D2CA.ORG - Dan's 20th Century Abandonware - Microsoft® Bob™ Exhibit

Microsoft Bob is dead. Long live Microsoft Bob...

"The Rise And Fall Of Microsoft Bob"
In 1995, Microsoft released two versions of Microsoft Bob -- 1.00 and 1.0a. Although Microsoft Bob has a copyright date of 1994, it was actually released in February 1995.

Microsoft also released a "Microsoft Bob 1.0 Plus Pack" in much the same way they released "Plus!" for Windows 95 and Windows 98. Like Plus!, the Microsoft Bob 1.0 Plus Pack was "the rest of Bob" -- the best features left out of Microsoft Bob 1.00 so consumers would have to spend more money on an "add-on" product to get the rest of the functionality Microsoft Bob should have had in the first release.

Microsoft Bob 1.0a combined the contents of Bob 1.00 and the Bob 1.0 Plus Pack to give you "all of Bob" in one package.

Microsoft had plans for software companies to write third-party software for Bob the same way they did for Windows 3.x and Windows 95. But that was not to be. There would be no "WordPerfect for Bob," "Lotus 1-2-3 for Bob," "CorelDRAW! for Bob," "Visio for Bob," "Norton Utilities for Bob," "McAfee VirusScan for Bob" or such.

To my knowledge:
- Not a single shareware or freeware program was ever written for Microsoft Bob
- Not a single computer virus was ever written for Microsoft Bob

Do you know of any shareware, freeware, or malware written for Microsoft Bob?

Microsoft Bob was one of the most publically scorned programs Microsoft has released. Microsoft, like other companies who made software for OS/2, BeOS, and others that did not do well in the retail sector, learned a hard lesson; if you try to be a smart aleck in your user interface or application software, it won't sell. You might have a few loyal users that are supportive of your wit, but will they sustain your business?

Graphical user interfaces and application software are serious business. If you want to be witty and clever, put that energy into an entertainment program -- a game, screen saver, or such. Or publish your clever musings on an Internet website.

Barely a year after Microsoft Bob's public debut in 1995, it was relatively unknown to most of the consumer market, in spite of a huge media promotion campaign launched by Microsoft before Microsoft Bob's release. If you ask someone today what "Microsoft Bob" is, most people will look at you and say, "What?" or "Is it a game?"

Why did Microsoft Bob fail to sell?
Some possible reasons could be:
- The graphical environment and integrated Microsoft Bob programs operate more like grade-school educational software than a standard PC graphical environment and standard application software. First-time computer users are introduced to a computer cartoon land and could think this is "standard" computing. Imagine the transition a computer user who had only used Microsoft Bob would suddenly have to go through to use standard PC application software on a business computer at a job.

- Microsoft Bob was perceived as more of a game for children to play rather than a graphical environment for "everyone" to use for performing all their computer tasks. It was something parents introduced to their children.

- When Microsoft Bob was released in 1995, Microsoft was also drumming up support for their upcoming 32-bit operating system, Windows 95. When Windows 95 was released that same year, Microsoft also bundled OEM copies of Microsoft Bob with some computer hardware retailers to ship with their units. In effect, Microsoft was introducing two graphical environments with these systems that were actually competing with each other. Windows 95 was advanced and new, while Microsoft Bob seemed to be a trip back to "Romper Room." Again, the game and child factor comes into play.

- The common denominator: Microsoft Bob came across as immature to adults who wanted to do "serious" tasks as well as play games. After spending over US$3,000 for a computer system in 1995, most adult computer users wanted to do more than just be part of an interactive cartoon show.

Giving Microsoft Bob his due.
Seriousness aside, Microsoft Bob is really quite entertaining and fun to explore. There are so many details put into Microsoft Bob that you can explore it over and over and never have quite the same experience twice. And if you get tired of Rover, you can select another "Personal Guide" and suddenly Microsoft Bob becomes another whole new experience. Microsoft Bob 1.00 has 12 Personal Guides to choose from. Microsoft Bob 1.0a has 17 Personal Guides. Children and adults alike can have many enjoyable moments and can even learn about geography with GeoSafari for Bob. Fun projects can be created and printed with Bob Letter Writer. And while you might not trust Microsoft Bob to your checking account information using Bob Checkbook or keep your personal contacts in Bob Address Book, these programs can be used to "practice" to learn how to use that more "serious" software on PCs outside the Bob Home.

Microsoft Bob was actually a marvel of programming technology in 1995. But the computer industry failed to see Bob for his true and full potential. The "home" atmosphere and "personal guides" were the first attempt to "humanize" the computer experience outside the realm of children's educational software.

In reality, Microsoft Bob could have been a very useful computer interface for:
- Young children just beginning to use a computer
- Children with computer skills who are not interested in contemporary application software
- Teenagers and adults lacking interest in computers and content to do only a few limited tasks with one
- People lacking computer skills and able to do only a few limited tasks with one
- People with average or above average computer skills who find contemporary application software "boring" or "impersonal"
- Anyone who liked Microsoft Bob and was willing to work with what Bob offered

Unfortunately, in 1995 the "social interface" concept of Microsoft Bob did not catch on with the computer industry or the home consumer market. Microsoft Bob died a lonely digital death from industry criticism and a lack of acceptance.

But some dead things can find a way to come back to haunt you -- for years, and even decades....

Microsoft Bob is dead. Long live Microsoft Bob.

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