MaximumPC has created its list of the 100 greatest PC technology innovations of all time, presented David Letterman style. Microsoft technologies garnered eight spots. Do you remember these products? What did you think of them at the time? What other Microsoft products should have made it onto the list? And what Microsoft products should NEVER be put on the list?
At Rank No. 100: Microsoft Solitaire (1992).
The reason the editors at MaximumPC gave: “Laugh, but Microsoft’s own website has more than 1,400 pages devoted to the ubiquitous Windows game (introduced in Windows 3.0). You know you play it.”
No. 94: Microsoft Natural Keyboard (1994)
The reason: “Many users found the split MS Natural keyboard awkward for typing, but a generation of carpal tunnel sufferers discovered that the ergonomic design was just what the doctor ordered.”
No. 91: Microsoft Flight Simulator (1982)
The reason: “Versions of this classic simulator date back to 1977 (Microsoft got it in ’82), making it arguably the longest continuously developed game series of all time.”
No. 53: Windows 95 (1995)
The reason: “At last, PC users got true multitasking and a less heinously ugly UI with the launch of Win95. Long file names! A TCP/IP stack! The Rolling Stones’s “Start Me Up”! What’s not to love?”
No. 43: Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 (2003)
The reason: “Microsoft itself refers to the IME 3.0’s comfort and control as ‘legendary,’ and we won’t argue with that. This mouse finally made optical sensors the standard for PC mice.”
No 41: Windows 98 Second Edition (1999)
The reason: “While Win98 was an evolutionary improvement over Win95, Win98 SE was a must-have upgrade because of one key feature: It let you use USB with far fewer headaches.”
No 15. MS-DOS (1980)
The reason: “So simplistic it was originally called QDOS (Quick and Dirty Operating System), MS-DOS was critical for introducing computing to the mainstream without the vast complexity of UNIX and mainframe OSes.”
No 5: Windows XP (2001)
The reason: “Is XP the best Windows of all time? Windows 95 (#53) and 98 (#41) were both influential, even groundbreaking, but the stability and speed of XP have already made it endure far longer than either of those OSes. … The widespread rejection of Microsoft’s latest bloated OS [Vista] will give XP even more life than it might otherwise have had.”
Coming tomorrow: our picks for the Top 8 products that will never make it onto any “greatest all-time list” (otherwise known as Microsoft’s 8 Greatest Flops).
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