Microsoft Bob. The Graphical Interface that Wasn’t

5 Comments »December 4th, 2007

Bob, for those of you who don’t know, was Microsoft’s misguided effort to develop a friendly graphical interface for common consumers, back in the mid-1990s. Apparently Microsoft believed that home users were too either stupid to use a computer or lacked the aptitude and adaptive learning to ever use one. The solution they came up with was to turn Window’s desktop shell into a hideous task-based cartoon environment, complete with animated characters. The idea never took off, fortunately, but from Bob’s ashes rose an even more dreaded figure that would make it’s way into MS Office; the infamous “Clippy” office assistant.

Who is this guy?

Kent.Pribbernow
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Definition: a freelance web designer. senior web designer for Sweetwater Sound. a tech writer for lots of online publications. To learn more about me, go here.

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