It requires not only highpowered hardware that handles video and sound, but also software that is far easier to use-friendlier, if you will. Bob, which helps with tasks such as scheduling, bill-paying or letter writing, was born in part out of the horror with which Karen Fries, its chief developer, watched focus group reactions to another software product. The idea that you would create a product that would hurt someone's self-esteem was really horrible to me. Bob employs 14 animated characters that give users instructional tips. Microsoft says a manual, the bane of many a computer owner's existence, is not necessary.
None is included with the product.
The guides, which include a yellow dog called Rover and a sewer rat called Scuzz, are meant to appeal to a broad spectrum of personality types. So they created personality profiles for about 100 testers and developed the characters to match. The Microsoft crew unanimously hated Hopper the Bunny, for example. A menu system like Windows never changes, says Nass. It makes no suggestions.