Post by wadmodderpudu on Jun 25, 2023 2:02:39 GMT
Alot of us are aware of Microsoft Agent, a technology that was the successor to the Actor code from Microsoft Bob and Microsoft Office 97's Office Assistant feature, with version 1.5 released in 1997 and version 2.0 (which is the most common version) released in 1998. It was a technology that used animated characters to be used on Windows application that utilized ActiveX technology. Microsoft Agent would be discontinued in April 2009, six months before the release of Windows 7.
And alot of us are also aware of BonziBuddy, which was an interactive desktop assistant program made by Bonzi Software that was released in 1999 and discontinued in 2004 after the company faced two lawsuits, one regarding deceptive advertisements and the other regarding a violation of COPPA.
However, a non-malicious alternative to BonziBuddy was released in March 1999 called CyberBuddy. CyberBuddy was a multi-purpose instant messaging software that utilizes Microsoft Agent technology to allow the user to perform tasks such as setting reminders, sending voice messages, or checking the news. The application features a tab layout that allows the end-user to navigate through the use of tabs. The program also allows the user to customize which agent assistant they would like to have to assist them and modify settings such as the character size and character voice.
CyberBuddy's first installer is 16-bit so it cannot run on modern 64-bit versions of Windows, while the current CyberBuddy installer has the EXE installers for Robby, Peedy, Merlin, and Genie packed inside of it.
There were two versions of CyberBuddy, the first being a Free version with a few features, and a Premium version. Unlike the free version, the premium version provides access to Caller ID, speech recognition, and the ability to have multiple characters on the screen. The premium version of the program costed 19.95 US dollars.
In version 2.08.00 of CyberBuddy, a feature was added to tell stories off the CyberBuddy website. The stories page features twelve stories designed for kids, one designed for all ages, and one in Italian. If a user wanted to, they could have made their own stories with the CyberBuddy Story Builder. Afterward, a user may listen to the created story with the CyberBuddy program.
It is unknown whether or not the CyberBuddy program was discontinued, as there is no official statement on discontinuation. The latest version of CyberBuddy is 2.12.27 which was released on August 23rd, 2012.
Given that CyberBuddy was never updated after 2012, it is safe to assume that the software can be considered abandonware. So far no one has ever provided a link to the Premium version of CyberBuddy or provided any scans of what the disc for the Premium version looks like, so hopefully someday someone might find a copy of the Premium version of CyberBuddy.
