Microsoft is responsible for bringing many of us into the digital realm, introducing generations of consumers to the PC. Even today, the Windows operating system is used by more than a billion people worldwide. Beyond Windows, Microsoft and its brand Xbox have been a driving force behind the growth of gaming, Office is the most widely used productivity suite in the world, and Internet Explorer was, at one point, the gateway to the internet for 95% of online users.
Microsoft’s influence on our lives can’t be overstated. And yet, this hugely successful and resource-rich company has had its fair share of failures over the years. The same company that dominates desktop OS market share and sells millions of Surface devices each year has a checkered past filled with embarrassing product releases, devastating missteps, and confusing marketing.
Let’s head into our time machines and look back at Microsoft’s worst failures.
Want more schadenfreude? Check out Google’s most embarrassing failures.
