Thirty years after its launch, Microsoft Corporate Archivist Amy Stevenson recalled the company’s toughest product, the Microsoft C/C++ compiler.
Before the Internet, things were much more difficult. Pulling a PDF from the web isn’t a big deal anymore, but in 1992, not only the format, but the infrastructure was sorely lacking. Thus, the product contained not only twenty small 3.5-inch floppy disks, but also dozens of manuals, which made the beautiful software package swell to the size of a small refrigerator.
it’s not #AskAnArchivist But we asked Amy Stevenson, our Microsoft Archive employee, about a few #OneDevQuestions In any case.@Microsoft He shipped a few software products that were a hit but we asked Amy:
* What’s the biggest piece of software we’ve ever shipped? pic.twitter.com/I6ll7QxUZg
Windows Dev Docs Editor (WindowsDocs) August 19, 2022
With the help of the Microsoft C/C++ compiler, MS-DOS, Windows and OS/2 programs can be developed by an unflattering, unbreakable programmer who can lift an 18k box. This corresponds to the weight of a normal human foot, a car wheel, or an elephant’s heart. Elephant’s heart was also useful to complete the twenty-disc installation.
Stevenson stated that Microsoft has never attempted to launch such a large product.
