Channel 9 Forums - Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? http://mschnlnine.vo.llnwd.net/d1/Dev/App_Themes/C9/images/feedimage.png Channel 9 Forums - Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums Channel 9 keeps you up to date with the latest news and behind the scenes info from Microsoft that developers love to keep up with. From LINQ to SilverLight – Watch videos and hear about all the cool technologies coming and the people behind them. http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums en Sat, 25 May 2013 04:57:42 GMT Sat, 25 May 2013 04:57:42 GMT Rev9 78 -78 -1 Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
shooby wrote:

Stolen for $50,000.



stolen? Ah the quality of the gnu dictionary. Someone changed the meaning when no-one was looking...

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/f9a579d217554cf480ec9deb013d571c#f9a579d217554cf480ec9deb013d571c Fri, 24 Feb 2006 12:57:05 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/f9a579d217554cf480ec9deb013d571c#f9a579d217554cf480ec9deb013d571c blowdart 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/blowdart/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
shooby wrote:

...tell you what, sell me your house for $1, then tell me I didnt steal it.


Tell you want, why don't you start reading a dictionary then come back and tell us if you can find one which has your definition

(Oh, and changing a wiki dictionary won't count, ok?)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/019bf0d32b68467e9c269deb013d5747#019bf0d32b68467e9c269deb013d5747 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 12:57:05 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/019bf0d32b68467e9c269deb013d5747#019bf0d32b68467e9c269deb013d5747 blowdart 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/blowdart/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Not to attack or belittle Microsoft in any way - but for our own entertainment... What is the worst Microsoft product or service you ever owned?

And on a slightly more up-beat note, what Microsoft product far exceeded your expectations?
 
And lastly, what is, in your opinion, the highest quality Microsoft product that does what it said it would do?


Note: Meaning if you didn't own Microsoft Bob you can't name it as the worst product or service - Own, to our Chinese friends also means downloaded and used.

And also don't fuse your expectations with it actually being the BEST product. Something doesn't have to be wonderful for it to be better than expected.

This entire thread is 100% objective and I'd be most interested to here WHY you think whatever you think. Smiley

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/161374#161374 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 12:57:05 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/161374#161374 Manip 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Manip/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Manip wrote:
Not to attack or belittle Microsoft in any way - but for our own entertainment... What is the worst Microsoft product or service you ever owned?


Well, not "owned", but certainly "used", Windows ME or Microsoft Bob for sure.

But the Office 2003 help system is still high on my list of "bad things from Microsoft", I also have it in for Word's handling of drawings and objects.

...since I own Windows (or do I own a license to use Windows?) does that mean I also own IE? Because I'm certainly disappointed in it's developmental pace between 2001 and 2006.

Manip wrote:
And on a slightly more up-beat note, what Microsoft product far exceeded your expectations?


Do "Microsoft Games" count? Because then I'd say "MechWarrior 3" (well, if it ran on Windows XP, that is). Although technically Microsoft owned FASA, who controlled the rights to the Battletech universe, the game was developed by Hasbro and published by Microprose (or something like that).

I'd say I like Windows Media Player 9 a bit too, but it has it's fair share of problems:
a) Excessive memory and CPU use compared to other media players
b) Doesn't display length of MPEG video files in the playlist, even though this was reported numerous times during the beta.

Oh, and Visual Studio 2003 of course (but the lack of the Visual Database Tools for SQL Server (rather than MSDE) in the Professional and Academic editions is a real let-down, I hope they add it back in SP1)

Manip wrote:
And lastly, what is, in your opinion, the highest quality Microsoft product that does what it said it would do?


Probably the unreported MS Encarta series, although I dislike the "World English Edition"/"British Edition" they churn out sometimes. (Although I haven't actually used Encarta since 2003)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/3b82f388818a4811bf969deb013d49c1#3b82f388818a4811bf969deb013d49c1 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 13:10:40 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/3b82f388818a4811bf969deb013d49c1#3b82f388818a4811bf969deb013d49c1 W3bbo 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/W3bbo/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? worst product, well, theres lots that were bad that all kind of fit in that basket - ME would have to have caused me the most headaches handsdown though (what was I thinking using that on business workstation)...

quite a few far exceeded my expectations - such as qbasic (the free one that came with dos and began my career in app development when I was just a wee lad) and all their wireless keyboard/mice work awesomely for me even on just ONE battery! (still freaks me out how a device can work with a battery missing)...

Server 2003 SBS would have to be the best product I've had the joy to use, though those new VB.Express / SQL Express have really raised my eyebrows and might just take the win (and their FREE!)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/719309b3dd3e4a3bb1d99deb013d4a19#719309b3dd3e4a3bb1d99deb013d4a19 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 13:28:51 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/719309b3dd3e4a3bb1d99deb013d4a19#719309b3dd3e4a3bb1d99deb013d4a19 otech 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/otech/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Worst MS product would have to be the crap 'Microsoft' baseball cap I got with my student subscription (about a million years ago now)..  it was black with a hugh 'Microsoft' logo on the front...   rarest thing I've ever had the unfortunate privilege  of owning.

Software wise..  Win98 & WinME sucked, and I'm not too fond of the old SQL2k ent manager

Fav program would be Visual Studio

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/4e291fd75379433694869deb013d49ed#4e291fd75379433694869deb013d49ed Fri, 24 Feb 2006 13:36:23 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/4e291fd75379433694869deb013d49ed#4e291fd75379433694869deb013d49ed UlsterFry 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/UlsterFry/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Worst MS product: Definately Windows ME.

Best product: I gotta say Flight Simulator. I've played that game since it was played on a black/green screen. And even then it kicked (I need to watch my language). However, a close runner-up is the newly aquired foldershare. What a brilliant concept.

Highest quality product:Since I'm a professionel developer, Visual Studio and the .NET platform immidiatley comes to mind. But the office products, especially excel and word, are also very good candidates.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6db01890ead94230b8df9deb013d4a5f#6db01890ead94230b8df9deb013d4a5f Fri, 24 Feb 2006 13:36:26 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6db01890ead94230b8df9deb013d4a5f#6db01890ead94230b8df9deb013d4a5f Johannes Edstoft Hansen 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Johannes/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? I have never "owned" a Microsoft product. I have "licensed" it. Wink

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/ca1a5d33093a4fbea1539deb013d4a89#ca1a5d33093a4fbea1539deb013d4a89 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 13:39:44 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/ca1a5d33093a4fbea1539deb013d4a89#ca1a5d33093a4fbea1539deb013d4a89 itprochris 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/itprochris/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Manip wrote:
What is the worst Microsoft product or service you ever owned?


Toss-up between Windows ME and Exchange 5.5 and earlier

Manip wrote:
And on a slightly more up-beat note, what Microsoft product far exceeded your expectations?


MapPoint
 
Manip wrote:

And lastly, what is, in your opinion, the highest quality Microsoft product that does what it said it would do?


Rise of Nations

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/64e970c3bfc54eebb2359deb013d4ab4#64e970c3bfc54eebb2359deb013d4ab4 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 13:55:14 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/64e970c3bfc54eebb2359deb013d4ab4#64e970c3bfc54eebb2359deb013d4ab4 Cairo 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Cairo/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Worst product I actually owned... I had one of the early versions of FrontPage. Packaged with an Office installation probably. Was a shocking shocking product.

But I dare say if I had ever been a lucky owner of MS Bob then Bob would have been it.

Their best product that I use... Sql Server 2000 (err ignoring Enterprise Manager but incl Query Analyzer). Hard as nails that thing. You could go to the moon and back with it.

MS Barney comes in a close second.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/d6907e11f3e94231b3609deb013d4ae4#d6907e11f3e94231b3609deb013d4ae4 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:02:07 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/d6907e11f3e94231b3609deb013d4ae4#d6907e11f3e94231b3609deb013d4ae4 Simo 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Simo/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? I actually struggled to think of a product that *really* sucked - I mean, I didn't enjoy VB3 much, but it was still an important product that my former employer's business was dependent on. I did however port their code to VB5 at the first opportunity I had.

Then it struck me - Exchange Server 5. That was something I really struggled with. We bought a server from Dell with Microsoft Small Business Server edition on it. That was basically NT4 Server with restricted versions of SQL Server, Exchange and a few other things. Everything else was fine, but Exchange 5 really did crash a lot, the tools for managing it were minimal. And we had less than 10 users - god only knows what it's like when you have hundreds on it. I assume Exchange 2k and later are better (in the same was SQL7 was way better than what came before), but I left the company before that server was upgraded.

Thing I love best is everything .NET really. The smartest thing MS ever did.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/4112a0ff071d4d22b20b9deb013d4b11#4112a0ff071d4d22b20b9deb013d4b11 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:03:38 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/4112a0ff071d4d22b20b9deb013d4b11#4112a0ff071d4d22b20b9deb013d4b11 rhm 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/rhm/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Simo wrote:
Worst product I actually owned... I had one of the early versions of FrontPage. Packaged with an Office installation probably. Was a shocking shocking product.


Yay for "Themes", over-use of animated GIFs, and DHTML!

Simo wrote:
But I dare say if I had ever been a lucky owner of MS Bob then Bob would have been it.

Their best product that I use... Sql Server 2000 (err ignoring Enterprise Manager but incl Query Analyzer). Hard as nails that thing. You could go to the moon and back with it.


Query Analyzer really could do with some form of Intellisense through, even if it is just for column-names. Although I haven't used any of the new SQL Server 2005 tools yet, can anyone shed some light on those?

Simo wrote:
MS Barney comes in a close second.


MS Actimates? Why were you using those in the first place, you eejit Tongue Out

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/ed48d6d18a2f4576a3719deb013d4b6f#ed48d6d18a2f4576a3719deb013d4b6f Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:14:09 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/ed48d6d18a2f4576a3719deb013d4b6f#ed48d6d18a2f4576a3719deb013d4b6f W3bbo 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/W3bbo/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Manip wrote:
Not to attack or belittle Microsoft in any way - but for our own entertainment... What is the worst Microsoft product or service you ever owned?

Well, I guess that would have to be the Windows Explorer. The reason for this is quite simple. I want to look at folders the way I want and I want to be able to look at 2+ folders in the same window at the same time. Aside this personal preference, I think the user experience is horrible. (Alternative: xplorer2)

Manip wrote:

And on a slightly more up-beat note, what Microsoft product far exceeded your expectations?

I just recently started using InfoPath in my current project and I have to admit, it is capable of a lot more than I was aware of. Especially the interaction with Sharepoint is amazing.
Another winner here would be IE7 (yeah, I know, it's still in beta). About a year ago, I was so tired of IE6, that I tried several alternatives and finally stuck with Firefox. After the latest IE7 release came out, I tried it and am hooked. I only start Firefox rarely to visit sites, I suspect of using malicous code.

 
Manip wrote:

And lastly, what is, in your opinion, the highest quality Microsoft product that does what it said it would do?

In this category, the winner is: Sharepoint 2003. The reason for this is that Sharepoint delivers everything it promises. The main problem, IMHO, is the fact that people are trying to squeeze concepts, not suitable for Sharepoint, into the Sharepoint infrastructure. Later the same people start complaining that Sharepoint doesn't live up to their expectations.

EDIT: After reading rhm post, I just wanna add that I also had to think a while about a really crappy program. Windows Explorer was the first to come to mind... after 5 or so minutes. Wink

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/3258802efcea42858e259deb013d4b41#3258802efcea42858e259deb013d4b41 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:14:49 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/3258802efcea42858e259deb013d4b41#3258802efcea42858e259deb013d4b41 Stitch 2.0 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Stitch 2.0/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? I can say Bob!
Still have the box and original media.
No, I did not buy it. It was a giveaway at some store contest.

For that matter, forgive my showing off, I also have Windows 2 with original package and media. That was pretty bad, too.

As for the best, I'd say either Windows 2003 Server or, as said above, Flight Sim 2004.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/d10f865d4f6a4a51a4229deb013d4b98#d10f865d4f6a4a51a4229deb013d4b98 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:17:54 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/d10f865d4f6a4a51a4229deb013d4b98#d10f865d4f6a4a51a4229deb013d4b98 KosherCoder 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/KosherCoder/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
KosherCoder wrote:
For that matter, forgive my showing off, I also have Windows 2 with original package and media. That was pretty bad, too.


You could get some serious money for that.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/c8682a97deec4431b36a9deb013d4bc2#c8682a97deec4431b36a9deb013d4bc2 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:19:03 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/c8682a97deec4431b36a9deb013d4bc2#c8682a97deec4431b36a9deb013d4bc2 W3bbo 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/W3bbo/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? This one is pretty bad...


]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6584fa7c149747f09a369deb013d4bed#6584fa7c149747f09a369deb013d4bed Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:23:28 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6584fa7c149747f09a369deb013d4bed#6584fa7c149747f09a369deb013d4bed Minh 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Minh/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Does Windows Media Player class as a product? Because I can't find anything which is worse, besides IE.

One thing that exceeded my expectations was the speed at which the Classic UI theme runs on XP, and how nice it looks compared to XP's default theme.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/125bf5dbb2b14d26a5bb9deb013d4c18#125bf5dbb2b14d26a5bb9deb013d4c18 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:25:21 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/125bf5dbb2b14d26a5bb9deb013d4c18#125bf5dbb2b14d26a5bb9deb013d4c18 Rowan 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Rowan/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Worst: F***Page (enough said! Thank goodness they're finally putting it out of its misery) although Internet Explorer (especially if we're talking printing) comes pretty close.

Best: SQL Server 2000. Solid as a rock. (Boy have they screwed up management with the sloooooooow Management Studio replacement for Enterprise Manager).

Sadly, I think most Microsoft products rate as "poor" as in buggy as hell or "How the hell did this get past QA?". These days the answer seems to be "Let's not worry about shipping one product. We'll ship endless dribs and drabs over the internet as and when we finish testing them". A step backwards in my view and a nightmare to control and keep track of.

And I still don't understand how you can have a "market leader" product used by millions all over the world that can't even count the number of pages in a document properly (How often have you seen "Page 95 of 93" in a Word document footer!) or can seemingly at random print a big red cross where the image in the document shown on screen should be?

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/179b8ce6d4184ff1864e9deb013d4c45#179b8ce6d4184ff1864e9deb013d4c45 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:41:41 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/179b8ce6d4184ff1864e9deb013d4c45#179b8ce6d4184ff1864e9deb013d4c45 irascian 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/irascian/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Worst? Microsoft Works, because quite frankly it didn't. Thankfully it was a bundled 'free' product that I was able to swiftly replace with Office.

Most Exceeded my Expectations? Windows 2000. I'd used NT4 and I'd used 95/98 but even I didn't believe the convergence would work as well as it did. Some of the tests we put it through at the time (e.g. taking a 95 hard drive out of one machine, putting it in a completely different set of hardware and then doing an upgrade install) should definately have failed, but they didn't. The first generation of Windows to really just work.

Best? Server 2003. Simply rock solid stable and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Brilliant.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/f8e41f88fad445e9bb7e9deb013d4c71#f8e41f88fad445e9bb7e9deb013d4c71 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:44:37 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/f8e41f88fad445e9bb7e9deb013d4c71#f8e41f88fad445e9bb7e9deb013d4c71 AndyC 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/AndyC/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
W3bbo wrote:


Simo wrote: MS Barney comes in a close second.


MS Actimates? Why were you using those in the first place, you eejit Tongue Out



office mascot.

Rumour had it .. a COM library had leaked out of MS that enabled you to make Barney say anything you wanted. Proabably too fantastic to be true.

[and on vaguely realted note. British readers might like to know that BT's new SMS translation service, where u SMS a landline and your message gets converted to words, swears like a trooper. It's fantastic but v.v.childish]

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/d5bc3df31d094e20a17a9deb013d4c9d#d5bc3df31d094e20a17a9deb013d4c9d Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:46:45 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/d5bc3df31d094e20a17a9deb013d4c9d#d5bc3df31d094e20a17a9deb013d4c9d Simo 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Simo/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Would I be cheating if I said OS/2?  'cuz I really think it's the most innovative, stable solution ever developed...

... Joking aside, I'll use that for my 'worst product used' as long as I can.  I'd use Bob or Windows ME, but I was never unfortunate enough for them to grace my desktop.  I'd go with Longhorn Build 4054 if it were a finished product, which it was fortunately not. Runners-up include the Office Assistant, which I used to disable the Office Assistant as quickly as possible; and douments like these: MS-ITS:C:\WINDOWS\Help\display.chm::/display_multi_monitors_install_secondary.htm

For highest excess of expectations, I'd say Office 2000 Pro.  My install was a 7-CD Consumer Preview edition that only lasted 30 days, but that was quickly fixed with a simple batch file.  I thought it was far better than Office 97.

For overall best product in terms of doing its job, I'm kinda stuck between VS2005 and the MSDN Library.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/cdfe318e5edb48f6aef59deb013d4cca#cdfe318e5edb48f6aef59deb013d4cca Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:55:21 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/cdfe318e5edb48f6aef59deb013d4cca#cdfe318e5edb48f6aef59deb013d4cca tsilb 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/SlackmasterK/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? I don't know about worst, but I really like SQL Server and think it is definitely one of the best products out of Redmond.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/c9165b43b3a8414fbc709deb013d4d4e#c9165b43b3a8414fbc709deb013d4d4e Fri, 24 Feb 2006 15:00:48 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/c9165b43b3a8414fbc709deb013d4d4e#c9165b43b3a8414fbc709deb013d4d4e JPeless 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/JPeless/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Worst: Windows Installer. All versions.

Very badly thought out in the first place, and getting more and more arcaine and irrelivent as time goes by. This thing is getting progressively worse, not better.

I would say this product just needs to be chucked and replaced entirely at this point. They seem to be completely incapable of actually fixing it's problems and just keep tacking on irrelivent things that while wonderful, don't make it more usable and don't prevent the mess from happening that is now (try uninstalling VS.net 2005 just for kicks!)

Runner UP: Visual Studio .net 2005... This thing is betaware. Big time.  I mean VS.net 2003 is buggy, but Vs.net 2005 makes VS.net 2003 look like the most stable application ever developed for some bank or something.  If this is the new MS QA and development process at work, they need to go back to the drawing board.

Best:  Windows 2000. When it came out, it was a major break through.  Considering Windows 98/Me as the alternatives, this thing was like god's gift. Windows XP improved on it, but it was Windows 2000 that was revolutionary at the time.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/b9a80e9525284792a3159deb013d4d7b#b9a80e9525284792a3159deb013d4d7b Fri, 24 Feb 2006 15:04:38 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/b9a80e9525284792a3159deb013d4d7b#b9a80e9525284792a3159deb013d4d7b John Galt 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/John Galt/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
John Galt wrote:


Runner UP: Visual Studio .net 2005... This thing is betaware. Big time.  I mean VS.net 2003 is buggy, but Vs.net 2005 makes VS.net 2003 look like the most stable application ever developed for some bank or something.  If this is the new MS QA and development process at work, they need to go back to the drawing board.



I agree, The .NET framework is very good, but they let it slip with the low quality of VS 2005. They really need to get the slowness problem solved, it sucks for large projects. Lets hope SP1 for VS 2005 will solve some of the problems, probably not though Sad

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6f13616246ac445a8e149deb013d4da7#6f13616246ac445a8e149deb013d4da7 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 15:39:36 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6f13616246ac445a8e149deb013d4da7#6f13616246ac445a8e149deb013d4da7 yman 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/yman/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? To me every microsoft product has been exactly what i wanted, exactly what it said it was, and/or more.


The only things that i would say would say that i disliked from microsoft would be....

.NET Passport
Why the hell are you remembered by your email, emails always change, hell i go through tens of emails a year.
I think it should be based on just a simple ID number.
And each account contains all the junk, so contact info, and email.

That way i can have a unified passport with all my emails addresses.

Yer, i just really dispise the .NET Passport for this.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/b2547a829ea54d4b91259deb013d4dd2#b2547a829ea54d4b91259deb013d4dd2 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 15:42:50 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/b2547a829ea54d4b91259deb013d4dd2#b2547a829ea54d4b91259deb013d4dd2 balupton 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/balupton/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
W3bbo wrote:
KosherCoder wrote: For that matter, forgive my showing off, I also have Windows 2 with original package and media. That was pretty bad, too.


You could get some serious money for that.


I also have an unopened Windows 3.0 box signed by BillG at the NY launch event. That's gotta be worth something to someone.

</geek hubris>

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/aa7e5ca3b8fe423ab7819deb013d4dfd#aa7e5ca3b8fe423ab7819deb013d4dfd Fri, 24 Feb 2006 16:31:15 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/aa7e5ca3b8fe423ab7819deb013d4dfd#aa7e5ca3b8fe423ab7819deb013d4dfd KosherCoder 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/KosherCoder/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Visual Source Safe is the worst software ever from Microsoft.

I am shocked that I am the first to name this one worst, shocked.

I HATE IT. (Never try to cancel a process, just ignore that button).

Who has never had major problems with VSS?

YUCK.




Best?  I can't decide, they are all outstanding.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/7d4e62b7729142fd8df29deb013d4e27#7d4e62b7729142fd8df29deb013d4e27 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 16:38:38 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/7d4e62b7729142fd8df29deb013d4e27#7d4e62b7729142fd8df29deb013d4e27 JohnAskew 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/JohnAskew/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Manip wrote: What is the worst Microsoft product or service you ever owned?

Windows XP, Windows ME

Manip wrote: And on a slightly more up-beat note, what Microsoft product far exceeded your expectations?


Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, MOM, Virtual Server
Manip wrote:
And lastly, what is, in your opinion, the highest quality Microsoft product that does what it said it would do?


Windows 2000

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/79258b3c717346b29ed39deb013d4e54#79258b3c717346b29ed39deb013d4e54 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 16:47:39 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/79258b3c717346b29ed39deb013d4e54#79258b3c717346b29ed39deb013d4e54 rjdohnert 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/rjdohnert/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
JohnAskew wrote:

Visual Source Safe is the worst software ever from Microsoft.

Best?  I can't decide, they are all outstanding.



You mean except for VSS, don't you?  

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/08bbcd14c9f8439fbbc39deb013d4e7e#08bbcd14c9f8439fbbc39deb013d4e7e Fri, 24 Feb 2006 16:48:54 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/08bbcd14c9f8439fbbc39deb013d4e7e#08bbcd14c9f8439fbbc39deb013d4e7e tsilb 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/SlackmasterK/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Absolutely %100 I mean not VSS as outstanding. It is the rabid dog of the lot.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/32e676a61348440484509deb013d4ea7#32e676a61348440484509deb013d4ea7 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 16:50:08 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/32e676a61348440484509deb013d4ea7#32e676a61348440484509deb013d4ea7 JohnAskew 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/JohnAskew/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? How many of these bad products on this list didn't come from Microsoft though? I think FrontPage was a product they purchased. And did they make SourceSafe? It seems to have a very non-standard Microsoft look to it, did they buy this product as well from someone?

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/533b14a065f849b7ac949deb013d4ed2#533b14a065f849b7ac949deb013d4ed2 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 17:21:39 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/533b14a065f849b7ac949deb013d4ed2#533b14a065f849b7ac949deb013d4ed2 Harlequin 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Harlequin/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? It doesn't matter who coded it.  It's Microsoft's name on it.  They could have recoded it if they felt that the product wasn't up to their standard.

Besides, very few Microsoft products comprise code written entirely at Microsoft.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6fd98b3575c44098b8c39deb013d4efc#6fd98b3575c44098b8c39deb013d4efc Fri, 24 Feb 2006 17:37:37 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6fd98b3575c44098b8c39deb013d4efc#6fd98b3575c44098b8c39deb013d4efc Maurits 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Maurits/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? I'd have to agree with the VSS post. Especially for remote work. It's not bad when working in the office, but when I go out to a client site and try to hit the VSS through a VPN connection, it's very painful.

Best product would have to be Excel. You can do just about anything with that app.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/7adeb191a8764170a0809deb013d4f40#7adeb191a8764170a0809deb013d4f40 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 17:50:52 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/7adeb191a8764170a0809deb013d4f40#7adeb191a8764170a0809deb013d4f40 uratewl 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/uratewl/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? I am probably experiencing unconsciously intentional amnesia.  (Who really wants to remember the worst food they've ever eaten...?)

One product that should go into the Hall of Shame is Visio 2000.  Microsoft bought this product from Visio Corp. (they paid 1.3 billion dollars!!!), so I don't really know who was to blame, but this product was just cursed... the box should have had a large red label: ABANDON HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE.

This was pre-MSI, they had something called the Visio Installation Manager.  First it didn't even install the product, it installed prerequistes and forced a reboot.  Then what would typically happen was that nothing would happen, i.e.

Step 1: Install Prerequisites
Step 2: Reboot
Step 3: Goto Step 1

(This apparently happened because the Installer didn't wait long enough for the CD to spin up, and silently failed.)  So then you'd go to the Visio site and you were told, "Sorry, we sold out to Microsoft for 1.3 billion dollars, we're a little busy buying yachts and Ferraris right now, could you please go to Microsoft."  And of course you went to Microsoft for support and there was nothing because the product was so new.  So then you went back to the Visio site and discovered the unmonitored, un-responded-to Product Support Forum of The Damned where people were complaining about how they couldn't install, or couldn't unintall, or couldn't roll back to their old version of Visio, or couldn't read their old documents, or how their computers were stuck in a reboot loops or had spontaneously burst into flames, and Why hast Microsoft forsaken us, [C] etc. etc. etc.

If you want to get a rough idea of how bad this was, go to this page:

http://www.diagramantics.com/diagenvs/visio/faq/v2kinstall.htm

Be sure to scroll down to the funny pic at the bottom.

I think Microsoft eventually came out with an SR-1.  Since then I've noticed that Visio "hotfixes" tend to be around 40-50 MB in size.

I still have an aversion to using it.  If someone offered me the choice of cleaning out a bathtub drain that was clogged with someone else's hair, or using Visio, I'd go with cleaning the drain, because it would somehow seem less repulsive.

Exceeding my expectations?  I still remember how Visual Basic 1.0 blew me away: you dragged controls onto a form, wired up controls to events, then compiled and ran with one click.  No "build process," no makefiles, no linking, no object files, no resource scripts... I remember thinking "This is the future of programming..."  Now, all IDEs are like that.  But that first one, wow....

Have to agree about .NET too -- at first I was taken aback by the ".NET" moniker being slapped on everything, but eventually I "got it."

Highest quality product -- another tough question.  In another life, I used to administer a Novell Netware 3.11 server; you couldn't kill that thing.  It was just rock-solid.  You could walk up to the server with a baseball bat and physically pummel it, and the console would probably spit out, "Is that the best you can do?"

I have the same kind of fondness for Windows Server 2003....

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/0c3248fdd9f342b1928c9deb013d4f75#0c3248fdd9f342b1928c9deb013d4f75 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 18:27:01 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/0c3248fdd9f342b1928c9deb013d4f75#0c3248fdd9f342b1928c9deb013d4f75 Karim 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Karim/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Harlequin wrote:
How many of these bad products on this list didn't come from Microsoft though? I think FrontPage was a product they purchased. And did they make SourceSafe? It seems to have a very non-standard Microsoft look to it, did they buy this product as well from someone?


I slightly remember reading that MS bought VSS from a company and rebranded it, this could be mixed with other reading though. Smiley

I use the excellent SourceGear SourceVault.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/596ebcce75434e229e8b9deb013d4fa0#596ebcce75434e229e8b9deb013d4fa0 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 19:18:06 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/596ebcce75434e229e8b9deb013d4fa0#596ebcce75434e229e8b9deb013d4fa0 yman 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/yman/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? At least Bob came with a handsome sticker in the retail package.  (Still have mine on a toolbox somewhere in the garage!) I can't even say that about MS Dogs or Wine.  (heh...) 

Thinking back... the 900mhz cordless Microsoft phone and the Digital Sound System (both of which ended their effective lifecycles at the release of XP...)  nice timing on both counts...

Assuming we can't count Me (because even that would be too much of a "tip of the hat" to its mere existence..), I'm going to have to also vote for Works.  Notably, the pre-"Word-lite" versions of Works... I loudly declare the Works collection as "Microsoft's Greatest Misses".  ^__^

And although, yes, Barney sucked... it remains a recordholder in my book for "Best MS Knowledge Base Titles Ever", at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/172653/en-us

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/ab4d86cd3c1b4b5190789deb013d4fcd#ab4d86cd3c1b4b5190789deb013d4fcd Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:15:46 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/ab4d86cd3c1b4b5190789deb013d4fcd#ab4d86cd3c1b4b5190789deb013d4fcd nemowho 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/nemowho/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
John Galt wrote:
Worst: Windows Installer. All versions.

Very badly thought out in the first place, and getting more and more arcaine and irrelivent as time goes by. This thing is getting progressively worse, not better.


The technology and the idea isn't too bad but most implementations are. There are no good applications (including Visual Studio) that can create decent installers.
The only good installer I have seen from Microsoft is the Office setup (since 2000).

The worst application: VS 2005 because of it's alpha quality while having an exagerated price.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/afa972b03c484018919b9deb013d5024#afa972b03c484018919b9deb013d5024 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:20:19 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/afa972b03c484018919b9deb013d5024#afa972b03c484018919b9deb013d5024 ZippyV 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/ZippyV/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? I'd like to slap the person responsible for the "New Hardware Wizard" repeatedly in the face. If you unplug a USB accessory (such as a dongle for Music apps) and then plug it back in a minute later, the Hardware wizard forces you to walk you though it's dumb wizard. AGAIN. What a piece of crap. Oh and this forum software isn't exactly pleasing to use.

OTOH, I like Visual Studio 2005. A lot.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6f7b962a13f24c9fba649deb013d4ff8#6f7b962a13f24c9fba649deb013d4ff8 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:20:29 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6f7b962a13f24c9fba649deb013d4ff8#6f7b962a13f24c9fba649deb013d4ff8 Bobinho 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Bobinho/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? A lot of visitors didnt like the comment I made when I said Windows XP was one of the worst products.  I admit, maybe a little to harsh.  I will make a withdraw and say XP was not the worst, XP was just released to soon for its time.  Microsoft screwed the pooch When XP was released.  Just less than a year earlier we had Windows 2000.  Now if Microsoft had wanted to get the NT kernel into home users hands they should have stayed with Windows Neptune, and saved XP for a later date.  Windows Server 2003 should have been Windows XP.  Many users, including myself didnt see any significant reasons to upgrade to Windows XP.  To me Microsoft didnt justify the cost of XP with the featureset.  Everyone was expecting the bomb to go off with Windows XP and all we got was a dud.  Vista in my opinion is redemption for Microsoft.  You guys definately deserve your thunder with Vista.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/325ad2012d554bb097559deb013d5050#325ad2012d554bb097559deb013d5050 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:38:05 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/325ad2012d554bb097559deb013d5050#325ad2012d554bb097559deb013d5050 rjdohnert 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/rjdohnert/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
JohnAskew wrote:

Visual Source Safe is the worst software ever from Microsoft.



And it still is bad. It's still not atomic. The swines.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/2db6ee85fcd0435f8dff9deb013d5082#2db6ee85fcd0435f8dff9deb013d5082 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 21:54:23 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/2db6ee85fcd0435f8dff9deb013d5082#2db6ee85fcd0435f8dff9deb013d5082 blowdart 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/blowdart/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Well, I have to say that Managed C++ __sort __of __made __me __ill, if you catch my drift.  Outlook Express is an E-mail product that should have been dropped ages ago, and any product with a talking paper clip should be grounds for firing the designer.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/7f16c7a750324c0ba4519deb013d50ac#7f16c7a750324c0ba4519deb013d50ac Fri, 24 Feb 2006 22:13:38 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/7f16c7a750324c0ba4519deb013d50ac#7f16c7a750324c0ba4519deb013d50ac Wil 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Wil/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
uratewl wrote:
Best product would have to be Excel. You can do just about anything with that app.


I am somewhat disappointed with Excel, it's hard to devise your own data-visualisation systems, and there's a 65535 row limitation, and it displays an error message whenever you bind an axis of a graph to a whole column, which is rather annoying.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/d2ece170c9764372acfe9deb013d50d6#d2ece170c9764372acfe9deb013d50d6 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 23:19:37 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/d2ece170c9764372acfe9deb013d50d6#d2ece170c9764372acfe9deb013d50d6 W3bbo 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/W3bbo/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? My worst is a tie between Windows ME and Edlin.

WinME becuase it was just too unstable. The old OS design with its "system resource" limitations was just pushed too far.

Edlin because they didn't include a decent editor with DOS till 5.0. I had a CAD class back (way back) in college where the teachers forced users to use edlin to customize AutoCAD menus because "that might be all you have available". After a few exercises they'd let people use the normal full screen editor that came with one of the PCB CAD progames they had installed.

Most surprisingly-best would be Windows 2000. WinME got me to upgrade to it, and it ran so much better on the same hardware. I convinced all my friends to go to it from Win98 as well. It even ran well with 128MB for one of them.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/e3647d17feeb460392749deb013d512e#e3647d17feeb460392749deb013d512e Sat, 25 Feb 2006 01:08:36 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/e3647d17feeb460392749deb013d512e#e3647d17feeb460392749deb013d512e DCMonkey 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/DCMonkey/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Manip wrote:
W3bbo wrote: disappointed with Excel [...] there's a 65535 row limitation


When have you ever needed more than 65535 rows? And might I suggest you are using the wrong solution for that job? Perhaps a database, or logic system might do it far better.


Excel 2007 will have 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns anyways.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/b24bb082c866483d97669deb013d515a#b24bb082c866483d97669deb013d515a Sat, 25 Feb 2006 01:11:34 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/b24bb082c866483d97669deb013d515a#b24bb082c866483d97669deb013d515a DCMonkey 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/DCMonkey/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
W3bbo wrote:
disappointed with Excel [...] there's a 65535 row limitation


When have you ever needed more than 65535 rows? And might I suggest you are using the wrong solution for that job? Perhaps a database, or logic system might do it far better.

Some people tend to complain about limitations because they know that the limitation exists rather than actually being limited by it, which if you ask me, is a very illogical attitude.

XP SP2 has a limitation, a 10 connection limit on Shares and other service operated resources (e.g. Remote Registry). This limitation rarely effects anyone, unless your a small business trying to use standard XP as a file server. However, it doesn't stop anyone looking at a "comparison" chart and then complaining about "How much they need 20 connections" or 30 or 40... Either without understanding what is being limited or more likely complaining that the limitation exists to begin with.



]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/87fa10ce92864cfabf139deb013d5102#87fa10ce92864cfabf139deb013d5102 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 01:14:37 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/87fa10ce92864cfabf139deb013d5102#87fa10ce92864cfabf139deb013d5102 Manip 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Manip/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
DCMonkey wrote:
Manip wrote:
W3bbo wrote: disappointed with Excel [...] there's a 65535 row limitation


When have you ever needed more than 65535 rows? And might I suggest you are using the wrong solution for that job? Perhaps a database, or logic system might do it far better.


Excel 2007 will have 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns anyways.


What about Excel 2007 - 64bit edition?

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/cdc11d015eda446b939f9deb013d5185#cdc11d015eda446b939f9deb013d5185 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 01:15:12 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/cdc11d015eda446b939f9deb013d5185#cdc11d015eda446b939f9deb013d5185 Manip 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Manip/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Manip wrote:
DCMonkey wrote:
Manip wrote:
W3bbo wrote: disappointed with Excel [...] there's a 65535 row limitation


When have you ever needed more than 65535 rows? And might I suggest you are using the wrong solution for that job? Perhaps a database, or logic system might do it far better.


Excel 2007 will have 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns anyways.


What about Excel 2007 - 64bit edition?


I imagine they want to keep file compatiliblity. Why would you even need 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 rows anyway? Wink

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/1a940c6a23624e80bf3d9deb013d51b3#1a940c6a23624e80bf3d9deb013d51b3 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 01:26:52 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/1a940c6a23624e80bf3d9deb013d51b3#1a940c6a23624e80bf3d9deb013d51b3 DCMonkey 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/DCMonkey/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
W3bbo wrote:
[quote]
Do "Microsoft Games" count? Because then I'd say "MechWarrior 3" (well, if it ran on Windows XP, that is). Although technically Microsoft owned FASA, who controlled the rights to the Battletech universe, the game was developed by Hasbro and published by Microprose (or something like that).

Mech3 still works under XP, I was actually playing it yesterday that way. You just need to run it in compatability mode for windows 98.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/a1308728ae424e92b6099deb013d51dd#a1308728ae424e92b6099deb013d51dd Sat, 25 Feb 2006 03:08:56 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/a1308728ae424e92b6099deb013d51dd#a1308728ae424e92b6099deb013d51dd andur 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/andur/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
andur wrote:
Mech3 still works under XP, I was actually playing it yesterday that way. You just need to run it in compatability mode for windows 98.


Sorry, is that the 2D strategy game or the 3D game in which you walk in a mech and fight others?

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/4b958acc396e4e98a1aa9deb013d5207#4b958acc396e4e98a1aa9deb013d5207 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 03:09:44 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/4b958acc396e4e98a1aa9deb013d5207#4b958acc396e4e98a1aa9deb013d5207 Manip 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Manip/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Minh wrote:
This one is pretty bad...



Oh, but I couldn't club nearly half of the seals that I do without it.  It is a godsend.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/4d6ea7d27ae5438b84ef9deb013d5231#4d6ea7d27ae5438b84ef9deb013d5231 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 03:36:54 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/4d6ea7d27ae5438b84ef9deb013d5231#4d6ea7d27ae5438b84ef9deb013d5231 DoomBringer 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/DoomBringer/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
ChrisA wrote:
The worst Microsoft products are Microsoft Java, Visual Foxpro, perfect example no one uses Visual Foxpro.  The only thing I see that Microsoft does right is its development tools.  All the Windows operating systems are not that great.  IE is perhaps the worst product eve developed.

There is a very rabid following of FoxPro users.  Don't knock it.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/3b287afb7eca43a487bc9deb013d525c#3b287afb7eca43a487bc9deb013d525c Sat, 25 Feb 2006 03:40:52 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/3b287afb7eca43a487bc9deb013d525c#3b287afb7eca43a487bc9deb013d525c DoomBringer 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/DoomBringer/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
ChrisA wrote:
The worst Microsoft products are Microsoft Java, Visual Foxpro, perfect example no one uses Visual Foxpro.  The only thing I see that Microsoft does right is its development tools.  All the Windows operating systems are not that great.  IE is perhaps the worst product eve developed.


Then you clearly never used Netscape 4/Mozilla before the Gecko/NewLayout rewrite.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/efd43939462d4a1b96e39deb013d5287#efd43939462d4a1b96e39deb013d5287 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 03:48:17 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/efd43939462d4a1b96e39deb013d5287#efd43939462d4a1b96e39deb013d5287 JonathonW 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/CannotResolveSymbol/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Worst Products that I've owned...

A toss up between DOS-4 and Office-97

...both products that broke working installations.


Best products

C#  and  .NET


-Spoof.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/eeb7eb8170c8462fac639deb013d52b1#eeb7eb8170c8462fac639deb013d52b1 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 04:23:31 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/eeb7eb8170c8462fac639deb013d52b1#eeb7eb8170c8462fac639deb013d52b1 spoofnozzle 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/spoofnozzle/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? MICROSOFT WORKS WAS TERRIBLE

XP exceeded expectations, and was the piece of software that really changed my outlook on Microsoft.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/8d99761c6b314412891d9deb013d52db#8d99761c6b314412891d9deb013d52db Sat, 25 Feb 2006 04:25:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/8d99761c6b314412891d9deb013d52db#8d99761c6b314412891d9deb013d52db NeoTOM 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/NeoTOM/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
ChrisA wrote:


You've obviously never used a Mac.  Once you go Mac, you dont go back.

How true. I've used a Mac and I'd never want to go back to it... Tongue Out

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/219f3651550444a4bebc9deb013d5304#219f3651550444a4bebc9deb013d5304 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 07:05:23 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/219f3651550444a4bebc9deb013d5304#219f3651550444a4bebc9deb013d5304 AndyC 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/AndyC/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? VSS sucks hairy balls, but here's why:

If I create a new project, for some reason, VSS wants to call it <my_project>.root.

I know that might have made someone happy when they tested it out, but seriously, I don't want to add .root to the end of my project. 

What I do want to do, however, is save a project into VSS and I want to do it in a way that is obvious.  I've used vss for almost 9 years now, and I've yet to see a new developer add a new project into VSS correctly.  In most cases, they create <project>/<project>/code. Meanwhile, the code they should be working with is in <project>/<stuff>.

In the worst case, the "keep the knowledge in the company" crowd worse cases, super retarded "old guy techs" tend to accidentally recreate a project underneath the current project.  We end up with <project>/<project>/<project>/<stuff>. 

I'll give you 2 guesses who ends up fixing it (and the first guess doesn't count).

I don't want to badmouth the geriatric crowd, but I call them as they happen.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/bc03c7f54c554dffb0a39deb013d5332#bc03c7f54c554dffb0a39deb013d5332 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 07:28:01 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/bc03c7f54c554dffb0a39deb013d5332#bc03c7f54c554dffb0a39deb013d5332 ScanIAm 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/ScanIAm/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? I worst products are the online services like .NET Passport, .NET Alerts and MSN.com. The MSN sites are inconsistent, full of clutter and thus too difficult to use. They do not even offer what users really need and until recently were seldom update. MSN Groups anyone? MSN Groups are still the way they were back in 2000 and earlier. .NET Alerts although a good idea was not executed correctly. It was not build having interoperability in mind and standards and as a result RSS took of and .NET Alerts are forgotten. What about Passport? Who though of these services and who executed them? If it was not for Google they would have been even worse and without any updates.
A second worst product should be Windows Media Player. Too cluttered and it does not support all media formats. It has an inaccessible interface, is too heavy and does not offer any compelling feature.
A third worst product is Outlook Express. Seldom updated, has no spam filtering and is overtaken by open source software, which for a company like Microsoft should have been a shame.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/3c91db30ff314484bc1a9deb013d535f#3c91db30ff314484bc1a9deb013d535f Sat, 25 Feb 2006 07:47:14 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/3c91db30ff314484bc1a9deb013d535f#3c91db30ff314484bc1a9deb013d535f nektar 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/nektar/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? What was Microsoft Bob? I read that its interface made users stupider as time progressed but Bill Gates did not punish the product manager because the product manager was his wife.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/8b629a0e808d4337a4f99deb013d5395#8b629a0e808d4337a4f99deb013d5395 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 14:57:26 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/8b629a0e808d4337a4f99deb013d5395#8b629a0e808d4337a4f99deb013d5395 Shining Arcanine 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Shining Arcanine/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Shining Arcanine wrote:
What was Microsoft Bob? I read that its interface made users stupider as time progressed but Bill Gates did not punish the product manager because the product manager was his wife.


microsoft bob was the first social interface.  it was ahead of its time. It ended up being a great UI for kids

just as Magical Mystery Tour was panned when it came out on boxing day in the UK - it is revered as an important departure/experiment now

hail bob



id love to see this redone using aero...  true themeing environments

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/5b40f44303054f508e4e9deb013d53c1#5b40f44303054f508e4e9deb013d53c1 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 15:01:55 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/5b40f44303054f508e4e9deb013d53c1#5b40f44303054f508e4e9deb013d53c1 me 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/jamie/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Manip wrote:
What is the worst Microsoft product or service you ever owned?


WMP. It is not just bad but it continually gets worse with each release. The WMP team needs to take a page from the developer division and actually listen to customer feedback.

A media player should be the simplest piece of software on the desktop.

Manip wrote:

And on a slightly more up-beat note, what Microsoft product far exceeded your expectations?


.net 1.1 did and continues to do so. It seems that with each project the client wants to do something new and if you dig deep enough you can find it in the framework. It has really made me look like a super geek stud over the last year.


Manip wrote:
 
And lastly, what is, in your opinion, the highest quality Microsoft product that does what it said it would do?


Windows Server 2003.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/5a30b406845a4f5db52e9deb013d53ee#5a30b406845a4f5db52e9deb013d53ee Sat, 25 Feb 2006 15:49:07 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/5a30b406845a4f5db52e9deb013d53ee#5a30b406845a4f5db52e9deb013d53ee harumscarum 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/harumscarum/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Clippy and Visual Source Safe (though not really a MS product)

Smiley

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/23ad730b4bee4f9e920a9deb013d5432#23ad730b4bee4f9e920a9deb013d5432 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 18:14:25 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/23ad730b4bee4f9e920a9deb013d5432#23ad730b4bee4f9e920a9deb013d5432 FluffyDevilBunny 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/FluffyDevilBunny/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Is this a sign that MS didn't really get the idea of graphical objects?





You can't give people an object, then obscure it entirely with text.

jamie wrote:

hail bob


Hale-Bopp?


]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/f0be29a7ff264909bd079deb013d545d#f0be29a7ff264909bd079deb013d545d Sat, 25 Feb 2006 18:30:27 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/f0be29a7ff264909bd079deb013d545d#f0be29a7ff264909bd079deb013d545d Minh 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Minh/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Bob didn't always obscure the images with text:


]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6e24b76c3cab41a1a75e9deb013d5487#6e24b76c3cab41a1a75e9deb013d5487 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 18:44:59 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/6e24b76c3cab41a1a75e9deb013d5487#6e24b76c3cab41a1a75e9deb013d5487 JonathonW 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/CannotResolveSymbol/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
ChrisA wrote:
The worst Microsoft products are Microsoft Java, Visual Foxpro, perfect example no one uses Visual Foxpro.  The only thing I see that Microsoft does right is its development tools.  All the Windows operating systems are not that great.  IE is perhaps the worst product eve developed.


The troll is back. It's funny, Sun used to use Microsoft's JVM as proof that java wasn't slow, so Sun liked it for quite a while.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/ad153d18406b4c4393179deb013d54b2#ad153d18406b4c4393179deb013d54b2 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 19:19:36 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/ad153d18406b4c4393179deb013d54b2#ad153d18406b4c4393179deb013d54b2 blowdart 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/blowdart/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Worst product: Undoubtedly Win ME! There are some good wasted efforts in the form of ActiveX Documents and RDO as well.
For me, .NET (CLR) is the best thing Microsoft has given to this world.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/35c1d1599bed41e880319deb013d54f6#35c1d1599bed41e880319deb013d54f6 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 21:36:07 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/35c1d1599bed41e880319deb013d54f6#35c1d1599bed41e880319deb013d54f6 Jawwad 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Jawwad/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
AndyC wrote:
ChrisA wrote:

You've obviously never used a Mac.  Once you go Mac, you dont go back.

How true. I've used a Mac and I'd never want to go back to it...


I used a Mac for 5 years until I was able to get Windows. If you didn't pick up on it, I'm currently using Windows XP.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/df4ea30ae4f04d85adcd9deb013d5521#df4ea30ae4f04d85adcd9deb013d5521 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 23:19:11 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/df4ea30ae4f04d85adcd9deb013d5521#df4ea30ae4f04d85adcd9deb013d5521 NeoTOM 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/NeoTOM/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? To reduce start time of the Management Studio put a -nosplash at the end of the shortcut.  I do like the use of filters in different places in the new management studio.

If anyone knows how to comment out a selection like the old query analyer i.e. (ctrl+shift+c) let me know.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/0e37c7dff4e8413e9f5b9deb013d5550#0e37c7dff4e8413e9f5b9deb013d5550 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 23:26:03 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/0e37c7dff4e8413e9f5b9deb013d5550#0e37c7dff4e8413e9f5b9deb013d5550 Joshua Ross 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Jsoh/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product? Windows 3.11. Uuuhhhhew.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/06498365f00c4517ab359deb013d558b#06498365f00c4517ab359deb013d558b Sun, 26 Feb 2006 02:21:32 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/06498365f00c4517ab359deb013d558b#06498365f00c4517ab359deb013d558b lars 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/lars/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
John Galt wrote:
Worst: Windows Installer. All versions.

Very badly thought out in the first place, and getting more and more arcaine and irrelivent as time goes by. This thing is getting progressively worse, not better.



Excuse me.  I can't let this one pass.

Microsoft Installer is not only the best installer technology that has been created, it is getting more and more relevant.  Indeed, as we hit Vista, MSI is extending itself to the platform with less issue than probably any technology involved in Vista.  I've seen Microsoft Installer used in ways you could not even understand and the only way that is possible is because of the flexibility and extensibililty of the format.

Away with comments like this.  Bloody developer types!

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/06df7b4748e4424ebf609deb013d55b7#06df7b4748e4424ebf609deb013d55b7 Sun, 26 Feb 2006 03:46:01 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/06df7b4748e4424ebf609deb013d55b7#06df7b4748e4424ebf609deb013d55b7 Cider 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Cider/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Cider wrote:
John Galt wrote:Worst: Windows Installer. All versions.

Very badly thought out in the first place, and getting more and more arcaine and irrelivent as time goes by. This thing is getting progressively worse, not better.

Excuse me.  I can't let this one pass.

Microsoft Installer is not only the best installer technology that has been created, it is getting more and more relevant.  Indeed, as we hit Vista, MSI is extending itself to the platform with less issue than probably any technology involved in Vista.  I've seen Microsoft Installer used in ways you could not even understand and the only way that is possible is because of the flexibility and extensibililty of the format.

Away with comments like this.  Bloody developer types!


Yes, as far as installation goes, MSI couldn't go smoother.  And remember how horrible uninstallation was back in the Windows 3.1/Windows 95 days?

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/f3393fb9d871426e82899deb013d55e6#f3393fb9d871426e82899deb013d55e6 Sun, 26 Feb 2006 03:52:41 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/f3393fb9d871426e82899deb013d55e6#f3393fb9d871426e82899deb013d55e6 JonathonW 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/CannotResolveSymbol/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
W3bbo wrote:

there's a 65535 row limitation

Haven't you installed the Office 12 beta?
That limitation is NO LONGER there !!!

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/f1f94ae03d6e4d3f83929deb013d5610#f1f94ae03d6e4d3f83929deb013d5610 Sun, 26 Feb 2006 04:50:53 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/f1f94ae03d6e4d3f83929deb013d5610#f1f94ae03d6e4d3f83929deb013d5610 dotnetjunkie 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/dotnetjunkie/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Cider wrote:
John Galt wrote: Worst: Windows Installer. All versions.

Very badly thought out in the first place, and getting more and more arcaine and irrelivent as time goes by. This thing is getting progressively worse, not better.



Excuse me.  I can't let this one pass.

Microsoft Installer is not only the best installer technology that has been created, it is getting more and more relevant.  Indeed, as we hit Vista, MSI is extending itself to the platform with less issue than probably any technology involved in Vista.  I've seen Microsoft Installer used in ways you could not even understand and the only way that is possible is because of the flexibility and extensibililty of the format.

Away with comments like this.  Bloody developer types!


For me the issue isn't Windows Installer it's Visual Studio's support for Windows Installer. Hacking tables and faffing around with Orca is ridiculous in this day and age. Silly limitations that aren't there in the underlying database structure make it a pain in the backside to use. Want introductory text on a dialog box that is more than three lines long? Sorry not unless you pay a small fortune for one of two "rival" products. Want more than 12 text boxes on your input forms? Sorry can't be done without writing hacky popup Windows forms. This is pretty basic stuff.

There is a reason why so many customers just use "copy the files to deploy" or have installation programs that aren't customised in any professional way. And that reason is NOT because this is one of the best technologies ever released!

The learning curve for the product is ridiculous and there's a hopeless shortage of good books/documentation for the product other than the very basic "Pass your MCAD/MCSD" tutorial stuff that's out there.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/89d7e391e7104345bfd59deb013d566d#89d7e391e7104345bfd59deb013d566d Sun, 26 Feb 2006 08:12:28 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/89d7e391e7104345bfd59deb013d566d#89d7e391e7104345bfd59deb013d566d irascian 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/irascian/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
dotnetjunkie wrote:

Haven't you installed the Office 12 beta?
That limitation is NO LONGER there !!!


Office12 is not a product that the average Office user can get hold of.

It's a beta.

A techincal beta.

A limited availability beta.

A beta that has problems in so many other areas it would be listed as a "worst product" in its own right if released to the public at large in its current form.

The product that real people in the real world have to use has the limitation that w3bbo pointed out.

Of course, whether that limitation really makes it one of the worst Microsoft products is a whole different kettle of fish.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/7c4c5cd6762d4e9f803a9deb013d563c#7c4c5cd6762d4e9f803a9deb013d563c Sun, 26 Feb 2006 08:13:16 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/7c4c5cd6762d4e9f803a9deb013d563c#7c4c5cd6762d4e9f803a9deb013d563c irascian 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/irascian/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
irascian wrote:


For me the issue isn't Windows Installer it's Visual Studio's support for Windows Installer. Hacking tables and faffing around with Orca is ridiculous in this day and age. Silly limitations that aren't there in the underlying database structure make it a pain in the backside to use. Want introductory text on a dialog box that is more than three lines long? Sorry not unless you pay a small fortune for one of two "rival" products. 


Well there is WiX of course. However the learning curve for WiX is somewhat steep if you've never had cause to think about the internals of an MSI. The other problem is in order to do anything graphical you tend to try to do it in the VS Installer project then decompile it out into WIX. But once you have your installer scripted adding to your msbuild project is easy, and then instead of xcopy deploys for daily builds you have an MSI and all is right with the world.

It doesn't help they hide the Votive support for VS2005 though, you need to use the latest WiX V3 install

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/39fb6b11bdc24bf1a3b39deb013d569a#39fb6b11bdc24bf1a3b39deb013d569a Sun, 26 Feb 2006 08:48:06 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/39fb6b11bdc24bf1a3b39deb013d569a#39fb6b11bdc24bf1a3b39deb013d569a blowdart 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/blowdart/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
blowdart wrote:
shooby wrote:
...tell you what, sell me your house for $1, then tell me I didnt steal it.


Tell you want, why don't you start reading a dictionary then come back and tell us if you can find one which has your definition

(Oh, and changing a wiki dictionary won't count, ok?)


Don't feed the trolls please.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/8ee27ba29960449a84a69deb013d5772#8ee27ba29960449a84a69deb013d5772 Sun, 26 Feb 2006 11:47:04 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/8ee27ba29960449a84a69deb013d5772#8ee27ba29960449a84a69deb013d5772 Rossj 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/Rossj/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
Rossj wrote:


Don't feed the trolls please.


This thread is a troll.....

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/5b8cf4927f674d2b968b9deb013d579c#5b8cf4927f674d2b968b9deb013d579c Sun, 26 Feb 2006 16:11:09 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/161374-Worst-Microsoft-Product/5b8cf4927f674d2b968b9deb013d579c#5b8cf4927f674d2b968b9deb013d579c eagle 78 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/eagle/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - Worst Microsoft Product?
blowdart wrote:
Well there is WiX of course. However the learning curve for WiX is somewhat steep if you've never had cause to think about the internals of an MSI. The other problem is in order to do anything graphical you tend to try to do it in the VS Installer project then decompile it out into WIX. But once you have your installer scripted adding to your msbuild project is easy, and then instead of xcopy deploys for daily builds you have an MSI and all is right with the world.

It doesn't help they hide the Votive support for VS2005 though, you need to use the latest WiX V3 install


Wix v3 is not ready for production use yet. But you can use Wix V2 and Votive in Visual Studio 2005.

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ZippyV wrote:


Wix v3 is not ready for production use yet. But you can use Wix V2 and Votive in Visual Studio 2005.


Really? The v2 votive plugs in nicely?

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