From IUR anger to Paint's salvation - eight of Microsoft's biggest U-turns
After the tech giant retreated from its decision to abandon IUR rights for partners, we look back at some of the biggest rollbacks from the vendor in its 40-year history
In its nearly five-decade existence, Microsoft has had a huge impact on both the tech landscape and society in general.
But it has a tendency to run whole-hog with an idea, for good or for bad: whether it's the highs of Windows 95 and XP - which apparently has to be clawed from the cold, dead hands of some users - or the lows of its ill-fated Windows Phone and the much-maligned Windows 8.
But even trillion-dollar companies know when to back down in order to save face (and profits), as was proved recently when it proposed to withdraw key benefits for its Gold and Silver partners.
Widespread opposition to this from its channel ecosystem forced the vendor to hastily pull the handbrake on that decision.
Here we judge some of the tech titan's biggest U-turns in its long history and score them on level of whiplash.
Classic Skype
Eight years ago, the tech behemoth made its biggest-ever acquisition at the time when it splashed out $8.5bn (£6.8bn) on VoIP platform Skype.
The plan was to integrate it into Microsoft's offerings, including Xbox, Outlook and Windows Phone (RIP) and Office.
It announced in July 2018 that the ‘Classic' version of the tool would be ditched in favour of ‘Version 8.0', which it planned to be a turning point for the app.
One month later, however, it backtracked on those plans to kill off Skype Classic as users complained in their droves about the new UI and its inability to sync conversations across devices properly.
"Based on customer feedback, we are extending support for Skype 7 (Skype Classic) for some time," it wrote in a now-deleted blog.
"Our customers can continue to use Skype Classic until then. We are working to bring all the features you've asked for into Skype 8. Watch this space."
Skype Classic eventually got the chop last November.
Whiplash: In terms of chronology it was quick, but in terms of game-changing climb-downs for the vendor it ranks pretty low 5/10
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From IUR anger to Paint's salvation - eight of Microsoft's biggest U-turns
After the tech giant retreated from its decision to abandon IUR rights for partners, we look back at some of the biggest rollbacks from the vendor in its 40-year history
Where to Start?
Hard as it is to believe now, Windows 8 was launched to great fanfare and excitement in 2012 - just three years after the (still) popular 7. However, it was missing one key element that Microsoft users had become accustomed to: a Start button.
The Start button has been a mainstay of every version of the operating system since Windows 95; clicking it opens up a menu with apps and links.
Its absence from Windows 8 was nothing short of controversial to users, who were trying to get to grips with the awkward touchscreen interface on their PCs.
After mass uproar and confusion from customers, Microsoft decided to bring back the Start button for its Windows 8.1 update, but not with all the functions users associated with it. The Windows logo would act as the Start button, the company explained of its update.
At the time, the FT declared the deletion of the Start button to be "one of the most prominent admissions of failure for a new mass-market consumer product since Coca-Cola's New Coke fiasco", a statement to which Microsoft took exception.
Start issues continue to plague Microsoft, as just yesterday screenshots of a new Start menu design were leaked.
The internal-only version of Windows 10 used by testers appeared to show Microsoft's Live Tiles noticeably absent from the new design.
Whiplash level: The Start button is up there with MS Paint as classic Microsoft features you just don't mess with. It was inevitable that it would be brought back 6/10
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From IUR anger to Paint's salvation - eight of Microsoft's biggest U-turns
After the tech giant retreated from its decision to abandon IUR rights for partners, we look back at some of the biggest rollbacks from the vendor in its 40-year history
Game over, try again
Microsoft burst onto the games console scene with the Xbox in 2001, followed by the Xbox 360 four years later and the Xbox One in 2013.
Prior to launching the latter console, the tech giant announced that the Xbox One would need to connect to the internet every 24 hours for games to work, stating that "offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection". It also restricted users' ability to share and resell games
This did not go down well with the gaming community.
Many Xbox players threatened to switch loyalties and buy the then-upcoming PlayStation 4, which would not have such restrictions on it.
Less than a week later, Microsoft backed down and reversed its decision.
"An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games. After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc-based game without ever connecting online again," the vendor stated in a blog post.
"There is no 24-hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360."
It also rolled back on limiting the use and sharing of games by users.
Whiplash level: Withstanding gamers' ire for a fortnight is impressive but ultimately useless in the face of potentially lost profits 7/10
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From IUR anger to Paint's salvation - eight of Microsoft's biggest U-turns
After the tech giant retreated from its decision to abandon IUR rights for partners, we look back at some of the biggest rollbacks from the vendor in its 40-year history
Windows 10 pop-up pop-off
When the latest iteration of its Windows operating system was released in July 2015, it did not come without its problems.
The first months of 10's existence saw Microsoft adopt a Mrs Doyle-like (pictured below) insistence on its Windows 7 and 8 users to upgrade to the latest version.
However, customers pushed back at this, criticising the vendor for changing the pop-up box encouraging them to upgrade.
They argued that the ‘X' in the top-right corner of the box agreed to a scheduled upgrade rather than closing it, which is usually what happens by clicking the ‘X'. Microsoft argued that the update to the pop-up was due to the upgrade being changed to "recommended".
Users who inadvertently upgraded by clicking the ‘X' were up in arms, causing Microsoft to ditch this upgrade and change the pop-up so that clicking ‘X' once again would dismiss the notification.
At the time, Terry Myerson, then head of Microsoft's Windows and devices group, explained the reason for the rollback: "Since we introduced a new upgrade experience for Windows 10, we've received feedback that some of our valued customers found it confusing."
Windows 7 nearing its end of life now serves as the vendor's best tactic to encourage users to move to Windows 10.
Whiplash level: Microsoft held its ground for too long on what was an extremely bad decision 6/10
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From IUR anger to Paint's salvation - eight of Microsoft's biggest U-turns
After the tech giant retreated from its decision to abandon IUR rights for partners, we look back at some of the biggest rollbacks from the vendor in its 40-year history
IUR serious?
Microsoft's most recent change of heart occurred this month when it quietly announced a number of changes to its Partner Network (MPN).
These changes included withdrawing internal use rights (IUR) and on-site technical support from its partners.
Gavriella Schuster, Microsoft's global channel boss (pictured below), explained that the reasoning for the move was because the vendor could "no longer afford" to supply these benefits to its huge partner ecosystem.
Though the announcement was quiet, the reaction from partners was anything but.
It sparked a wave of protest from its channel community, including a petition that garnered over 6,000 signatures and some partners considering whether there would be much point in remaining a Microsoft partner if they lost a key financial benefit.
Following this partner pushback, Schuster came out on the eve of the vendor's annual Inspire partner event and announced that it would no longer be following through with its proposed changes.
During her opening keynote at Inspire, Schuster addressed the debacle, stating: "I heard your response and I listened to what you were saying - and I read every single blog and tweet and article. In my mind, there was really no choice but for us to walk back on that change."
Whiplash level: it took nine days from the news going public to Schuster's about-face 7/10
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From IUR anger to Paint's salvation - eight of Microsoft's biggest U-turns
After the tech giant retreated from its decision to abandon IUR rights for partners, we look back at some of the biggest rollbacks from the vendor in its 40-year history
Windows pain
It's hard to say if this is a U-turn or a deliberate attempt at sabotage.
In 1989, IBM and Microsoft agreed to develop the OS/2 operating system which was intended to replace the original operating system for the IBM PC, as well as for high-end computing systems.
However, Microsoft flouted that agreement by developing the now-ubiquitous Windows operating system as an alternative for business customers.
IBM ended up walking away with a cool $775m settlement in 2005 after it argued that Microsoft broke their agreement for OS/2. It was based on an earlier ruling that Microsoft had indulged in anti-competitive practices.
Whiplash level: Whether a U-turn or an active decision to undermine an agreement with IBM, this is still a solid 8/10
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From IUR anger to Paint's salvation - eight of Microsoft's biggest U-turns
After the tech giant retreated from its decision to abandon IUR rights for partners, we look back at some of the biggest rollbacks from the vendor in its 40-year history
You're hyphen a laugh
Originally styled as Micro-soft by co-founders Bill Gates and the late Paul Allen, possibly its biggest U-turn was getting rid of that hyphen.
In an interview together, Allen and Gates described their process for coming up with the company name.
"When we signed that first contract with [minicomputer] MITS, we referred to ourselves as "Paul Allen and Bill Gates doing business as Micro-Soft," Gates explained.
"I don't remember why we spelled it with a hyphen and a capital ‘S'. We put a credit line in the source code of our first product that said, 'Micro-Soft'."
"We also had mentioned names like Outcorporated Inc and Unlimited Ltd, but we were joking around.
"We talked a lot about whether we should call it Allen & Gates, but decided that was not a good idea. it seemed like a law firm or like a consulting company to call it Allen & Gates. So we picked Microsoft even before we had a company to name."
Allen added: "We had talked about a lot of different names back in Boston, and at some point, I said, ‘Well, the totally obvious name would be Microsoft.'"
Whiplash level: Micro-Soft reads like a member of the Capri-Sun family of drinks than a company valued at a trillion dollars 9/10
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From IUR anger to Paint's salvation - eight of Microsoft's biggest U-turns
After the tech giant retreated from its decision to abandon IUR rights for partners, we look back at some of the biggest rollbacks from the vendor in its 40-year history
Paint it back
MS Paint has been bundled with Windows since the very first iteration of the operating system in 1985.
So it came as something of a shock in 2017 when Microsoft revealed that the classic drawing app would be kicking the (paint) bucket that had allowed many to hone their dubious artistic skills over the years.
The art tool had been placed on a list of Windows 10 features that would be removed in an upcoming update for the operating system. It was to be replaced by the new Paint 3D feature.
There followed mass public tributes to the rudimentary drawing app, causing Microsoft to reconsider its decision to erase it.
"If there's anything we learned, it's that after 32 years, MS Paint has a lot of fans," wrote Megan Saunders, then GM for 3D for Everyone Initiative at Windows Experiences, in a blog post at the time.
She added that MS Paint would be available for free download from the Windows Store.
In April, the vendor confirmed that Windows 10 would continue to have MS Paint pre-installed.
Whiplash level: Fans of the beloved app painted the vendor into a corner within hours of rumours going public 10/10