Microsoft Solitaire AKA SOL.EXE
A virtually uninstallable and highly addictive bundled digital version of the classic Klondike card game. SOL.EXE or, commonly, Solitaire was first released as part of Microsoft's Windows 3.0 operating system in 1990. The game was originally designed as a "trojan horse" to onboard users into the OS's new quote "drag and drop" graphical interface. Unfortunately for employers, the game almost instantly created a significant dip in productivity,[1] offsetting any potential upticks in efficiency from the adoption of Microsoft's OS. Despite the protests of its corporate clients, Microsoft continued to seamlessly integrate SOL.EXE into further editions of Windows, later monetizing the program with ads and unlockable, pay-to-play bonus content. Its green screen card cascade remains a Pavlovian symbol of achievement throughout the land.
- ↑ In 1994, a Gardner study estimated that Solitaire had occupied over 26 million employee hours, hemorrhaging nearly $750 million in the process. In 1996 The Boeing Company ended its contract with Microsoft reportedly based in part on SOL.EXE's inextricable inclusion.