Microsoft Bob

Microsoft Bob (short: MS Bob ) is a in March 1995 released by Microsoft software package for Windows systems. The package contains a replacement for the graphical user interface of the operating system - at that time was current Windows 3.1 - and various individual programs for home users. The target group was inexperienced PC users that have access to the computer should be facilitated. The user interface is hidden to technical details and uses analogies from the home environment.

The individual programs (Financial Consultants, Financial Manager, e- mail clients, GeoSafari Quiz, writing program, calendar, address book, etc.) find themselves as objects in the rooms of a virtual house. User input is handled via animated characters ( wizard ) that accompany other user actions.

Some of the MS- Agent characters to become known as Wizard in Microsoft Office and Windows XP, go back to MS Bob, such as Fredo ( Search Companion in Windows XP), hops ( Assistant in Office 97 and 2000) or peedy ( extra Javascript in IE - version 5.1 ). Also the font Comic Sans MS was originally to be used on Microsoft Bob.

From MS Bob 30,000 copies were sold. For comparison, the sales figures of a few months later released Windows 3.1 Windows 95 amounted to successor during the first three months to about 45 million.

MS Bob was criticized by experts because it hinders the learning process for computer beginners, learn by the simple interface, users never use the normal Windows interface.

No protection against unwanted access provides the password prompt at login process of MS Bob: If a user has entered their password incorrectly several times, he can assign a new password without security questions.

The software can also run on Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Project Manager in the development was Melinda Gates, wife of Bill Gates.