No one’s immune to Microsoft Windows hell - not even Bill Gates

MacDailyNews.com ^ | June 25, 2008

[HAL9000]

"For the opening piece in our series on Gates leaving daily life at Microsoft, one goal was to give a clear picture of the Microsoft co-founder's role inside the company, as a gauge of the impact his departure will have," Todd Bishop writes for The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Microsoft Blog. "As part of that, I went back through the internal e-mails turned over in the antitrust suits against the company, looking for new insights into his personality."

Bishop found a doozy, which also happens to illustrate perfectly why Mac users have such disdain for the "Windows experience." If you've ever been subject to Windows, you'll recognize just how typical an example the following email provides. In his full article, Bishop reports what Gates said last week when he asked him about the following message:

---- Original Message ----
From: Bill Gates
Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 10:05 AM
To: Jim Allchin
Cc: Chris Jones (WINDOWS); Bharat Shah (NT); Joe Peterson; Will Poole; Brian Valentine; Anoop Gupta (RESEARCH)
Subject: Windows Usability Systematic degradation flame

I am quite disappointed at how Windows Usability has been going backwards and the program management groups don't drive usability issues.

Let me give you my experience from yesterday.

I decided to download (Moviemaker) and buy the Digital Plus pack ... so I went to Microsoft.com. They have a download place so I went there.

The first 5 times I used the site it timed out while trying to bring up the download page. Then after an 8 second delay I got it to come up.

This site is so slow it is unusable.

It wasn't in the top 5 so I expanded the other 45.

These 45 names are totally confusing. These names make stuff like: C:\Documents and Settings\billg\My Documents\My Pictures seem clear.

They are not filtered by the system ... and so many of the things are strange.

I tried scoping to Media stuff. Still no moviemaker. I typed in movie. Nothing. I typed in movie maker. Nothing.

So I gave up and sent mail to Amir saying - where is this Moviemaker download? Does it exist?

So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated.

They told me to go to the main page search button and type movie maker (not moviemaker!).

I tried that. The site was pathetically slow but after 6 seconds of waiting up it came.

I thought for sure now I would see a button to just go do the download.

In fact it is more like a puzzle that you get to solve. It told me to go to Windows Update and do a bunch of incantations.

This struck me as completely odd. Why should I have to go somewhere else and do a scan to download moviemaker?

So I went to Windows update. Windows Update decides I need to download a bunch of controls. (Not) just once but multiple times where I get to see weird dialog boxes.

Doesn't Windows update know some key to talk to Windows?

Then I did the scan. This took quite some time and I was told it was critical for me to download 17megs of stuff.

This is after I was told we were doing delta patches to things but instead just to get 6 things that are labeled in the SCARIEST possible way I had to download 17meg.

So I did the download. That part was fast. Then it wanted to do an install. This took 6 minutes and the machine was so slow I couldn't use it for anything else during this time.

What the heck is going on during those 6 minutes? That is crazy. This is after the download was finished.

Then it told me to reboot my machine. Why should I do that? I reboot every night -- why should I reboot at that time?

So I did the reboot because it INSISTED on it. Of course that meant completely getting rid of all my Outlook state.

So I got back up and running and went to Windows Updale again. I forgot why I was in Windows Update at all since all I wanted was to get Moviemaker.

So I went back to Microsoft.com and looked at the instructions. I have to click on a folder called WindowsXP. Why should I do that? Windows Update knows I am on Windows XP.

What does it mean to have to click on that folder? So I get a bunch of confusing stuff but sure enough one of them is Moviemaker.

So I do the download. The download is fast but the Install takes many minutes. Amazing how slow this thing is.

At some point I get told I need to go get Windows Media Series 9 to download.

So I decide I will go do that. This time I get dialogs saying things like "Open" or "Save". No guidance in the instructions which to do. I have no clue which to do.

The download is fast and the install takes 7 minutes for this thing.

So now I think I am going to have Moviemaker. I go to my add/remove programs place to make sure it is there.

It is not there.

What is there? The following garbage is there. Microsoft Autoupdate Exclusive test package, Microsoft Autoupdate Reboot test package, Microsoft Autoupdate testpackage1. Microsoft AUtoupdate testpackage2, Microsoft Autoupdate Test package3.

Someone decided to trash the one part of Windows that was usable? The file system is no longer usable. The registry is not usable. This program listing was one sane place but now it is all crapped up.

But that is just the start of the crap. Later I have listed things like Windows XP Hotfix see Q329048 for more information. What is Q329048? Why are these series of patches listed here? Some of the patches just things like Q810655 instead of saying see Q329048 for more information.

What an absolute mess.

Moviemaker is just not there at all.

So I give up on Moviemaker and decide to download the Digital Plus Package.

I get told I need to go enter a bunch of information about myself.

I enter it all in and because it decides I have mistyped something I have to try again. Of course it has cleared out most of what I typed.

I try (typing) the right stuff in 5 times and it just keeps clearing things out for me to type them in again.

So after more than an hour of craziness and making my programs list garbage and being scared and seeing that Microsoft.com is a terrible website I haven't run Moviemaker and I haven't got the plus package.

The lack of attention to usability represented by these experiences blows my mind. I thought we had reached a low with Windows Network places or the messages I get when I try to use 802.11. (don't you just love that root certificate message?)

When I really get to use the stuff I am sure I will have more feedback.

Full article, in which Bishop reports what Gates said last week when he asked him about the email, here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Tomek" for the heads up.]

MacDailyNews Take: Here are some of the words that Bill Gates used to describe his "Windows experience" in a single email: disappointed, backwards, unusable, totally confusing, strange, pathetic, completely odd, weird, scary, crazy, slow, garbage, not usable, crapped up, crap, absolute mess, craziness, terrible, and lack of attention. That sums it all up nicely, doesn't it? And this was XP, the ancient OS that the unenlightened today want to inflict upon themselves for years more in order to avoid the Vista morass! For Windows-only users who've stumbled here via Google News and other points. Welcome! The moral of the story: Get a Mac.

[Age of Reason]

Instead of donating all that money to help third world nations, Gates should donate it to the American people whose quality of life and mental health has suffered from the farce that is Windows.

[antiRepublicrat]

Bill Gates "buys" stuff from Microsoft? He goes to Microsoft.com to do that? He refers to Microsoft as "they"?

It's the perfect method and mentality for testing.

I also appreciate that Gates was testing more than just a product, but the product experience from download to running. Apple's concentration on the entire experience, from choosing to purchasing to opening (they literally do in-depth unboxing experience tests for the hardware), setting up, running, updates and support is one thing that has made them superior.

[Knitebane]

Instead of donating all that money to help third world nations, Gates should donate it to the American people whose quality of life and mental health has suffered from the farce that is Windows.

Oh, I hope not. The last thing we need is for Planned Parenthood to receive a large influx of cash from Bill.

That would be the obvious choice for him, though, considering how much money has has donated to the UN Population Fund.

[frankenMonkey]

For you Microsoft poofters, er..Cubicle Clones, er...Windows fans, who always accuse Jobs, Apple, and Mac users of being lefties, here's a peak at where some of your Microsoft dues went, courtesy of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation:

Leadership Conference On Civil Rights Education Fund, Inc.
$880,153 over 1 year to support the planning phase of an immigration reform project

Hate Free Zone Washington
$400,000 over 2 years to support an immigrant integration project in Washington state

Population Resource Center
$250,000 over 1 year to enlist the support of local foundations and organizations in reducing the undercount of children, young adults, and minorities in the 2010 Census

American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education
$87,000 over 3 years to provide legal services for detained unaccompanied immigrant children

Casa Latina Centro De Ayuda Solidaria a Los Amigos
$400,000 over 4 years to support a capital campaign

PolicyLink
$516,796 over 6 months to develop and advance equitable recovery policies in New Orleans and Louisiana that will result in positive outcomes for residents - particularly for residents of color and low-income families

Public Interest Projects Inc
$2,000,000 over 3 years to support advocacy efforts surrounding critical issues facing immigrant populations

United Nations Foundation
$9,954,130 over 3 years to build constituencies for Global Health in a replicable model

Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS
$1,000,000 over 2 years to catalyze the international business community and mobilize its resources, reach and expertise in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria

[antiRepublicrat]

Or in my case someone who was tired of doing admin and troubleshooting for Windows all day at work then coming home to do the same thing. It’s a tool, and I finally decided to get a Snap-On instead of cheap Chinese crap.

[antiRepublicrat]

Hate Free Zone Washington $400,000 over 2 years to support an immigrant integration project in Washington state

Going by the description I like this one. All immigrants here should integrate into their new society, to include learning English. Anything that assists in this is good in my book.

[Roses0508]

Oh come on. I’m in IT and have been for a l-o-n-g time. I don’t Bush bash and I am still have the somewhat unpopular opinion (even on this site) that history will judge President Bush very kindly.

However, I hate Microsoft products because they are bloated and don’t work well and make everything more and more difficult. (When was the last time anything actually got easier to do in a Microsoft OS???) I guess I should love them, as they certainly keep me in work, but the ethic behind such a poor product offends me.

[Little Ray]

Windows Vista is barely usable. XP, on the other, is pretty good and has behaved pretty well for me. So was Windows 2000, NT 4.0, and Windows 95.

[rivercat]

Vista is fine, I’ve never had any trouble with it, and it’s easy to use. I have Vista on the desktop computer, XP on a laptop, and Ubuntu Linux on another laptop. Linux is fine, but a pain to administer. I grew up on Apple computers, and my family still uses them. My Dad’s latest Mac is like his Jaguar (automobile). When asked, he claims he never has any problem with it, yet his car is in the shop a lot and he’s always calling me to help him fix something on the Mac.

[556x45]

LOL...couldnt have happened to a ‘nicer’ guy. Im surprised hes making such a fuss though. Seems he’s never tried using any of the internal web sites for various DLs. They’re far worse!!!! In fact hideous is the word that comes to mind. Then again not sure why he’s even interested as so many just mindlessly continue using MSs half baked products.

[HAL9000]

In addition to all that, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen provided the money to an illegal immigrant named Lee Boyd Malvo to get bailed out from detention. He later became one of the D.C. Snipers.

[abbi_normal_2]

Vista is fine, I’ve never had any trouble with it, and it’s easy to use.

Do you need another one? - seriously.

I have one I’ll sell real cheap. My IT guy troubleshoots and maintains the computers at an enroute air traffic control center and he can’t get the darn thing to even interface with a new HP printer. Can’t find drivers for programs I need to run. It is a complete disaster.

[twntaipan]

So...does your description fit El Rushbo, a long time Mac user?

[Mr. Blonde]

Neither group can give you a reason to go with them rather they give endless rants on why you should hate the other side.

I think most people explain why they prefer Macs, but a lot of that does come from disliking the way Windows does those same things.

However, here is my list,
Safari doesn't open to take up the full screen, it opens to show the full page.

Expose is endlessly useful and probably the first thing I really loved about a Mac.

I have a Powerbook and I love the using two fingers to scroll, two fingers to right click. Both are useful. I realize that many PC laptops use something similar for scrolling but on the Dell I had it did not work nearly as efficiently.

For the most part there is no extra software to install for cameras and such. Just plug it in and iPhoto opens and you are off.

Dashboard provides a lot of handy information in one spot.

iWeb and .Mac (soon to be MobileMe, which is a terrible name) provide a good way for me to keep my family updated while I am overseas.

Time Machine provides very simple backups. Thankfully, I have not had to use it yet, but when/if I do it will be a blessing.

The Finder makes sense to me. It provides quick easy access to my most used places.

The dock works for how I like to work. It provides quick access to my programs. Between it and Expose I can get to any open app quickly.

The menus are uniform throughout the programs. I know exactly where to go to find something in each program. Don't have to figure out what the name is for options in each program and what menu it is in. Go to the same spot and there it is or Command+,.

When IMing with my friends on Macs, video chatting is a snap and no problems. Which is becoming more handy now that we have all graduated are spreading out.

When my family or friends have problems or need help I can take over their computer through iChat and show them what to do or fix the problem for them without being physically present.

I don't currently have a lot of need for the Stacks app, but I do like the Download stack which keeps my desktop from getting cluttered.

When something goes wrong, I have one number to call and talk to someone in the US. Or if I am near one stop in an Apple Store and have them look at it.

Quick Look has proven endlessly useful for when I'm not 100% sure which document or attachment I'm looking for.

System wide spell check.

Backlit keyboard.

Are there downsides to using a Mac? Of course. Some Web sites still demand IE. Some companies provide half-assed or no Mac version (MS is a prime offender here, sorry if that is trashing them, but I think it is evident). Both of those are getting better though as Mac market penetration improves.

There you go, I mentioned twice things I didn't like about the other side, but otherwise it is free of that. Now you can assume that by default the other side doesn't have those things, but it is still a positive look at OS X instead of a negative one at Windows.

[HAL9000]

Neither group can give you a reason to go with them rather they give endless rants on why you should hate the other side.

Wrong. From the pro-Mac side, the reason is simple: Macs have better quality and value than Windows systems. That reason alone is good enough for many PC users to justify switching to Macs. It's not a question of hating Microsoft; it's about getting the best system to use.

And for computer users who aren't in a position to dump Microsoft immediately: Macs can now run Windows, along with everything else.

[Truth29]

"In addition to all that, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen provided the money to an illegal immigrant named Lee Boyd Malvo to get bailed out from detention. He later became one of the D.C. Snipers."

Oh, that's fascinating. Do you have any more information or a link? Thanks.

[Brainhose]

Don't fret, they're working on a new OS and all will be heaven from that point on(Only kidding folks).
Maybe they'll get the last of the Windows 1.0 code and all the other crap up through Vista.
Don't start holding your breath.

[rivercat]

Wrong. From teh pro-Windows side, the reason is simple: My Thinkpad has better quality and far greater value than a Mac Powerbook, and I don't have to dual-boot my OS in order to be able to use the software that I want to use!

[HAL9000]

Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen helped to free sniper Lee Boyd Malvo from INS custody

(I posted that article, but goofed the name of the sniper in the headline.)

[RightWhale]

Two days to retirement. Will Bill Gates use anything related to Windows after he walks out of his office for the last time? He might not use any digital thing bigger than a cellphone. He wouldn’t need a computer or Internet at all, get right down to it.