Released in 1995, the virtual domain never took off, with users and industry observers declaring it so purposely cute that it was nauseating. Going to the “checkbook” on the desk, for example, would open financial software. The company wanted to take it one step further with Bob, an operating system programmed to resemble the rooms of a house. Taking navigation out of its sterile DOS command prompts and making it feel more like the welcoming layout of Apple's Macintosh line, Windows helped facilitate the PC boom. In the 1990s, Microsoft had already revolutionized personal computing with its Windows interface. In order for Microsoft to continue to flourish, Clippy would have to die. In no time at all, he would be the subject of scorn and ridicule, an ever-present voyeur into your home computer navigation. But as they grew more proficient, Clippy would redouble his efforts to interrupt, his roving eyes scanning documents in what felt like a gross invasion of privacy. The first time this happened, users may have been amused. When Microsoft Office software users began writing a letter by typing “Dear,” for example, out would pop Clippy with an unsolicited offer to help. Stationed somewhere in between those gaffes sits Clippy, the unofficial name for the bouncing, sentient paper clip introduced by Microsoft in 1996 in a bid to help people hone their word processing skills. Netflix may now be the country’s biggest single source of entertainment, but it wasn’t long ago they tried to spin off their DVD and streaming services into separate entities, confusing millions of otherwise satisfied consumers. Coca-Cola infamously angered millions of soda drinkers when it tinkered with its recipe to produce New Coke in 1985. When a large company stumbles, it’s major news.
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