Editing Microsoft Bob (section)

==Reception and legacy==
Although a [[Consumer Electronics Show]] demonstration was met with generally positive reactions,<ref name=chronicles/> reviewers generally derided the software, and Microsoft Bob became one of Microsoft's more visible product failures.<ref name=win-conf>{{cite web | url=https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2008.07.windowsconfidential.aspx | title=Windows Confidential: History Taking Up Space | publisher=[[Microsoft]] | work=[[TechNet Magazine]] | date=July 2008 | access-date=2013-06-15 | first=Raymond | last=Chen}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' found the characters irritating and the home design apparently the work of an "esthetically challenged sixth-grader," criticized the hardware requirements and storage file formats and concluded that the program was not as simple to use as Microsoft had advertised.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/17/science/personal-computers-bob-your-new-best-friend-s-personality-quirks.html|title=Bob: Your New Best Friend's Personality Quirks|last=Manes|first=Stephen|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=1995-01-17|access-date=2021-09-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170503061251/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/17/science/personal-computers-bob-your-new-best-friend-s-personality-quirks.html|archive-date=2017-05-03|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' called the home environment "sterile" and "lifeless," wrote that the characters' cuteness wore thin quickly and criticized the scarce customization and access to Windows components.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1995/01/30/the-two-faces-of-microsoft-bob/a3e7e2dc-d26c-47ee-8709-d947d57d40b6/|title=The Two Faces of Microsoft Bob|last=Casey|first=William|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=1995-01-30|access-date=2021-09-13}}</ref> According to [[PC Data]], the real sales from Bob's release until its discontinuation amounted to only about 58,000 copies—far short of Microsoft's estimate that it would sell millions as had [[Microsoft Works]] and ''[[Encarta]]''.<ref name=chronicles/> Despite being discontinued just one year after launch, Microsoft Bob continued to be sharply criticized in reviews and popular media.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1636333,00.asp | title=The Bottom 10: Worst Software Disasters | publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] | work=[[PC World]] | date=16 August 2004 | access-date=2007-09-21 | last=Dvorak | first=John C.}}</ref> In 2017, Melinda Gates acknowledged that the software "needed a more powerful computer than most people had back then."<ref name=":1" />

Microsoft Bob was listed seventh in ''[[PC World]]'' magazine's list of the 25 worst tech products of all time<ref name="pc25">{{cite web | url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/125772/worst_products_ever.html | title=The 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time | publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] | work=[[PC World]] | date=26 March 2006 | access-date=2024-06-07 | last=Tynan | first=Dan}}</ref> and as the number-one worst product of the decade by [[CNET.com]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cnettv.com/9710-1_53-25029.html?tag=cnetfd.mt | title=CNET Top 5: Worst products in a decade | publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] | work=[[CNET]] | date=30 April 2007 | access-date=2007-09-21 | last=Merritt | first=Tom}}</ref> It was also listed among the 50 worst inventions in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, which called Bob "overly cutesy" and an "operating system designed around [[Office Assistant|Clippy]]."<ref name="time">{{cite news | url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1991915_1991909_1991855,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530052234/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1991915_1991909_1991855,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 30, 2010 | title=The 50 Worst Inventions | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date=27 May 2010 | access-date=2014-07-16 | first=Dan | last=Fletcher}}</ref> Microsoft's [[Steve Ballmer]] mentioned Bob as an example in which "we decided that we have not succeeded and let's stop [now]."<ref>{{cite news|first=Stacy |last=Cowley |title=Ballmer Analyzes Microsoft's 'One Big' Vista Mistake |url=http://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/191600739/ballmer-analyzes-microsofts-one-big-vista-mistake.htm |work=[[CRN Magazine]] |publisher=The Channel Company |date=31 July 2006 |access-date=2006-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930183532/http://www.crn.com/sections/breakingnews/dailyarchives.jhtml%3Bjsessionid%3DZEQ0I0LMYJC1MQSNDLPCKHSCJUNN2JVN?articleId=191600739 |archive-date=30 September 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Microsoft employee [[Raymond Chen (Microsoft)|Raymond Chen]] disclosed that an encrypted copy of Bob was included on [[Windows XP]] installation CDs in order to consume space to prevent piracy.<ref name=win-conf /> It was thought that by consuming an additional 30 megabytes on the disc (in the era of [[Dial-up Internet access|dial-up internet access]]), users with 56&nbsp;kbit/s [[modem]]s would be dissuaded from attempting to download the software illegally.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Archiveddocs|title=Raymond Chen discusses Microsoft Bob|url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/technet-magazine/cc565089(v=msdn.10)|access-date=2021-01-20|website=docs.microsoft.com|date=September 8, 2016 |language=en-us}}</ref> Retired Microsoft engineer [[David Plummer (programmer)|David Plummer]] has identified himself as the employee responsible for the encrypted copy. The installer routine would check for the "blob of Bob" and if an "[[Original equipment manufacturer|OEM]] blob" was detected, only an OEM product key would be accepted.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Speed|first=Richard|title=Retired engineer confesses to role in sliding Microsoft Bob onto millions of XP install CDs|url=https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/25/xp_bob/|access-date=2021-01-20|website=www.theregister.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=David|first=Plummer|date=2020-11-24|title=04.Secret History of Microsoft Bob - by Retired Microsoft Engineer Davepl|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXHu9OmLd8Y| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/rXHu9OmLd8Y| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|access-date=|website=Dave's Garage - YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Tech journalist [[Harry McCracken]] called the story "a delightfully urban legend-y tale" and noted its similarities to an [[April Fools' Day]] joke claiming that Bob was hidden in [[Windows Vista]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://technologizer.com/2010/03/29/windows-xp-a-free-copy-of-bob-in-every-box/ | title=Windows XP: A Free Copy of Bob in Every Box? | publisher=Technologizer, Inc | work=Technologizer | date=29 March 2010 | access-date=2013-06-15 | first=Harry | last=McCracken}}</ref>

The use of virtual assistants in Microsoft Bob later inspired Clippit, colloquially called "Clippy" the paperclip, the default [[Office Assistant]] in [[Microsoft Office]]. Rover, the dog mascot character introduced with Bob, became a "search companion" for Windows XP's file-search function.<ref>LGR: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkU4WWEUj-Y&ab The Microsoft Bob Experience: Was It Really THAT Bad?], YouTube, 26 January 2018</ref>

Microsoft graphic designer [[Vincent Connare]] designed the typeface [[Comic Sans]] when he noticed that Rover's speech was displayed in [[Times New Roman]], which he felt was inappropriate for a cartoon dog. Although Connare's font did not appear in the final release of Microsoft Bob because its characters did not fit within any of the typographical grids, it later debuted in Microsoft's [[3D Movie Maker]] and became an additional typeface for [[Windows 95]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-11582548.amp|title=What's so wrong with Comic Sans?|work=[[BBC News]]|date=2010-10-20|access-date=2021-09-13}}</ref>