Just How Bad Was Microsoft Bob? - A Retrospective

[@MichaelMJD]

It's time to take another look at Microsoft Bob! This alternative user interface for Windows intended to make computers much easier to use. But today it's remembered as a complete failure. So how did it get this reputation? Find out in today's episode! Huge thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring! You can get a free trial of their Premium service for a limited time by clicking here: skl.sh/michaelmjd09201

[@AEAG9YT_]

Hi mjd Make a dedicated video on os/2 warp 4 ok? Plz do it :) Edit: i meant the entire history,development and fate of os/2

[@aanjaneyamehrotra2100]

@Jadon S. Windows Sonic 2007- A REAL Windows Expert. and it was really buggy but still, as mjd mentioned it introduced the features which we take granted of today

[@glenngenoway7990]

I still have a copy in the box. I thought it was fun!

[@quantumrandomness5114]

microsoft bob sux

[@RRJOfficial]

I loved Microsoft Bov as a kid. It was like a game. :)

[@stevef6392]

Imagine walking in to some bigwig CEO's office and seeing MS Bob on his computer screen.

[@danbarnes4069]

Haha Yes

[@BlackFlagHeathen]

Absolute Chad tbh

[@nicknorthcutt7680]

Lmao

[@rabz_x]

lmao

[@Dumb_Killjoy]

That had to have happened at least once.

[@masonsparkle]

The fact they released it *5 months* before Windows 95 meant it was doomed from the start. Bob got absolutely swallowed by the 95 hype.

[@AmaroqStarwind]

In hindsight, they should have just released that version of Bob as shareware, and made a better version of it to be bundled with Windows 95.

[@bchristian85]

@@AmaroqStarwind like Packard Bell's Navigator. I didn't really care for it, but it was what MS Bob should have been.

[@encycl07pedia-]

lol. It was doomed by what it was: an endless tutorial that didn't teach you how to use the actual Windows UI. If more people bought it, it would just be as (un)popular as Vista.

[@rougenaxela]

Bob was flawed, but I have to give it this: It understood that people like to customize their environment, and I have to say Microsoft today seems to have forgotten that, stripping an increasing amount of customization out of Windows.

[@rabidfollower]

One thing that borrows from MS Bob is a program "skin." E.g. a music player software may have a customizable "skin" that looks like a boom box. Skins are mostly used in less serious software, and they usually just serve as decoration. But it is definitely an example of what was found in MS Bob: the idea of a UI that looks like a real life object instead of some abstract geometric forms. Another feature of Bob, the use of everyday language to describe computer tasks, is now more often used in websites. Internet terms that use everyday language to describe tech activities and concepts, like shopping carts, wallets, friends, likes, upvotes and down, cookies, viruses, etc. are all examples of what Bob once tried to do.

[@MrLTiger]

winAMP was the king of skins

[@johnathanegbert9277]

That sounds wrong out of context.

[@BAIGAMING]

9:00 It's so odd, I thought this was true, I liked it as a kid, even my parents liked it because hey, instead of computer folders you can look through folders on a desk. I suppose if you're already familiar with Windows then it's tedious and more work going through rooms and physical items, but man I loved this as a kid!

[@meligarcia]

Nice video! I actually discovered a pretty interesting bug in Bob a few months ago! It's on the "installing Bob on the $5 Windows 98 PC" video on Michael's channel.

[@Randgalf]

I can't even begin to imagine the pure hell of being the tech support for MS Bob.

[@rabidfollower]

The idea of using virtual locations to carry out computer tasks is probably more often seen in video games today, or "gamified" environments like Metaverse. In many games where you decorate your home, for instance, you just go into your home in third- or first-person view and just drag and drop objects at will. The idea is to make such activities fun and efficient, which was Bob's original goal. Those who play building games like Minecraft or Subnautica know what I'm talking about. MS Bob should probably have been made by a game company, since game design is specialized in fully graphical UI interaction that aims for intuitiveness, efficiency, and fun (all Bob's goals). But then, the tech just wasn't there in the mid-90s. But even if there were, it would be expensive to make such designs.

[@marker_merk]

Damn, Microsoft Bob took skeuomorphism to the next level.

[@winelectronic101]

Now I wonder if the Utopia sound scheme is derived from MS BOB as I notice not only does it use it's codename but also that some of the sounds that BOB makes ended up in the sound scheme itself.

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

That sounds plausible.

[@rabidfollower]

Though Bob was a big failure, the Microsoft "Home" line yielded many successful titles: Bookshelf, Encarta, Cinemania, Dinosaur, etc.

[@pvzpeashooterfan]

3d movie maker S:/

[@robertfoster6070]

It reminds me of the old Packard Bell Navigator. The problem with Navigator was that it was only designed for a 640 by 480 screen size. As soon as the screen was altered to 600 by 800, Navigator remained unaltered and remained in the middle of a 600 by 800 desktop at 480 by 640 size. It took up space on an old 800MB hdd that we did not want to lose, so it wasn't long before it was ditched completely.

[@Zylops]

This BOB concept isnt that bad tbh I mean if bob was a thing in 2020 with RTX on, imagine like a 3D vr house with all these desks and books and other epic stuff.

[@brandonn5091]

There is, it's called oculus home

[@stevie-g-123]

Brandon N kinda true

[@hottestbrain]

@@brandonn5091 You mean the windows cliff house?

[@williamsmith6921]

the cliff house that is packaged with WMR headsets. oculus home and steamvr home are both variations of the same thing, and they are much more practical

[@ArtyIF]

actually programs like windows mixed reality and steamvr use the similar concepts to bob for vr devices. just with less kindergarten theme

[@MrPoppints]

I remember checking it out from time to time as a kid. I thought it was pretty fun to try to do things through it and I absolutely adored the little helper dog. I actually found it to be helpful at times. Maybe things would've gone better if they didn't take it so seriously and actually had marketed the program to kids.

[@nolifenerdwhohasnevergotten]

9:00 I mean, this is true and it's the basis of modern UI design. Even though we're moving away from it more and more, the desktop metaphor is still the foundation of Windows' GUI. It's called a "desktop" because your monitor is supposed to represent the top of a writing desk with individual files and folders being things you can move around on your "desk".

[@sophialovecraft7894]

I had this on my first computer that my parents had growing up, I loved it. To me it was really like a game, looking back today its pretty bad, back then though, my kid brain thought it was awesome. I might have to mess around with it again for nostalgia value.

[@aanjaneyamehrotra2100]

Hey Michael, a vid idea - pushing 5$ packard bell to its limits

[@Jesse88789]

It can only go up to Windows Me, because I believe Windows XP requires 64 MB to be install.

[@aanjaneyamehrotra2100]

@@Jesse88789 but as Michael upgraded ram in 5$ windows 98 pc then he could do it in this also

[@Jesse88789]

Mayur Mehrotra well, pushing 5 dollar windows 98 pc to its limits is already done

[@aanjaneyamehrotra2100]

@@Jesse88789 I know and this can be a sequel to it and might be more interesting

[@vojtechdanek1154]

@@Jesse88789 he can install windows vista on it but its hard

[@AmaroqStarwind]

I wonder (subject for another video)... - Will Microsoft Bob run on GeoWorks / Breadbox Ensemble? - Will GeoWorks / Breadbox Ensemble run on DR-DOS? - Will Microsoft Bob run on OS/2? - Will Microsoft Bob run in DOSBOX?

[@MAYOFORCE]

So it's basically a proto-windows shell that turns your desktop into one of those convoluted point and click adventure games just so you can email a letter to someone

[@marymurphy1429]

While I was watching this video I was really thinking about how dumb this sounded, because it's not that hard to use a computer, right? 4 year old me could use a computer before she could even read, so it's not that complicated, right? But then I remembered that I grew up on XP which is when they really tried to make things more user friendly. Plus little kid me wasn't trying to do office work with my computer. I usually I opened paint, play a CD/DVD rom game, or went to the PBS kids or nick Jr. Website. I could just memorize the shape of the icon and get mom or dad to help type things in if I needed help. Plus my dad worked a tech support job, so of I needed help I had a real life person who knew things that I could go to. So I understand why someone could benefit from this kind of software back then. Terrible execution, but a good idea

[@Lordpickleboy]

I just like that Bob may have been a fail but windows xp brought back the assistant dog in few areas such as in the search functionality it wasn't really an assistant more an easter egg tribute to Bob

[@jazzyoshi2627]

Today I learned that I'm related to one of the creators of Microsoft Bob.

[@acousticambush9421]

Today I learned that I am related to Bob himself !!!

[@zach9999]

We all are, somehow

[@MacFan710]

@Cass Fries I sure can go for some *insert second word in his/her username* yum yum

[@SkinniJ]

I’m pretty sure I am bob himself

[@Rednax35]

15:37 Not to mention that Rover was straight up reused in Windows XP’s search function.

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

Yes, I remember Rover on Windows XP, which was what wound up getting installed on the first PC that I built.

[@akaJughead]

So essentially Microsoft Bob is an operating environment, for an operating environment, for an operating system. Right...How could that possibly fail!?

[@ahniandfriends123]

Yo dawg I heard you liek operating environments so we put an operating environment in your operating environment so that you can better operate your computer while better operating your computer.

[@MacFan710]

@ahniandfriends123 IT’S LIKE NOT LIEK

[@CaptainJZH]

"you wouldn't be caught dead without one of these operating environment-containing operating environments!"

[@aetvrna]

"Karen fries" My favorite type of fries

[@Teo96]

Same, the only thing i don't like is that those fries always want to talk to the manager...

[@NotJohnTanner]

Lele

[@MacFan710]

@Teo same and how she says I own your house

[@poopingwhilestanding5801]

@@MacFan710 Or when she says, "I pay for your salary!" When in fact she's a housewife, reliant on her husband's income....but then again the tax she pays for her daily Starbucks latte or lunch with her friends, may somewhat relate...

[@Planetkid32]

I remember that this was mentioned in Vsauce’s video on Comic Sans, and how that font was originally made FOR MS Bob, but ended up not being used and was made a free font on MS Windows products (I think).

[@JordanCable]

I am love your videos. Such nostalgia going through them! Would you possibly do a history of Microsoft V-Chat?

[@Polarys_CZ]

All your content is really good. The retrospective series especially. You really deserve more subscribers than this mate.

[@chrisdigitalartist]

And Comic Sans MS was supposed to be the font for the word bubbles in Bob but was eventually scrapped. It would later show up first in Microsoft Kid's 3D Movie Maker.

[@wadmodderschalton5763]

In fact, the timing couldn't have been any worse. (15:04) Microsoft Bob came out the same year as Windows 95, so many people presumably waited for that operating system to be released rather than buying Microsoft Bob for their PCs. (12:28) And the hardware requirements of a 486 processor & 8 megabytes of RAM pretty much made people stick to their existing Windows 3.1 installations, until Windows 95 was released. (0:34)

[@jasonblalock4429]

12:37 Ugh, I didn't need to be reminded of the bad old days when emails were metered. That was such a pain in the ass.

[@ZebraManiac204]

I have MS Bob on VirtualBox and it wasn't that bad. I just thought it was the creative interface that got me hooked. Great stuff for the times of Chicago (Windows 95 Codename).

[@chris-l]

Michael: Everyone's favourite virtual house Packard Bell:

[@MrLTiger]

clearly this was the inspiration for the "Desktop". objects were replaced with shortcuts, the personal room became the personal desktop with custom wallpapers and shortcuts for individual users

[@MetalTrabant]

Never heard of this, but very interesting idea! Reminds me of those games where you have to find clues/items in a virtual room to solve some mystery...

[@DavidWonn]

1995 was too little, too late for Bob to have a prayer in surviving the market even if it hadn’t had the kiddish perception. Both Windows NT 3.51 and Windows 95 would come out just months later, sealing its doom. Let’s not forget the other system requirements: In addition to a 486 and 8 megs of RAM, you need to already have some version of Windows as well. At that point, you were better off waiting for Windows 95, assuming you weren’t already trying a demo version in early 1995. As with other failed products, Bob just didn’t have a proper market, as everything else simply did it better or did a lot more for the buck.

[@Yoshibyte]

Great video! Very informative. Love what you are doing!

[@MichaelMJD]

Glad you liked it!

[@readytogo52]

I mean I feel like it would be pretty useful for an old person who is trying to understand how to use a computer

[@martiekr]

MS Publisher was (and is) GOOD. I still use it today. I can do things modern publishers cannot do, like the folded forms 1/4 size (using front inside and back) as 4 pages printed on 1 sheet of paper where you just fold i twice to make the greeting-card etc.

[@AmaroqStarwind]

Let's reverse engineer Microsoft Bob (such as the Gateway 2000 edition), and then make an open source substitute that maintains backwards compatibility with Bob-specific applications, but runs on both Windows XP / ReactOS, and modern versions of Windows (including the ARM and x86-64 versions of Windows 10). Even better would be if it had the following: - WinFS support/integration (would require some work to actually get WinFS itself finished). - Support for displaying images loaded via WIC codecs. - A font that is extremely dyslexia-friendly. - A font renderer that is based on GDIPP. - Support for modern resolutions and aspect ratios (would require editing the room artwork). ----- Actually, just improved artwork in general. - Support for (and integration with) Microsoft Agent. - Support for StrokesPlus-style mouse gestures, and a CircleDock-style application launcher. - Using .NET Core (or .NET 6) for awesomeness. - A failsafe to prevent any Bob-related application or information windows from opening off-screen. - Accessibility for colorblind users.

[@TheFakeVIP]

Congratulations, you successfully managed to get me excited ... about Microsoft Bob of all things! Add full keyboard navigability to that List, and MSAA / UIA integration for screen reader users, and that would actually be pretty interesting.

[@kintenxp8582]

This content is amazing and really interesting! Next time could you talk about the Microsoft 3D Movie Maker?

[@chaomac]

I remember just inserting lots of fire places until the computer crashed

[@poeterritory]

The problem is that it didn't transition to how to use the OS. It would have been better as a tutorial type thingy.

[@EMDWDG4]

A software skin (Bob) which ran on top of a software skin (Windows) which ran on top of an operating system (MS DOS). My mind is officially blown...

[@SophiaMayflower]

2:34 OMG I feel bad for Karen Fries I bet she (or he) is a wonderful person though! :3

[@poopingwhilestanding5801]

Do you feel bad for the investor's in Theranos, a company that Elizabeth Holmes created and ran that bilked millions from hard working people? Who is now wanting her trial delayed because she's pregnant? Or how about Melissa Mayer who ran Yahoo into the ground, requiring her folks to come back into the office while she spent tens of thousands to create space for her own daycare for her child? Or is it just because she's a woman, and you can relate with your feelings....

[@SophiaMayflower]

@@poopingwhilestanding5801 JESUS I DIDNT KNOW ALL THAT WHEN I MADE THE COMMENT-

[@DanielC_YT]

I actually had Microsoft Bob on my computer when it had Windows 8.1. Yes, 8.1. But altogether, I wouldn't really recommend it, because a few weeks later, my computer wouldn't even boot up and I had to use System Restore to go back BEFORE I got Bob to work on there. So, maybe it was the cause of that...?

[@joeaverage3444]

Bob was a bad solution to a problem that didn't even exist. It was patronizing for novices and an absurd joke for advanced computer users. But most of all, it was far more tedious and less intuitive to use than the actual Windows 95 or even 3.11 desktop. And that's probably why it failed.

[@Teo96]

2:31 Karen Fries

[@stoplight2554]

honestly bobs worst crime is simply being a visual disaster. from the bad perspective on the glasses on the logo, to the program itself with its overly saturated colors, bob is a clip art hellscape

[@TheSultan1470]

Na

[@Arfus_UwU]

Awesome video and channel, it’s kinda funny they used Microsoft bob to prevent windows XP piracy.

[@nexustrition1264]

Oh boy, Michael is almost at 100K Subs. What will he do?

[@HeenaPatel253]

NexusTrition make a video to get more subs

[@Lestercortez128]

I remember this on sale at Costco when it first came out. I thought the house-themed computing is very unique. I ran it on my Windows XP system.

[@DaddyPhantae]

the first time he said wizard it sounded like he said wizzers and i was so confused for a sec lol

[@patmillman7255]

I think they should make a Microsoft Bob 2 for Virtual Reality, I think it would be a perfect fit!

[@G3MYT]

Wow, you're really close to 100k! Best of luck!

[@brandonn5091]

I absolutely love your videos, they are informative, and fun, plus your voice is so calming, I thank KZbin for reccomending your account to me every day

[@bigdawgpillowy]

my favorit windows os is xp

[@matinsveismans]

I should downgrade windows 10 to windows xp

[@aetvrna]

@@matinsveismans dont xp has literally no support lol

[@rebeccadale6335]

I like all windows os except 10 I only use 10 because my prosser Is not compatible with 8.1

[@xxalex423xx]

I think windows xp is the best aesthetically and 7 is the best functionally

[@aetvrna]

@@xxalex423xx i liked aero doe

[@airfixer9461]

Great video Michael, I loved it..great research, great info...I love how you mention Geos here too....keep up going the good work...you nailed it with this one once again :-)

[@MichaelMJD]

Thank you so much! Glad you liked it : )

[@matthewpaulargall9102]

I loved Packard Bell's Navigator as a kid. I could see myself enjoying this too.

[@22b_gc8]

Your videos always has something new you can learn and easy to understand. I love your work😃

[@MichaelMJD]

Glad to hear that, thank you!

[@SeleniumOfficial]

I remember using this as a small child. I thought it was a CD ROM game!!

[@Moonicle]

These theory videos is what I am coming back here. Loving it!

[@jargon343]

Great video Michael! Keep up the good videos! almost to 100k!

[@charleskilbourne8129]

I love how that rimshot lined up with you saying the project was greenlit with three devs 😂

[@fionnmcgovern545]

I love these history videos! Keep up the good work!

[@MichaelMJD]

Glad to hear that! Thank you : )

[@fionnmcgovern545]

@@MichaelMJD Just a small question, I've been interested in video editing. Do you use Camtasia Studio?

[@MichaelMJD]

@@fionnmcgovern545 I use Adobe Premiere Pro!

[@fionnmcgovern545]

@@MichaelMJD I see. Thanks!

[@ArchLars]

I am actually working on a troll distro for Linux that is based on MS Bob. Just a hobby thing for now but I might release it if people want a laugh.

[@Shady00018]

Here I am in 2024. Born 1988. I thought MS Bob was a game. sweet memories.

[@minogamesfan9203]

Amazing video, Michael! I wonder what will you upload next? How about a development of Windows Vista?

[@MichaelMJD]

I want to cover each Windows version in a development history video eventually! Vista is on the list : )

[@minogamesfan9203]

@@MichaelMJD alright then. Keep up the good work!

[@AeizzatToha]

Michael MJD Great work!

[@davinp]

The main problem with Bob is the annoying assistant that keeps popping up. Packard Bell's version didn't have an annoying assistant

[@astos1244]

I thought this was a game. I actually liked this software as a kid.

[@whalemoth]

That's exactly how I came across this video. Feeling nostalgic and wanted to revisit something I loved as a kid. I was born in '85 so was around 10 when I was playing around with Microsoft BOB but I have such fond memories of it.

[@supertaco863]

If they made a new version of this with modern things today Integrated it with be headset I think it might be interesting

[@Lim95]

Wasn’t there a commercial where Bob and Clippy teased Bill Gates after he went back in time with Doc Brown? Microsoft is weird.

[@m2macbookpro]

I used Microsoft Bob in a VM and it was a little annoying.

[@goulashball_mapping]

"Add more rooms without a second mortgage." hmmmmmmm

[@umbrimea]

Why am I so obsessed with this idea

[@cxc8268]

"Oops! You need to click on a button first." was a design choice that literally every program and website uses these days

[@2DarkHorizon]

We need a bob remake

[@Dullrig]

What's Up Dog Checking?

[@melonademan5639]

Talk about Windows Phone next!

[@ruzule]

Microsoft BOB on windows 10 😬😬😬

[@fionnmcgovern545]

lol

[@rebeccadale6335]

All ready done

[@cdur5091]

Windows ME: i suck Microsoft Bob: hold my beer

[@melonman1276]

I found it fine

[@ckingpro]

Running Packard Bell shortcut inside Microsoft Bob?

[@davinp]

Windows 3.X and earlier were harder to use than Windows 95. It was simply a graphic shell on top of DOS, meaning not a full operating system

[@FoxWolfWorld]

It was like the metaverse of the 90s

[@johnsmith-sk1ep]

Made about as much sense as com, dcom, com plus. I wish I had a dollar for every app for windows in the 90s that failed with "object not found", or the bsod. If ms hadn't started copying java, I wonder just how far they would have gone. Another big failure was their venture into pda. I can't think of anything offhand on the mobile side that they were good at. Still, most people don't realize that mid 80s, mainframes were king and there were only a handful of companies that made them like ibm but all of them thought of PCs as distributed computing. Not 'distributed' in the sense today but that as in satellites around their mainframes. Bill and steve didn't invent computers or even computers that would fit on a desk. All the big companies of the day had their own desktop computers but they wouldn't give up their huge margins and so it wasn't long before someone figured out how to chain all these small computers at much less cost and more cpu cycles and basically wipe out an entire industry. That's got to be the biggest blunder in IT.

[@katie7537]

With the glasses, the logo kind of looks like "Microsoft Boob"

[@soluteserviceshousekeeping8705]

I liked Microsoft BOB I got a refund for the email service

[@dirkbonesteel]

Radio Shack had a very similar but more simple Microsoft program called Deskmate as the operating system on the 1000RL, 80886 machines. I t was my first new computer

[@medes5597]

Deskmate was a seperate company to Radioshack/Tandy, they just licensed it. Commodore 64, IBM, Amiga, Amstrad, Apple II, Atari ST and so on all had their own version of Deskmate. Deskmate was gong to be the main OS on the ST instead of TOS at one point

[@blainepalmerza]

Awesome video, Michael!

[@MichaelMJD]

Thanks so much!

[@declanjamesbateson]

Try insider Microsoft Bob on Windows 11

[@saucedplanet5968]

That bob/windows domain trade is a joke that wrote itself.

[@gustukas]

Wait, so does that mean MS Bob is a interface running on an interface running on MS-DOS?

[@stevegaming450]

i miss bob

[@fullmetaljacket7]

The "B's" in Bob are upside-down. That's why it failed.

[@melonboi2293]

micheal do a video of windows ce on the 98 pc

[@britishchick09]

This is so cool! :D

[@HyperrealisticLuigi]

Installing softram on bob

[@yeppiidev]

Wow nice video 👍👍 👌

[@MichaelMJD]

Thanks!

[@yeppiidev]

@@MichaelMJD One question, Michael. WinDynamicDesktop is having an issue. It doesn't download images correctly. The download speed is very slow but I have network with 100mbps speed. Can you help me or can I open an issue on the GitHub page?

[@MichaelMJD]

@@yeppiidev I haven't experienced that before. Maybe try re-installing the program or resetting your network adapter.

[@yeppiidev]

@@MichaelMJD Oh, but everything that takes internet is fine. Maybe the server that stores the images is slow

[@NightimeDemon]

I think there's a lot of great fundamental ideas behind why BOB was created and what it tried to do. It's execution was awful, but there's something in that base idea of making things easy to use and understand for the user. I think that's a guiding principle for a lot of what we have now as far as UI is concerned.