The decline of Microsoft
I use the quality of Windows Messenger as a barometer of Microsoft. In 2000, it was MSN Messenger. It came after Yahoo Messenger, but surpassed it immediately. The features were really convenient. Those pleasant audio notifications when your friends come online or send you a message became the standard noises in the office. Remote Assistance worked, and I used it to help troubleshoot the PCs of many friends located far away. There was even a real telco connection and you could dial to real phones . File transfer worked if the firewall wasn't too strict. PC to PC voice was excellent. In 2003, MSN Messenger was the largest network, eclipsing AIM and Yahoo Messenger, with 30 million customers I think. The ability to make any animated GIF into an animated emoticon was priceless. Pressing F2 you could use it like a walkie-talkie . File transfer worked all the time. So did handwriting , which was absolutely critical when ...