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3The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – Active Server Pages
4The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – Exchange Server 2003
7The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – Visual Studio .NET
5. Visual Studio .NETRecognizing that the Web was changing the way applications were developed, Microsoft decided to change its flagship development platform to meet the needs of this new age. Visual Studio .NET took a Web-centric approach and launched new coding ideas that helped maintain the company-
8The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – Windows 2000
6. Windows 2000Windows 2000 managed to increase system stability and ease configuration by pulling together features from the enterprise Windows NT line (the kernel) and from the consumer line (full 32-bit and plug-and-play support). While Windows 2000 proved full of holes over time, the operating system was a major leap forward for business customers on both the server and desktop sides.
9The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – Windows Powershell
7. Windows PowershellEven though Windows was born from DOS, its command line has been weak when compared with Linux and Unix competitors. With Powershell, Microsoft brought a powerful command line back to Windows, providing developers and Windows enthusiasts with a robust new way to control their Windows systems.
10The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – Windows Server 2003
8. Windows Server 2003With the many security headaches caused by Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft realized that it had to make big changes to regain the trust of IT administrators. Windows Server 2003 took a much stricter approach to security than 2000, with most services turned off rather than on by default. As a result, Windows Server 2003 has proven to be a very stable and secure server platform.
11The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – WSUS 2.0
9. WSUS 2.0Windows Server Update Services 2.0 effectively killed off the third-party patch management industry. With Microsoft finally coming around to provide client update tracking, policy controls and reporting in its free product, third-party vendors were forced to expand their products to manage a wider variety of security postures.
12The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – Halo
10. HaloThough not strictly a Microsoft product (it was developed by Bungie Labs), Halo is published by and mainly seen as a Microsoft product. Indeed, it may be one of the best and most successful Microsoft products ever. This immersive, kinetic and highly enjoyable video game is probably responsible for the majority of Xbox sales.
14The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – ActiveX
15The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – Bob
17The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – IIS 5
18The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – Internet Explorer 6
19The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – Outlook Express
20The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – SQL Server 2000
21The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – SMS 2.0
23The Best and Worst Microsoft Products – Windows Registry
10. Windows RegistrySure, it seemed like a great idea to have a central place where software vendors could store all their app-specific settings. But the hives grew so large and so convoluted that no one could comprehend them, let alone clean them up properly. And ISVs still put their .INI files in the c:windows directory.