LAptop in 2000 December. it was first step in many ways - just that hardware was not ready for it and so is the SW companies, here are some points: It had first Windows Movie Maker System Restore System File Protection New TCP/IP Stack Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) Automatic Updates Inbuilt ZIP support Image preview Bundled games USB Mass Storage generic driver NOW tell me how many of features u are using now - almost all right Read here further IE6 - bring down IE6 then what was there - i downloaded 22 MB of IE6 over my <16 kbps dialup connection on a 32kbps modem - when i was doing my MD - first one to get it in Belgaum- I sold it for Idli party to my friends transferring it with 1.44 MB disks, no one knew firefox - opra- - there was only safari for MAC VISTA yes it failed again same as ME - we were not ready to face such high security based system @ Abhi.r ---- Windows Mobile was like Jewel for Man - having it was enough - there was no BB or iOS 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
digitalnirvana 646 Report post Posted April 14, 2011 Vinay sir, Every tech company has it's fair share of hits and misses. E.g. google failed with orkut, waves, partially buzz. Apple failed and was almost bankrupt before Jobs came back and built iMac/iPod etc. There is general tendency to single out and criticize MS for their failings and this post is just a tongue in cheek attempt to exploit this by highlighting the various failures of MS. It is designed to invoke furious responses both for/against MS and if you go the telegraph site where this is hosted, there are many comments exactly like that. Your points are all valid and I respect them as clearly you have firsthand experience of these MS products more than most of us. I myself used Win 3.1, Win 98SE, WinXP and now Vista SP3 and find Win rock solid for everyday computing. Clarifying that I did not want to belittle MS. The post is only meant to invoke discussion about what MS products we do not like - that does not mean we don't like everything with MS name, but ofcourse it is valid that we like some products and don't like some. PS loved the bit of selling IE6 for Idli party over 1.44MB disks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Genius 817 Report post Posted April 14, 2011 ^^ Dipan i was just sharing my views - it was only a discussion, I m now following Windows 8 which has been leaked in Milestone 1 - yday - just need do download it its massive 2.6GB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
digitalnirvana 646 Report post Posted April 14, 2011 (edited) ^ No worries. Do let us know how Windows 8 is after testing, me too would download. MS is rolling out various new products IE10 platform preview been made available for download. Edited April 14, 2011 by dipanlahiri Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
digitalnirvana 646 Report post Posted April 14, 2011 Genius some Windows 8 screenshots: Metro-style login screen Basic Windows 8 Ribbon style UI Various Explorer Ribbon tabs Examples of dynamic Ribbons in the Windows 8 shell A hidden Ribbon (with dynamic Disk Tools tab) The Explorer Ribbon File menu Internet Explorer Immersive Modern Reader 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HetalDP 947 Report post Posted April 25, 2011 although the Best Products from Bill Gate ever is this. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rajanmehta 4,056 Report post Posted April 25, 2011 But Steve Jobs was ahead even here... He produced one in 1978 even before marrying.. Lisa Brennan-Jobs 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
digitalnirvana 646 Report post Posted April 25, 2011 ^ But the GUI of MS product is better. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
inception 75 Report post Posted April 25, 2011 ^ But the GUI of MS product is better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Karthik R 246 Report post Posted April 25, 2011 @ Hetal bhai. Lol good one at first on reading the post I thought it was a 'genius' creation Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Karthik R 246 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 You may find this interesting, Google have ditched the internal use of Windows in exchange for alternative operating systems including the Mac OS, Linux, and Google's own forthcoming Chrome OS operating system. Getting a new Windows machine now requires CIO approval. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
I_C_U 10 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 Interesting.... I was under impression that Google might have stopped using windows long back. Although, company-wide change of technology takes efforts and windows has solid footprints. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sgiitk 32 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 i would say 1-10 Windows. Unfortunately, we are stuck with it. Also, they charge your for the bug fixes calling them upgrades! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
