As Gates gradually steps back from Microsoft, where he has been at the helm for 31 years, an era is about to come to an end. His successes and failures at Microsoft will naturally become a subject of evaluation by the industry, media, and even individuals. As the Chairman of the Board and Chief Software Architect of Microsoft, Gates successfully predicted many technological development trends, but some of his mistakes are also quite obvious. Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft launched several failed products or technologies, with the following ten being the most prominent.
1. Microsoft BOB: BOB was a product released by Microsoft in 1995. Microsoft hoped to improve the interface for program management in Windows 3.1 through BOB. Perhaps the concept wasn't flawed, but BOB was replaced before it could truly gain popularity. Objectively speaking, BOB didn't receive universal criticism, but its disappearance didn't evoke much regret or nostalgia because it caused more problems than it solved. Interestingly, the head of the BOB development project was Gates' wife, Melinda.
2. Windows ME: This might be the most failed version of Windows that Microsoft has ever released. Soon after its launch in 2000, a plethora of installation and compatibility issues arose. With the release of Windows XP in 2001, Windows ME quickly faded into obscurity. Of course, Windows Millennium wasn't entirely without merit; for instance, the system recovery function it first introduced was later applied in Windows XP.
3. Tablet PC: Perhaps there are still many supporters of tablet PCs today, but this technology had numerous issues and was overly costly. From a market performance perspective, the tablet PC was undoubtedly a failed product. Microsoft has decided to integrate tablet functionality as a fundamental part of the Windows Vista operating system rather than releasing it as a separate SKU.
4. SPOT Watch: Although the prototype of the first "Smart Personal Objects Technology" (SPOT) watch entered the market three years ago, the issues of its large size and rigid design remain unresolved. Additionally, SPOT watches lack appealing applications to support them, failing to make users who spent hundreds of dollars on the product feel they got their money's worth.
5. Microsoft Money: If Microsoft's plan to acquire Intuit in 1995 hadn't faced antitrust obstacles, the company might have obtained Quicken software and made its online banking product a market leader. However, things turned out otherwise, and Microsoft had to independently design and develop its financial software, Money, eventually falling far behind Intuit.
6. DOS 4.0: When talking about Microsoft, one cannot overlook MS-DOS, the predecessor of the Windows operating system. Among all versions of MS-DOS, MS-DOS 4.0 was undoubtedly the most failed, presenting a nightmare of countless defects for Microsoft. According to information provided by Wikipedia, MS-DOS 4.0 was primarily based on IBM's codebase rather than Microsoft's own.
7. Microsoft TV: Microsoft has attempted multiple times to enter the digital television field but hasn't succeeded. Does anyone still remember the video-on-demand project "Microsoft Tiger" that Microsoft launched in the early 1990s? Nevertheless, Microsoft hasn't given up on these efforts. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer recently stated that IPTV would soon become one of the main drivers boosting Microsoft's stock price and promoting profit growth.
8. MSNBC Partnership: The collaboration between Microsoft and NBC has almost never gone smoothly. In December 2005, Microsoft essentially terminated its partnership with NBC. However, Microsoft hasn't abandoned its efforts to evolve into a content provider. Currently, the company is hiring media professionals in areas such as blogs and television teams, aiming to build the "MSN Media Network."
9. Real-Time Online Conferencing Software: Microsoft's online conferencing product, Live Meeting, mainly relies on technology acquired from PlaceWare. Despite being available for many years, many people consider it a failed product. Of course, Microsoft hasn't given up on these efforts. The company promises that the new version of Live Meeting will be much better.
10. Failure to Launch Microsoft Linux: Microsoft should have launched its own Linux. Microsoft could have acquired a Linux distributor or even directly named a branch of Windows as Microsoft Linux. Contrary to this, Microsoft has invested substantial funds in combating the entire open-source community. Microsoft should join the open-source camp instead of trying to defeat it.