h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I didn't believe this when I first saw it, but on further research, there actually was a Microsoft Bob:

http://toastytech.com/guis/bob2.html

It was released just before Windows 95, and was supposed to be the next big thing... it sunk without a trace. Well, just one trace... Office's oh-so-helpful Mr Clippy and associates originated there...

So... to my question... does anyone actually remember it?

Has anybody actually *used* it?

http://www.elsop.com/wrc/humor/ms_bobde.htm

Have you googled it? There's loads out there, but nothing much from users (other than derision). The 'family room' interface seems spookily familiar - perhaps there was a demo...

What an interesting website. I remember the image of that room being a screen-saver at one time. Didn't lights flash on and off, and other stuff like that? Crap, eh!

Isn't it interesting that everything from MS seems to be done with the approach 'ah yes, this is what you earth creatures call "cool"', and almost everything from Apple (with the exception of their most recent bowling ball / anglepoise doo dad) actually *was* cool.

Hey ho.

Anyone remember Bongo Bob on the Mac?

B

Yus, I googled for it... mostly with a view to finding somewhere that I can download it from so I can snicker at it properly

It's no wonder Microsoft don't mention it any more

I remember it from the computing press at the time. Mostly because one magazine (I forget which) poured derision on the fact that the password manager was very helpful, so if you got your password wrong 3 times it assumed you had forgotten it and let you in anyway.
I guess they'd have fixed that before long

I bet you didn't know you'd been trademarked, eh, Bob?

I'm not sure a picture of me would really be welcome wandering around people's screens, giving occasionally useful advice. It's certainly not welcome in RL...

I faintly remember magazine pictures at the time. I also remember using the XP interface in 1999, only then it was called MSN Explorer
The 95 control widgets were in Encarter before win95 was released*.




*and no I don't use Encarter.