Mum tries out Microsoft BOB (1995)
Mum tries out Microsoft BOB (1995) is the fifth episode in Season 1 of the OSFirstTimer series.
Description[edit | edit source]
Windows 3.1 was a little hard to use for my mum just like it was for those who used it in 1992-1995. So it was time for microsoft to make a revolutionary interface to make using the computer as easy as doing tasks in your home. Microsoft released microsoft BOB in 1995 which absolutly flopped. Why did microsoft BOB fail? Well, here's a first hand, unbaised/unleaded users first time attempt with bob. My mum was told that it was designed to make using the computer super easy but I didn't exactly tell her if the product was successful or not. Lets see if history repeats itself!
Program Info[edit | edit source]
Microsoft Bob was released on March 10, 1995, as a graphical-user-interface. It was designed mainly for people who are struggling to use Windows 3.1. The program was discontinued by Microsoft for a few months because animated characters ask users a lot of questions, and ask them to confirm. Even though Microsoft Bob was meant to be more user-friendly for Windows users, it never became a successful product.
Tasks[edit | edit source]
- What time is it?
- Write and save a text document
- What's 48*32
- Customise the way your computer looks
- Turn off your computer
Diana's Review:[edit | edit source]
- She liked Microsoft Bob but soon got very annoyed when she attempted to write a letter and Rover the dog kept asking her lots of questions when she attempted the task.
- She said that she could see Microsoft Bob's merits but also said she thought it was more a novelty for children than for professional use, initially Diana thought that Rover the dog's question's and tips were helpful in working things out, however, it eventually became an annoyance as it made achieving tasks much slower.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Diana ranked Microsoft Bob as the second worst operating system in the Top 3 Worst and Best Operating System User Interfaces video (even though Microsoft Bob was made as a GUI and not an actual operating system).