Now that they revived their Flight Sim and are doing a major overhaul what older title would you like back? How about a new MS Train Sim or even a driving sim where you drive an open globe and create your own missions/races? Microsoft Vehicle Sim where you build your own craft with realistic physics and see if it can drive/fly,ride,etc? WARNING: Requires actual thinking and tinkering with an understanding of dynamics.
How about retro products like Midtown Madness/Motorcross Madness, Microsoft Kids,Home,Office,etc getting some new birth for Gamepass and actually make Windows a whole lot more functional then just for phone idiots and gamers only?
Windows 2000 with 64-bit support and an upgrade to the Win32 API. No activation, no bullshit.
Settle for Windows XP-64. Had activation but almost no other bullshit.
And Office 2003 because fuck the ribbon UI.
What started the activation BS and how does it even work?
People sharing product keys online is what started it. XP was the first OS to do activation, where they would tie the product key to a hardware "fingerprint" that was some combination of CPU ID and other hardware characteristics (which under certain circumstances would require a re-activation if you upgraded your PC). Activation was done either online or through a phone call.
It's weird to think about because it's so common now, but this was extremely controversial at the time. Because most software at the time that did this sort of activation was very specialized, very expensive software like 5-figure CAD programs and not consumer-grade operating systems.
XP still left the door a bit open with the "volume licensing edition" (intended for giant companies which would license their entire org instead of individual computers) which didn't go through the activation process and worked the same way previous versions of Windows did. So people shared standard volume license keys which starting in SP2 (IIRC) were blacklisted as "pirated" and weren't eligible for updates.
Off topic, but as a normie years ago, it almost bothered me that your store bought laptop or desktop, purchased new, had the newest version of Windows preloaded and you were never given the CD-ROM.
Then, inevitably, years down the road when you ran into system problems, Microsoft's tech advice would inevitably involve reinstalling from a CD-ROM or some variation of, that you didn't possess despite buying it retail.
I do not know about previous versions of windows, but microsoft refused to replace my defective installation media despite the fact I have NO GOOD SYSTEM to create new installation media, which means if I have zero contacts, I WILL BE FORCED TO BUY A BUDGET COMPUTER JUST TO BURN INSTALLATION MEDIA.
you were always given that except for the 'budget notebooks'. i think the hugher end ones stopped around 2017 or so.
Well, I never owned or received a Windows boot CD-ROM with any of the desktops or laptops I ever purchased retail from 2001 onwards.
So I find it hard to believe it was "just the budget notebooks that didn't.
wserver is 64b
Server sometimes is (was? Maybe it's improved now that all the cloud virtual desktop systems use it) iffy installing consumer apps. Some apps flat-out refuse to install on a Server OS, and others don't work right. I had a hell of a time getting the audio on an Intel graphics driver to work on Server 2012. Ended up having to re-install the driver every time I power-cycled the computer because otherwise the sound wouldn't work.
One of these days I might play with the Server version without the UI and just install cygwin on it for a quasi-unix experience on Windows.
Clippy
A decent SIM city game, like a direct sequel to 3000.
Windows 7. No more bloatware and bollocks that you get with 8+ Unless you actually choose to download it. Which also includes full access to your folders too, none of this W10 crap where you can't access the game directories
Pinball.... For obvious reasons
The Space Cadet one? Just downloaded that a couple months ago.
Battery life on laptops (Sleep actually sleeping, and hibernate actually hibernating)
w10 doesnt sleep anymore? what does it do in hibernate thats diff from previous oses? use open source.
It does a pseudo-sleep, so it can keep sending telemetry and checking for updates. My fully charged laptop will be empty within 12 hours of "sleep" mode. With a true sleep mode there should be battery power left after a month.
Not a product, but I would like to see security and usability return instead of just forced hourly updates that require a reboot.
We are in the minority, but I completely agree. Say what you want about Metro or the lack of features on Windows devices, but the market absolutely needed a major competitor. They were just getting started. Developer support would have steadily grown. But Microsoft just decided to throw in the towel in the first round. They were like TV network executives in the past (FOX especially) who would infamously cancel popular series after the first season because they didn't pull in quite as high ratings as they wanted.
Microsoft has a pretty habit of just giving up on things if they aren't overnight successes
wphone was prob the only place that interface made any sense on, them cancelling it and keeping the shit interface on pc was pretty pants on dick retarded.
Microsoft Bob
Came here looking for this, was not disappointed
I still have a copy of that on CD somewhere.
GORILLA.BAS
CANYON.MID
You're spoiled if you could play .MID files. All we had was a single squareform internal speaker AND WE LIKED IT.
I remember getting my first soundcard and a set of speakers for my Windows 95 computer. Me hearing the Win95 bootup sound for the first time was exactly like the phantom menace "ITS WORKING ITS WORKING" meme.
The Worms games are essentially gorilla.bas
Encarta, and all the other CD based magazines. I miss those so much.
I would love a driving and walking edition of Flight Simulator. Drive from Seattle to San Francisco while blasting through traffic.
Windows 95
I'd settle for the music videos and movie trailers that came with Windows 95. And Hover!
ask me how
No one mentioned the Microsoft Sidewinder joystick and that makes me sad.
Sure, there are a plethora of superior HOTAS options these days, but that one will always hold a special place in my heart.
I use it on PCEM and fake it to be my Xbox One Controller. Had to have the Retail ISO of 98 to get it to actually complete but I did the driver's manually.
Microprose and assorted titles. Master of Magic. MechCommander. Master of Orion.
well you did say products but ms agent framework support ms dos reintergration as well as native support for 8-16 bit programs
Clippy.
Just to watch the world burn.
Maybe they add it to Windows 11 for censorship. Can just see that damn thing popping up to warn you about vaccine misinformation or that you're not on an approved website.
they only revived it to have more software as a service, andlock you into w10. they dont need to do that with more old games. but they can bring back clippy as a sexbot.
Fucking Freelancer!
I miss MSN Messenger, it's alot better than Skype.
Also, microsoft refuses to let people change their skype username, meaning that if your email contained your real name then your skype account is now useless privacy wise. The bastards won't even let you reset it to a random string like the new accounts have.
Example: live:[real name]
The only way to get rid of it would be to delete the entire microsoft account, which will result in me losing all my licenses along with my email addresses and history.
Close Combat.
Creative Writer and Fine Artist since you can import/export data between each but include the ability to actually SHARE your works!