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Bill Gates in 2003: WIndows usability going backwards
It turns out you're not the only person who has trouble getting Windows to do what you want it to. The above scenerio is described in great detail in an email Bill Gates sent in 2003. This letter was released to the public along with a huge pile of other communications as part of the antitrust litigation Microsoft's been involved in for the past few years. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has posted the text of the entire email, but here are a few of our favorite parts:
- Gates seems infuriated that it takes so long for Microsoft web pages to load
- He had no idea why he would have to use Windows Update to install additional software before he could install Windows Movie Maker
- His computer was unuseable for 6 minutes while applying updates
- He asked why he should have to reboot his machine, which he reboots every night
Comments
10
Subscribe to commentsMuffin_manJun 25th 2008 9:08PM
At least it's better than a Mac ;)
EdselJun 25th 2008 9:09PM
2003 was the same year I gave up on Microsoft products after twenty years of fidelity to the company. I switched to Apple, there's no remorse, only joy.
enzoJun 25th 2008 9:09PM
Pretty sure he was playing the "average user" role to show how hard it was to complete the task...
RidJun 25th 2008 9:16PM
I would agree. The quote following that email was important to the story: "As for the message, Gates smiled and said, 'There's not a day that I don't send a piece of e-mail ... like that piece of e-mail. That's my job.' " Did he truly not know why the computer was sp slow during the install? Or whether or not a restart was needed? Likely not, but the more average user may be a different story.
whiskeyJun 25th 2008 9:30PM
The email as a whole is a gem! It's a "must read" for anyone trying the programmer pants.
Imagine how frustrating this is now with Vista?!?
ridgecityJun 26th 2008 7:48AM
You know what's ironic? that that's the same thing we have to put up with today, 4 years later, which in computer years would be like 15...
How long has it been since no one in Microsoft listened to Bill Gates anymore?
EthanJun 26th 2008 7:48AM
Extremely prescient. We're all in tune with window's eccentricities, and I'm sure Bill Gates is, but it's bad practise to just let them keep going.
pandaslistJun 26th 2008 11:08AM
How can everybody switch to Apple...I see more and more over the internet people talking about Apple being the most powerful company in tech but Microsoft has certainly served us better for years and Apple will behave with such quality and reliability just as long as Microsoft is the dominant player and with the most market share!
I wondered if Microsoft is really still the most powerful company in the world? (as, in my opinion, they used to be)
So i took a look at what companies dominate the world and i wondered, who is the most powerful company nowadays?
So i took a ride on google and came across this website which might give me an answer in a month, check it out:
http://www.themostpowerfulcompany.com
EdselJun 26th 2008 12:52PM
Apple is not the most powerful tech company. They may have become the most influential leader of consumer electronics but, MS still has a immensely larger installed user base than Apple. Unfortunately, MS has become a leviathan, the General Motors of the software world, it's too big.
The most powerful "company" in the world now must to be the Chinese Communist Party (CPC). They ultimately control all means of production in China. Think of the CPC as the corporate parent under which all Chinese and Chinese based foreign companies operate.
ZippyJul 1st 2008 8:11PM
It seems as though MS doesn't even listen to it's creator. If they can't do that, then what are the chances of them listening to the paying public that detest Vista and want them to continue support for XP. Very little.
For some reason, MS have no longer realised the simple equation that we are customers, customers pay money, money equals turnover/profit. Or an even more simple equation is along the line of supply and demand. The demand for XP is higher than Vista. Is MS on a different planet?