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    Bill Gates: top ten greatest hits (and misses)

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by swarmer, Jun 28, 2008.

  1. swarmer

    swarmer beep beep

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    swarmer, Jun 28, 2008
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  2. Gregory

    Gregory disassemble?

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    I'm surprised the list was limited to Microsoft releases. Bill Gates helped to build Macintosh into what it became by the late 80's through joint programming ventures for their early computers... And the Macintosh was certainly a big hit.
     
    Gregory, Jun 28, 2008
    #2
  3. swarmer

    swarmer beep beep

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    Ha! That's true, I forgot. And he bailed out Apple in the 90's too.
     
    swarmer, Jun 28, 2008
    #3
  4. plattnnum

    plattnnum Notebook Evangelist

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    glad to see windows me on the list
     
    plattnnum, Jun 28, 2008
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  5. Jlbrightbill

    Jlbrightbill Notebook Deity

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    Microsoft Bob was the best!!
     
    Jlbrightbill, Jun 28, 2008
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  6. swiego

    swiego Notebook Consultant

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    Interesting list but missing a few things.

    I think QuickBASIC was the real development hit. Almost no one used VB for DOS which only hit its stride under Windows. A generation of programmers got their feet wet with QB though, and its Professional BASIC big brother.

    I also think Excel deserves a place as a big, big hit as perhaps one of the most flexible applications (from UI down to engine) ever created. Others paved the way with spreadsheets, but I don't think any software has been written with a UI as flexible and adaptable as Excel.

    I also think DirectX was a hit for all the obvious reasons. Poor OpenGL.

    Under misses, Pocket IE has caused heartache for a generation of mobile users and is IMO one of the crappiest pieces of software I've used in 20+ years of computing. Indeed the entire Windows Mobile platform is kind of blah, not actually having improved much since the late 1990s (some of the dialog boxes from my 1999 iPAQ are unchanged in Windows Mobile 6.1!?!?!).

    And, of course, Visual Java / J++ and Microsoft's attempt to subvert Java were deserving of scorn.
     
    swiego, Jun 28, 2008
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  7. CompFreak247

    CompFreak247 Notebook Consultant

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    Not bad, but believe it or not I sort of liked Clippy in Office. Office is probably their best product - no other product is clearly better then it, and there really isn't much to bash about it aside from somewhat high price.
     
    CompFreak247, Jun 29, 2008
    #7
  8. swarmer

    swarmer beep beep

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    ...and non-standard file formats.

    And I can't stand Clippy, but at least they got rid of him.

    Visual Studio and the .NET framework are also really good, IMO... except for being Windows-only.
     
    swarmer, Jun 29, 2008
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  9. THAANSA3

    THAANSA3 Exit Stage Left

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    Great point. I think most people, including myself, have forgotten that.
     
    THAANSA3, Jun 29, 2008
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  10. timtravel42

    timtravel42 Notebook Virtuoso

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    LOL @ Microsoft BOB :D
     
    timtravel42, Jun 29, 2008
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  11. Prasad

    Prasad NBR Reviewer 1337 NBR Reviewer

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    The hell is Microsoft Home and Microsoft BOB ?
     
    Prasad, Jun 29, 2008
    #11