Microsoft slams employee's Mac copycat claims

"I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments were inaccurate and uninformed.”

Nothing new there then.

By Glovepuppet on 12 Nov 2009

Microsoft has been copying others since DOS. At least one of them is admitting it for once.

By outflow on 12 Nov 2009

Not really news

Companies copy, borrow and adapt features from other products all the time. Most products evolve by incorporating the best features from their earlier versions, but also from other players in the market. Apple have adopted features from Microsoft, not just OS, but also in Apps, MacWrite was very influenced by Word etc.

By Dannyt on 12 Nov 2009

And for those of us old enough...

Remember that the Mac pinched its interface design from XEROX in the first place.
Also, Windows 7 is in colour and OS/X is as grey as John Major.
And while OS/X is simple to use, with nothing to use on it, it doesn't get you very far. Its no good having the best clubhouse, when nobody is in your club!

By cheysuli on 12 Nov 2009

Oh and MAC OSX is entirely original is it? I think not, some might say its just another (rather expensive) Unix distro.

By rjp2000 on 12 Nov 2009

Nothing to use on it?! Well Excel was available on the Mac long before it was on the PC, so I suggest reading some history! All the major apps are available for both platforms, I should know, I use both daily. Adobe CS suite is arguably better on the Mac, Office is fine, although the current version dropped VBA so everyone rolled back to the 2004. There are superb apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic software which are used by the cinema and music industry which aren't available for Windows. Just like there are some unique apps which are Windows only.

Some of us prefer an understated and well designed UI, rather than one full or garish colours. I couldn't stand the bright blue and clashing green of XP even!

By isofa on 12 Nov 2009

It is a standard term of car insurance policies that the insured must never admit liability to an accident, even if all 10 witnesses saw her talking on the phone whilst touching up her lipstick in the rear view mirror.

By verdot on 12 Nov 2009

Companies copy, borrow and adapt features from other products

Yes but only Microsoft can patent in an idea in the USA (to use sudo) that has been in Unix since the 70's. Both Linux and Mac OS/X use this concept. So if they copy it they may also try and patent it. Then they can claim it as there own legally.

Work that out if you can?

By M_Hamer on 12 Nov 2009

Probably explains why I can switch so easily back and forth between my iMac and my Windows laptop. There are no real philosophical disputes now in the GUI world. We are marching towards a platonic ideal. Even Windows 7 now sports a 'dock'.

By c6ten on 12 Nov 2009

Who Cares?

Does it really matter who first incorporated a new design into a program?

If only people would stop focusing on historic trivia and start thinking of new improved ideas and designs.

Lets aid progress not hinder it.

By Tibbs on 12 Nov 2009

M$ Copies from everyone; worse it steals others work and claims it as their own; it buys out its competition where possible and then labels it as its own; M$ have not innovated on anything new for nearly 2 decades - its just nicking everybody elses work.

By nicomo on 12 Nov 2009

Would you like to explain COM, COM+, .NET, Windows Live MESH and Windows NT? Because you are repeating rubbish you read somewhere else.

By c6ten on 12 Nov 2009

I wish M$ would copy the 4 desktops that I have been using in Linux for nearly 10 years.
Who the hell is PCR anyway, am I instinctively supposed to know.
Where can I download an acronym dictionary? or presumably AD.

By stokegabriel on 12 Nov 2009

person.nicomo = ms.hater
comment.value = nothing
apple.troll = true

By rjp2000 on 12 Nov 2009

nicomo, why so angry?

Your so angry at Microsoft, you must have a hidden agenda. My guess is you've just been banned from Xbox Live for using a modified console.

By Tibbs on 12 Nov 2009

My sister got a new Mac laptop the other day and I helped her set it up. I don't like their interface at all, and comparing it to Win7 that I installed on my pc on Sunday there's nothing much alike at all really, other than the concept of having icons on a screen.

I don't find the Mac interface easy to use, my sister is struggling a bit with it and she only uses it to surf the net and a bit of word processing, ie the basics.

By Phoomeister on 13 Nov 2009

Ripping off Mac?

I don't understand where these accusations of ripping of the Mac come from. Everybody knows that Microsoft ripped off KDE 4.x for Windows 7.

By BrownieBoy6 on 13 Nov 2009

Well, even if they weren't trying they've failed. OS X is delightfully simple and straightforward. In comparison Windows 7 is a morass of buttons, pages - that do nothing except drop to the same dialogs used in Windows 2000 - and endless sliders, links and checkboxes that bewilder and confuse the user. The - incorrectly spelled (by Microsoft) - network and sharing centre (sic - by me) is just a complete mess.

Don't see anything like that on OS X.

By bubbles16 on 13 Nov 2009

what's wrong with borrowing features

if you apply this logic to the car industry, mercedes would be able to stop all other car makers including airbags, three point seat belts, antilock brakes, etc etc etc etc. inovation that succeeds will always be borrowed by competitors.

By sihaz2 on 13 Nov 2009

Feature spread is good

The first mobile maker to include a camera in a phone did not prevent other manufacturers from doing so. Now, other phone makers are producing competition that is making the quality of the features improve all the time.
.
p.s. to all those who think it is SO cool to write M$ instead of Microsoft... just give up. Please. It's not like Apple aren't after money either. Whenever the umpteenth millionth PC vs. Mac debate opens up, Mac fans are always oddly proud of Apple's higher profit margins.

By phantombudgie on 13 Nov 2009

Microsoft own goal

Returning briefly to the original story -Microsoft has scored an own goal by reacting to the original slip of the tongue. The story has thus been given wings.
Point made -Forum members may now return to infantile arguments over who invented what first. And by the way most the basics of windows today were on Unix workstations 30 years ago!

By milliganp on 15 Nov 2009