[cctalk] Re: WINdows-1985

On Nov 19, 2025, at 11:20, Fred Cisin via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:  "Graphics Environment Manager was from Digital Research, in 1985. Xerox Ventura 2.0 bundled and used it! Apple sued DRI, over the "look and feel" [and taste and smell] as being too close a copy of Lisa and Mac OS. Replacing the greeting splash screen "Hello" with "Hi" was not considered to be enough difference. That encouraged Apple to sue lots nore people, including Microsoft GEM 2.0 made "MAJOR" changes, such as replacing the trash-can icon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEM_(desktop_environment) PCTools (from Central Point (CopyII)) did text mode windows. BUT, to keep from disrupting the screen display with "Abort, Retry, Ignore" messages, it took over the critical error handler, and set it for IGNORE for all errors! That meant, that any hard error would result in loss of data, without notification! and, cetainly NO discussion of alternatives could be complete without remembering "BOB"! Microsoft released it as a "more user friendly" interface, optionally supplanting program manager on win 3.1, Win95, and even WinNT. They releasede it on March 10 1995. It was widely ridiculed, and quietly discontinued it in early 1996. BUT, it gave rise to "Clippy", an annoying animated paper-clip "office assistant" in Microsoft Office, and later "Rover", an animated "search companion" in WinXP's file-search. "#1 worst product of the decade" - CNET #7 of "25 worst products of all time" - PCWorld "Microsoft's Steve Ballmer mentioned Bob as an example in which "we decided that we have not succeeded and let's stop [now]."[19]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob want more? or have I already bored y'all enough? -- Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com