Office – Page 6 – STL

For those of you that have been using computers since the 1990’s, you’ll likely remember a number of Easter Eggs embedded into a range of Microsoft applications. But do you remember all of them? This post will take you on a trip down memory lane to a time before the Trustworthy Computing Initiative of 2002, which saw Microsoft stop making the treats.

MICROSOFT BEAR (Windows 3.1 & 95)

More than just a tangible mascot of the team, Microsoft Bear made several appearances throughout Windows applications.

Remember this little guy. His drawing was used as part of the SETDEBUG.EXE & JBGMGR system files.

Windows 3.1 also saw Microsoft Bear make two appearances, first as part of the fictitious file BEAR.EXE and another presenting the aliases of the development team in the About Program Manager: BRADSI, BILLG, STEVEB and of course T-BEAR (bonus points for guessing the other team members’ real names).

MICROSOFT BUNNY (WINDOWS 95)

That’s right, Windows had more than one Mascot, in-fact they had three in 1995 – two bunnies and one bear. The bunnies were aptly named 16-bit bunny and 32-bit bunny. More than just a couple of nerdy names, they represented Windows 95 being “the transitional OS”.

Typing ILOVEBUNNY32=1 under the Windows section of win.ini unlocked some pretty snazzy features, including full window drag and anti-aliased fonts.

MICROSOFT OFFICE

WORD FOR WINDOWS 2.1

Not so fluffy, Windows 2.1 featured a WordPerfect Monster, a fireworks display and credit list in the About box. Here’s how to get that cool monster on your screen:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMIiB-wqrNM]

OFFICE 4.3 / 95 / 97

Open the “Help” file in any of these versions of Office and be amazed by some random quotes, including:

Plaid shirts and striped pants rarely make a positive fashion statement
It’s never too late to learn the piano
You should never look directly into the sun
This is the last tip (Is anyone else singing along?)

OFFICE 97

Things got exciting in 1997 and procrastination became an even easier skill to practice thanks to three Easter Eggs designed for game enthusiasts and time wasters Worldwide.

Excel contained a hidden flight simulator for curious minds, whereas Word 97 Pinball was a global hit amongst Office users. Perhaps our favourite though was the magic 8 ball found in Access, so popular that it also made an appearance in Office 2000.

OFFICE 2000

Dev Hunter, a 3D spy game based on classic arcade racer Spy Hunter, hidden within Excel 2000 wasn’t available to everyone and DirectX needed to be installed for it to run. But if you were lucky enough to have run the program, you’ll have been treated to some bizarre, Office 4.3 style “quotes”, here are a few of them:

SO YOUR NAME IS MISSPELLED WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT
CIRCLES ARE GOOD BUT THEYRE (sic) NOT RECTANGLES
MALICIOUS PIXIES
LAST BUT NOT LEAST BUT ALSO NOT COMPRESSED HAM

For whatever reason, Microsoft seemed to get some sort of kick out of having a completely useless last tip (are you still singing along?).

WINDOWS EASTER EGGS

Great, a list of all the volcanoes in the US, just what we all needed to know. Thankfully, all versions of MS Windows OS preceding XP show this comprehensive list in the 3D text screensaver.

What’s better than a list of Win95 developers hidden as an Easter Egg? An animated presentation complete with funky soundtrack of course. Windows 98 also contains a credit screen Egg, sadly it’s not quite as exciting as the 95 version.

Here’s one we bet you didn’t find. The Windows 95 pipe screensaver included the Utah teapot in place of the standard joint bend, of course you had to be pretty specific in the settings. Pipes needed to be multiple and standard style, joint type must be multiple and texture solid.

Windows 2000 / XP

The developers at Microsoft seemed to have a soft spot for the pipes screensaver. An undocumented texture hidden away allowed the pipes to change to barber shop stripes. Hairdressers across the globe must have gone crazy for that one right? Umm, perhaps.

Bored with losing all the time? For those in the know, the pinball game featured in 2000 & XP versions of Windows included some pretty nifty cheats. A series of keyboard shortcuts could see you shoot to the top of the leaderboard or enjoy an endless game, here’s how:

“H” – instant high score
“R” – increase rank
“M” – system memory
“Y” – frame rate
“1max” – extra ball
“gmax” – created a gravity well
“rmax” – go up a rank
“bmax” – unlimited balls for an endless game

A staple favourite of MS and time wasters everywhere, Minesweeper was also treated to an Easter Egg in 2000 & XP versions. Typing “xyzzy” and pressing enter simultaneously at the beginning of a game allowed you to see where all of the mines were. Black squares represented a mine was underneath and a white one, that there wasn’t. Not the biggest fan of Minesweeper, I can only imagine this was the most boring gaming experience ever.

VISTA

Super tiny faces of the MS anti-piracy team were included on the surface of the Window’s Vista installation CD. Spotted by the eager eyes of Spanish blogger, Kwisatz, you can read more on this post by Computer World.

INTERNET EXPLORER

If you were lucky enough to be running IE in the noughties (and let’s be honest – who wasn’t), you could get a kick out of typing “about:Mozilla” in the address bar. A blank blue screen, symbolic of the blue screen of death would appear. Hilarious.

WINDOWS 95 & BEYOND

Pictures of everyone involved in the Hover project are displayed upon completing the introductory level of Hover. A game which first appeared on the Windows 95 installation CD and is still going strong 18 years later, wow I feel old.You can still play today, give it a go.

What’s your favourite Easter Egg? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments box below, unless it’s the Minesweeper one, seriously.

We don’t offer training on any of these Easter Eggs but we do offer training on Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Access and more besides. Check our London training courses page for more details.

Passing your spreadsheet and database needs to an external company is all too appealing when looking for quick results at low cost. But, is this economically viable or is outsourcing slowing bringing Britain to its knees? Can the US President’s passion for insourcing make Britain Great again?

Insourcing is the process of bringing operations back from an external company / country and integrating them into your company. Put simply, for anyone that knows outsourcing – it’s the opposite.

Unemployment

Britain spends untold billions of pounds to overseas outsourcing companies every year, with the main loser being the home-grown workforce.

UK unemployment levels remain at 7.7% according to figures released early in 2013. Many jobs that have been taken away from the British workforce include manufacturing, customer service, tech, marketing and more. Perhaps even more worrying is that over 1 million young people aged 18-24 are without employment, not to mention, in ever increasing debt from university courses.

Although the experts claim that we as a nation are moving towards the end of the recession, this does little to instill confidence in the millions of unemployed. But could this be avoided to some part by bringing jobs back home? Tasks the UK market knows how to do; maintaining a database in Access or building financial models in Excel.

The lure of outsourcing sits firmly in the corner of saving money for business. Cheaper labour costs in overseas countries means that wage bills can be cut and profits can increase.

Obama’s Big Idea

There’s a lot to be said about our friends from across the pond, and whilst Obama may not have realised it, his recent initiative could have just saved a large number of businesses here in the UK.

Early in 2012, Obama sought to tackle the issue of unemployment head on, by setting to reward businesses that opted to bring operations back home. Insourcing was born (or at least publicised) and the world was beginning to listen.

In fact, he even attempted to pass a bill which would see tax breaks for companies that adopted the insourcing initiative. Although this was ultimately unsuccessful in parliament and the bill was narrowly rejected, the idea is still going strong.

A case study: General Motors re-hires 10,000 IT professionals

While GM was one of the early adopters of outsourcing, news late in 2012 seems to be suggesting of a U-turn. Whilst manufacturing looks set to remain offshore, the company plans to bring home 10,000 IT jobs for the benefit of the US workforce. And with the help of a little training, these employees are set to flourish.

Part of GM’s insourcing plan is to open what they call innovation centres. These centres will be based across the US in areas that reflect a substantial amount of industry knowledge. That’s a no brainer right? One such centre will employ 500 people in Austin, TX, matching their skills to the relevant IT roles. Just as the best businesses match their employees skills and knowledge base to the tasks that need to be performed.

Is there a bright future for General Motors? Only time will tell if it’s the best decision for them, but it’s definitely a great move for the US unemployed.

So, what are the benefits of insourcing?

Lower Cost. It’s true what they say. Teach a man to fish and he’ll be able to feed himself for life. Investing money into training in house can ensure that your current workforce is both upskilled and kept motivated. Both invaluable assets.
Increased Control. Many outsourcing companies will have their own methods of working and may not be able to accommodate your ever changing needs at the drop of a hat. Keeping operations together often helps the smooth running of a company.
Higher skilled workforce. If the General Motors case study is anything to go by, there’s a knowledgeable group of skilled unemployed people out there – just waiting for this opportunity.
Ethics. Huge in modern day business. Customers are ever increasingly concerned with things being home grown, the supporting of relevant charities and the like. Promoting the best of British only stands to benefit early adopters to the insourcing buzz.
Simplicity. Reinstating your IT skills within your company is logistically easier than bringing back manufacturing operations.

How could insourcing your Microsoft Office operations benefit business?

Whether you are a huge multi-national or a small to medium sized business, IT is one area that is easy to keep control of in-house. So, rather than outsource your inventory management or data analysis, why not keep complete control and look after things within your business.

Enjoy the rewards that a skilled and motivated workforce brings, all whilst keeping the home economy ticking over. University graduates are potentially a great fit for your company: bursting with knowledge, enthusiasm and willing to get stuck in, you can sleep tight knowing that you’re keeping propelling the economy along.

Financially, upskilling your entire workforce soon pays for itself. A quick brush up on Excel, Word or Access could save you thousands of pounds in the long run. Enhancing your presentation skills could be the difference between winning that tender or not. The unique pricing model of Training courses at Best STL means training can cost less than you think. And, just like your trusty Word document, we won’t let you down – with the promise of never cancelling a training course and a 98%+ satisfaction rating.

Would you consider insourcing your operations, or do the benefits of outsourcing outweigh the costs?

Obama photo courtest of The Big Story