Bill Gates's 2003 Rant: Downloading Movie Maker Was a Nightmare

Bill Gates tries to install MovieMaker

In a 2003 email to Windows executives, Bill Gates detailed his frustrating attempt to download Movie Maker from Microsoft.com. The site timed out repeatedly, search failed to find the software, and Windows Update forced him through confusing steps, multiple reboots, and a 17MB download of unrelated patches. Gates called the experience 'an absolute mess' and said the lack of attention to usability 'blows my mind.' His email sparked an internal debate about ownership of the download experience.