Though it certainly must be a tough job dominating the computer industry, Microsoft gets a lot of slack when it messes up. Over the years, Microsoft has encountered some tricky obstacles that they haven’t always been able to overcome. Bugs in the operating system, bugs in application software; viruses, worms, Spyware, trouble with hardware and software upgrades, nevertheless, the majority of consumers and companies continue to buy computers equipped with Windows, Sharepoint Hosting services, and hosted CRM solutions . Microsoft has certainly made some big mistakes, but are people just forgiving, or is the Microsoft giant so big, it’s out of their hands? Here are seven less-than-successful technologies Microsoft only wishes it could sweep under the rug.
7) DOS 4.0: MS-DOS
Released in 1988, DOS 4.0 had several improvements from version 3.3, but it also had a lot of bugs. The RAM disk was badly flawed, people would often lose their data and poor buffer settings when dealing with files larger than 32 megabytes, caused severe disk corruption. Also, 4.0 was based on IBM’s code base, not Microsoft’s. Many people purchasing new computers demanded DOS 3.3 be installed instead.
6) Microsoft Bob and Windows ME
Microsoft Bob was voted #7 in PC World Magazine’s 25 Worst Products of All Time. The cartoon interface designed to create a chummy virtual experience, with programs and documents represented by everyday objects was high up on Microsoft’s low point list. Microsoft promptly destroyed as many copies of the software as it could get its hands on. “Clippy” was the only feature to survive.
Windows ME, dubbed the “Mistake Edition” by PC World was listed #4 for the Worst Tech Product of All Time. ME was subject to frequent freezes and crashes. ME users reported difficulties installing it, running it and getting it to work with other hardware and software.
5) Microsoft 2000
Security issues were a common complaint with some notable consequences while Windows 2000 was the main operating system. In August 2003 two major worms (Sobig and Blaster) attacked millions of Microsoft Windows computers costing Microsoft millions in clean-up costs. Then in 2005, there were security compromises on machines operating on Windows 2000 at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the New York Times, ABC and CNN. The Zotob worm was said to have been the cause.
4) Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer has been prone to malicious attacks and harmful viruses. Rob Pegoraro of the Washington Post said that due to Windows leaving five Internet ports open for various running services malefactors have an easier time compromising the system. IE has been more prone to security risks because of security flaws in the design. Rival web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, an open-source, cross-platform web browser, offer faster browsing and better functionality. For programmers, IE makes it difficult to have code in place within HTML documents that conform to World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards.
3) Underestimating the iPhone
The Microsoft Zune was created specifically to compete with the Apple iPod but while Microsoft was developing the Zune, Apple was already getting ready to release the iPhone. This didn’t seem to faze Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who in a 2007 interview with USA Today was quoted saying:
“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It’s a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I’d prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get.”
In 2008, 8 million iPhones were manufactured. In two years, Zune sold about 2 million units whereas Apple sells about 10 million per quarter.
2) Underestimating Linux
Microsoft’s agreement with vendors to sell only the Windows OS has been significantly challenged with free software operating systems such as Linux. Linux is the most prominent free operating system and is both cost-effective and versatile. Though Windows continues to dominate the desktop and pc market, in February of 2008, Linux powered 85% of the world’s most powerful supercomputers. One of the key strengths of Linux according to free software proponents is that it respects a user’s essential freedoms; the freedom to run it, to study and change it, and to redistribute copies with or without changes. Microsoft could do well with its own version of Linux.
1) Vista
Usually upgrades mean better, faster and easier, but Windows Vista soon gained a reputation of being just the opposite.
Problems with Vista
Price
Many consumers found the price of Windows Vista too expensive. Free open-source alternatives such as Linux come at one tenth of the price.
Hardware Requirements
GPU requires way too much memory, moreover, hardware that worked on XP either doesn’t work or works poorly on Vista. Vista applications also execute slower than they did on XP. Basic file operations are also noticeably slower such as unzipping a file or deleting. The templates used to show content are also quite buggy. Whenever Vista opens a folder, it doesn’t remember settings and always shows its preferred template.
Restrictive Licensing Terms and Digital Rights Management
Vista has been criticized for its restrictive technologies that don’t allow you to copy protected digital media. High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) and Image Constraint Token (ICT) have been added due to Microsoft’s agreement with major Hollywood studios. All devices that come into contact with premium content (such as graphics cards) have to be certified by Microsoft.
Digital Rights Management gives digital content and software providers the ability to put restrictions on how their products are used on their customers’ machines; these restrictions are seen by the technology’s detractors as an infringement on fair use and other rights.
User Account Control
UAC blocks other software from silently gaining administrative privileges, but the frequent and unnerving UAC prompts cause many people to either turn the function off or set it to auto-approval mode, which defeats the purpose of having it in the first place.
Trying Again with Windows 7
Microsoft has certainly been through some rough patches, but the new Windows 7 system has tried to rectify some of these issues. For one, Windows 7, currently available in a “beta” or test version can tolerate relatively low-powered hardware. Usually, a Windows OS upgrade means upgrading to a more powerful computer, however Windows 7 seems to run very well on a high spec dual-core computer and also an Asus Eee PC.
Windows 7 boots up in just under 40 seconds and the user interface has also undergone some vast improvements. For instance, the taskbar shows active and inactive programs and you can “pin” your favorites to the bar. Also, that annoying UAC feature has been overhauled and now users can set it so they can keep working on tasks when a warning message appears. Another cool feature is a program that records your computer activity: mouse clicks, buttons pushed. If your computer malfunctions, you can send recorded data to tech support in order to facilitate problem-solving.
One of Microsoft’s biggest problems has been the releasing of unfinished software, but it promises that Windows 7 will not go on sale until the final version is perfected and meets the company’s standards. But one thing Microsoft may want to consider in order to keep its authority- is to stop fighting open-source software and jump on the bandwagon.
Excellent comparisons mate. I think these mistakes have made the Microsoft lose his top place in software industry.
One question comes to my mind is when you have so much why don’t you hire people who can come up with an innovative ideas. Anyways, very well written article with a cool insight.
Cheers
Free open-source alternatives such as Linux come at one tenth of the price.
Umm….
I can’t believe you didn’t mention how broken Vista’s window manager is. Having windows locked into place while an app is busy is a giant step backwards, especially given how long apps take to start under Vista (I’m running 64bit with a dual-core machine btw).
what a load of rubbish (well anything that says Vista is crap is most correct)
badly written too
In 2008, 8 million iPhones were manufactured. In two years, Zune sold about 2 million units whereas Apple sells about 10 million per quarter.
so, in 2008, 8 mil iPhones were made but they sold 40 mil units… is the calculator broke in Ubuntu or are you simply making up stats
#epicfail
I’m certainly happy that Sherweb has made no mistakes in the past twenty years as he/it/they created a multi-billion industry. What is your company name, again?
MS makes products that are so good that people willingly pay money for it rather than use free alternatives.
I am reminded that Babe Ruth was, for decades, both the home-run king and the strike-out king.
Microsoft really did shoot themselves in the foot with Vista. It got such a horrible reputation, so quickly. I tried and tried to find a laptop with XP last December, but couldn’t find what I wanted and gave in and got one with Vista. Honestly, Vista has worked fine for me, but I’ve heard horror stories from people with earlier versions of Vista.
I can agree with the mistakes. But if the Windows7 is loved by the users, then despite all the mistakes in the short history of Microsoft, it will have a large community very glad about the company
In what way has MS underestimated Linux? Linux has something like 1% share for desktop, and 15% for servers. Until recent years, MS didn’t even try to run on supercomputers — and their progress into the supercomputer market is continuing to grow.
Free open-source alternatives such as Linux come at one tenth of the price.
zero times anything is zero…so either Vista is free or Linux costs money?
most linuxes are free, but there are some that cost.
https://www.redhat.com/wapps/store/
Please donate your old boxes to a church-group or some needy student in these hard times! To comply with the law, and with Microsoft’s leasing policy, you can now replace Microsoft OS with the free (download from the net) Ubuntu OS, which can be set to erase the hard drive of all traces of the “illegal to give away ” Microsoft system and your private information, before donation! Now, explain to your lucky recipient that all the manuals they will ever need are available for free on the internet! Just ask for them in Google! OpenOffice, which is installed already is plenty adequate for homework assignments and with a little exploring, everything else can work well too! Happy computing!
Hardware Requirements
GPU requires way too much memory,
aha, your graphics card requires too much memory now?
“Posted by Aaron at 7:06 pm at 9. June 2009
In what way has MS underestimated Linux? Linux has something like 1% share for desktop, and 15% for servers. Until recent years, MS didn’t even try to run on supercomputers — and their progress into the supercomputer market is continuing to grow.”
Say what? You need to get your figures correct – Linux has more servers running than all other opsys’s combined! 15%? That’s SALES figures! Linux is free and sales are 15% of the SALES. The free servers aren’t included in that figure. Hey I run MS on most of my computers, but feel quite obviously Linux will eventually kill Windows – thats a gimmee. Microsoft is programming it’s way to a dead end. Apple realized that they were doing the same and changed to Unix and now they are starting to compete on price and quality like never before. Personally, I think MS will go under like GM and all the other corps that think profits aren’t important, just sales figures.
“Another cool feature is a program that records your computer activity: mouse clicks, buttons pushed.”
Is no one else a little concerned about this?
“Free open-source alternatives such as Linux come at one tenth of the price.”
o_o
good comparison and the mistake make by Microsoft. However Microsoft is like a Giant on Operating System industry. They still growth. If Microsoft still make a mistake the Giant will fall down in future.
so much money… and office politics… it would be hard to come up with something innovative. But they do come up with somethings and get better at it within few years.. ;p
check out this article originally written on March 26, 2001 by David A. Wheeler titled Microsoft, the Innovator?
There’s good info here. I did a search on the topic and found most people will agree with your blog. Keep up the good work mate!
I’m Out!
That was a great article, I completely agree with Vista and IE.
Jenaer Glass Teapot
Numi Glass Teapot
I think the real problem is, those evil trolls at Apple have hired all the good programmers and left Microsoft all the third-rate people. The second-raters are working for themselves, start-up companies or in teaching positions.
MS will never be safe until Apple is destroyed, . How dare they release better software with fewer bugs and fewer security issues, and that works the first time, every time, those heartless bastards? Then they also have the nerve to sell their programs for less. The gall of those Jobs Jockeys!
M$ isn’t going away any time soon, Desktop PCs will likely pass into oblivion before M$ can give up on it. Kubuntu 10.04 is on all the PCs I personally use; that cost me the bandwidth to download it.. 40 minutes worth of 7 Megabit ADSL, $70 per month…. pennies. W7 upgrade for my wifes laptop was also free of ‘direct’ monetary cost since the upgrade was included in the selling price of the laptop (but the anti-Linux FUD at a big box retailer was priceless). I do NOT cherish the idea of M$ software in a cellphone, or running a refrigerator or managing my automobile functions, because of the corporations history of denial and then announcing fixes at the moment a new version hits retail stores.