Microsoft Bob Article Index for
Microsoft
Website Links For
Microsoft
 

Information About

Microsoft Bob




Microsoft Bob is a product released by Microsoft in March 1995 as an adventure game-like interface for performing tasks on one's computer.


ORIGINS

''Microsoft Bob'' was designed to be a user friendly interface for Microsoft Windows version 3.1, replacing the '' Program Manager ''. The project was at one point managed by Melinda French , Bill Gates ' girlfriend at the time. The two later married. At the time she left Microsoft she was Product Unit Manager for a group which included ''Bob'' and three other Microsoft titles.


FEATURES

''Bob'' includes various office suite programs such as a calendar, a finance application, and a Word Processor . Despite its ambitious nature and its wide variety of features, it failed to penetrate the market and is widely considered one of Microsoft's least successful products.

Despite its poor market showing and notwithstanding its condescending tone or dumbed-down interface, ''Bob'''s Yellow Smiley Face Logo became widely associated with the product and Microsoft in general.


THE CARTOON HELPER AGENTS OF BOB (VERSION 1.0)

''Bob'' features a diverse selection of "guides". Each guide posesses its own unique "personality" and has its own array of animations. Although they were meant to be cute, many people found the guides to be simply annoying.



Other cartoon helper agents

Some designs of the ''Bob'' cartoons are still used in other Microsoft products:

  • Bob's face was used in '' MSN Messenger '' as a " Nerd Smiley "

  • Will and The Dot are now Office Assistant s

  • The yellow dog "Rover" can be found in the search function of '' Windows XP ''

  • Rover's animations (like Typing on a computer) inspired the Office Assistant "Rex"

  • Rover appears in the Microsoft program Greetings Workshop



SEE ALSO



EXTERNAL LINKS