What is the worst Microsoft Product? I'm sure we've all been frustrated by a MS product at some point, but which is the worst? Here are some of the contenders: [b:4ab0dde816]Messenger[/b:4ab0dde816] The software that allows you to chat to others in real-time is a very useful tool, but is also buggier than a night in the Roach motel. MS developer: "I know, let's make a chat programme which occasionally jumps up to a random point earlier in the conversation when they receive a new message!" [b:4ab0dde816]Paint[/b:4ab0dde816] Frighteningly simple and easy to use, because it has the functionality of a juggler with no arms. MS developer: "I know, let's make a drawing programme which will lose half of it's information when saved, unless you save it at a size similar to Texas." [b:4ab0dde816]Office[/b:4ab0dde816] Actually a very powerful tool, but then they added the intrusive help function. MS developer: "I know, we should animate a paperclip!" [b:4ab0dde816]Internet Explorer[/b:4ab0dde816] You can look at billions of websites! Oh wait, the window's shut itself... MS developer: "I know, let's flood the market with IE and drown Netscape!" [b:4ab0dde816]Hotmail[/b:4ab0dde816] One of the first big free e-mail providers. Free meaning lots of adverts on the screen of course. MS developer: "I know, let's copy gmail but at 10% of the scale!" [b:4ab0dde816]Windows[/b:4ab0dde816] The behemoth, without this, the world of computers would not be the same, we wouldn't have most of these microsoft products for a start. In the beginning, the competiting product was Netscape Navigator - which was, ironically, a bugger to navigate. So windows had the edge and have kept it by making sure that lots of things are compatible with them and them only. MS developer: "I know, people think our security is poor, so let's set the firewall to off!" So which is your anti-favourite?
Outlook. Horrendous design, horrendous implementation, and a black hole for security. edit to add: MS developer: "I know, let's add the greatest security hole [i:83287060e0]ever[/i:83287060e0] in the shape of a mailing client, and then spend years and years pretending to fix it!"
[quote:8d556ba9d8="Electric_Man"] [b:8d556ba9d8]Hotmail[/b:8d556ba9d8] One of the first big free e-mail providers. Free meaning lots of adverts on the screen of course. MS developer: "I know, let's copy gmail but at 10% of the scale!" [/quote:8d556ba9d8] I've had my hotmail since years before MS bought the brand, think I got it in 1996 or something like that. Not sure if gmail or hotmail was first. Don't really use my hotmail anymore though, it's more for using when signing up at places I know are gonna spam me, like forms for downloading software and such.
Oh, and Outlook's support for IMAP (which is a bloody great idea if you ask me) is tragic. I just said goodbye to Outlook for good, in favour of Mozilla Thunderbird (mail client). All we need now is some advancements in Mozilla's Sunbird project (calendar app) and noone will ever need Outlook anymore.
[quote:a4a79b3a6d="KaptenKaries"][quote:a4a79b3a6d="Electric_Man"] [b:a4a79b3a6d]Hotmail[/b:a4a79b3a6d] One of the first big free e-mail providers. Free meaning lots of adverts on the screen of course. MS developer: "I know, let's copy gmail but at 10% of the scale!" [/quote:a4a79b3a6d] I've had my hotmail since years before MS bought the brand, think I got it in 1996 or something like that. Not sure if gmail or hotmail was first. Don't really use my hotmail anymore though, it's more for using when signing up at places I know are gonna spam me, like forms for downloading software and such.[/quote:a4a79b3a6d] Hotmail was first, but since gmail has arrived they've tried to copy it, but without the huge amount of space or anything even a patch on what they're trying to copy. I use my hotmail for the same thing really, also a lot of people I want to stay in touch with only know that address and no matter how hard I try, they don't get the hint when i ask them to send to my gmail...
[quote:7df6d62778="KaptenKaries"]Oh, and Outlook's support for IMAP (which is a bloody great idea if you ask me) is tragic. I just said goodbye to Outlook for good, in favour of Mozilla Thunderbird (mail client). All we need now is some advancements in Mozilla's Sunbird project (calendar app) and noone will ever need Outlook anymore.[/quote:7df6d62778] Tragic? I crown thee the King of Understatements.
All of them really, I use Linux. But in terms of security I'd say Outlook Express and Internet Explorer. They aren't even very user friendly .. there are better products out there. Office is really Microsoft's main product. and also a big reason why the operating system sells very well. There isn't anything close to Office yet .. though OpenOffice is getting to be ok. Edit: Hotmail isn't actually an MS product, and used to run really nicely when it was on Unix. They had a heck of a job migrating to Windows servers, though I think they finally succeeded.
Not sure what you mean, I love them all.... Now go and download Firefox from the front page if you haven't already.
I think I must vote for Outlook & Outlook express. They are even more annoying in that they have some really neat functions that others such as Thunderbird don't have, but still manage to cock up whatever you're doing... I have had accounts on hotmail for ages too (the first one goes back to 96 or 97) and I hve the same problem, people just don't get the hint, so all other accounts die out...
Why don't you write to your friends with the address you want them to use, because most people are lazy and only click the reply button?
I'd say Messenger because that's the only program I use in my everyday life. I used Microsoft XL only twice so far and I didn't even touch Outlook with a ten-mile pole.
I know this is specific to my old job but Microsoft Access is the stupidist one I've encountered cos it is so counterintuitive... Microsoft designer: "Lets make a large scale capable database program, but limit it to 256 columns..." I dealt in large datasets and would spend days trying to get to the data from columns 257 onwards... Stupid heads.
[quote:97ab9b2a3f="Trollmother"]Why don't you write to your friends with the address you want them to use, because most people are lazy and only click the reply button?[/quote:97ab9b2a3f] Because people are also lazy enough to use address books and not bother updating them...
Outlooks bad but i need it for my ipod, although outlook never got installed. how i use it is a mystery but it doesnt send messages BUT i have to admit that the worst thing in your list is internet explorer. i can get on about 75% of the time (although this may be my router) and about half the sites i try to get on are restricted (not porn honestly, dont you even say it :evil: ) and msn would be one of these hard to get to programs...i am annoyed but must still use it
Mine are specifics. Outlook Express. Microsoft designer: I know, lets make a program that looks like Outlook, add "Express" to make it sound better, and make sure it can't do any of the actual useful things that Outlook does! Windows ME. Microsoft designer: I know, lets name it after a lingering and debilitating disease. Then make sure it acts like a lingering and debilitating disease (catches a lot of bugs, takes a lot of time off sick, tends to forget things).
Not a microsoft program but a qualitative research software called nvivo now takes the cake for me... Designer: When the program chokes on large files cos we haven't made it powerful enough, we'll give a lot of error screens, shut down the program and then when the person goes to access their stuff we'll lock the project so they can never work on it ever again effectively making them lose months if not years worth of work... ohh and lets make it incapable of being backed up properly while we're about it... (yesterday was not a good day)
I'm rather hateful towards Windows Explorer at the moment. For some reason it won't let me view my folders with music or pictures in them. Its highly annoying.
[quote:15c86f01f8="Hermia"] Windows ME. Microsoft designer: I know, lets name it after a lingering and debilitating disease. Then make sure it acts like a lingering and debilitating disease (catches a lot of bugs, takes a lot of time off sick, tends to forget things).[/quote:15c86f01f8] Concise and accurate description! Take windows 98 - Add some crap to make it less stable, and bung it out of the door. Gits! I was always impressed with NT 4.0 Server - You have just looked at the network settings - Do you want to restart now? It is a flaming server for Pete's sake IE is seriously awful, in any flavour so far. Just as a matter of interest - How many folks here use it? Edit to add - Yes it probably is an unanswerable question
I gave up IE last year, having had enough, at last, but I still have to use it from time to time to check the layout of the websites I design... Edited to add : IE is a webdesigner's nightmare, it completely ignores all W3C directives and standards, and adds loads of proprietary crap... I actually had the opportunity to have a very interesting chat with the chairman of Mozilla Europe, and some of the stuff IE has got away with is amazing... and just think, IE6 has been around for over 5 years, now. 5 years, with no improvement. It is DEAD.
[quote:45e6a2704d="Katcal"]Edited to add : IE is a webdesigner's nightmare, it completely ignores all W3C directives and standards, and adds loads of proprietary crap... I actually had the opportunity to have a very interesting chat with the chairman of Mozilla Europe, and some of the stuff IE has got away with is amazing... and just think, IE6 has been around for over 5 years, now. 5 years, with no improvement. It is DEAD.[/quote:45e6a2704d] I agree, IE6 is a bit tricky, but with a couple of tricks most things are doable. I recently overhauled our company website (www.greatmedia.se) and got almost everything to render equally on both Firefox and IE6. Took some workarounds to make it work though. Still, Microsoft seems to be aware of the designers' headaches it causes. They've released a beta version of IE7, and in their blog they discuss various anomalities they're looking into. Hope they shape up! Still, we'll be forced to support IE6 for quite some time even after the release of IE7, since one cannot expect the ordinary user to upgrade his browser.
I am a linux fanatic, so I dispise all of them except possiblly office, which, If they just took away the dancing paper clips, iwould be an okay product.
