What happens when a company creates a website so poorly designed and frustrating that it actively expresses contempt for its users? Meet the Broadcom Support portal: the epitome of how not to design a website.

It Started with VMware

VMware recently announced that its virtualization software would be free for personal use—a win for tech enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the excitement quickly dissipated when I attempted to download it via Broadcom’s new support portal.

Here’s how Broadcom turned a simple task into a digital nightmare.

Registration: A Kafkaesque Journey

Creating an account was my first hurdle. Between outdated CAPTCHA systems, dead-end chatbot links, and password policies that blocked modern tools like 1Password, I began to suspect this site was designed to test my patience.

And the worst part? After completing the form and enduring endless loading screens, I still wasn’t logged in. I had to start the login process from scratch.

The Portal Maze

Once inside, I faced a labyrinth of misdirection:

• The Search Bar: Typing “VMware” yielded nothing but unrelated CVEs.
• My Downloads: Initially empty, it magically populated after clicking a dozen unrelated links.
• Entitlements: A cryptic page full of broken links that promised access but delivered nothing.

Broadcom’s solution to every frustration? Redirect me to their main page with a shrug.

Downloading VMware Fusion: A Test of Willpower

Finally, I found the VMware Fusion download link. But every attempt to download resulted in endless loading screens or outright failures. After several tries—and a lifetime of waiting—I succeeded, only to encounter another error during installation. Clicking the “limitations” link for clarity? It redirected me back to Broadcom’s homepage.

Conclusion

Broadcom’s support portal is more than just a bad website—it’s a masterclass in user hostility. If Broadcom hates its users this much, why bother maintaining a support site at all? A Shopify page would be infinitely more functional.