Microsoft Bites Apple, Apple Bites Back

hype7 writes "The NYT (free reg reqd etc) is running an interesting article on where MS seems to be getting all the ideas for its next big OS release, Longhorn. It's only a quickie, but they look at MS's big news from WinHEC, and their possible sources for inspiration. They also pull out that fantastic Bill Gates quote: 'The one thing Apple's providing now is leadership in colors'; and that Apple execs are now having a laugh of their own over how Longhorn, 'Microsoft's 2005 version of its Windows operating system, apes features that have been in Apple's OS X operating system since 2001.'"

Comments

Re:The both copy each other...

[BJZQ8]

Jobs and Gates are two immovable objects that are colliding with irresistable force...and these are the results. They just sort of merge together. Apple becomes DRM-loving Microsoft, and Microsoft becomes touchy-feely-hippie-interfaced Apple. No surprise to me.

Re:Flattery and Imitation

[Jedi Alec]

but I do wonder whether there's an agreement where Microsoft pays Apple for some of this

Apple gets to ship IE with their computers ;-)

Who's the bad guy today?

[YetAnotherName]

Not only has Apple been selling cinema-style flat panel displays for several years, but last year it filed patent application 20030002246, titled "active enclosure for computing device," ...

Help, I'm conflicted.

one of the features they haven't told us about yet

[rock_climbing_guy]

The mandatory registration will automatically register you for the New York Times. Then, Internet Explorer will automatically remember your registration ID and password. Oh yeah, maybe mandatory registration will automatically sign you up for MS Passport as well.

Heck, it reminds me of the Dilbert cartoon where an "InstalSHIELD" type program displays the message "Install Wizard is now placing orders for products you will probably need... Found your credit card number..."

Re:Yawn

[HarveyBirdman]

Everyone here is a Microphobe.

Uuummm.... fear of microphones?

Fear of germs?

Fear of tiny gay men?

Here's a summary...

[Dthoma]

...of the responses this story will no doubt get when more people start commenting, for the benefit of those lacking time to read them all:

• Apple copies Microsoft
• Microsoft copies Apple
• Everyone copies the hell out of everyone else
• All of these features were in BSD/Linux/AIX/VMS/SysV since 1995/1990/1985/1930
• Fuck you all, Apple rulez
• I know I'm going to get modded down for saying this, but Microsoft has innovated
• Give one example where Microsoft has innovated
• An example of Microsoft innovation
• Five examples of Apple's innovation
• Somebody screaming that all of these features were copied from an obscure OS from thirty years ago
• I use Multics! I love it, and you should too!
• Fuck Linux
• Fuck Microsoft
• Shaddap all of you, copying is part of innovation
• Imagine a Beowulf cluster of iMacs!
• The latest Microsoft PCs are copies of iMacs
• Here's a reg-free link to the article
• Steve Jobs hasn't had an original idea since 1990
• Bill Gates hasn't had an original idea since 1970
• ...plus the standard trolls

More to come.........uhhhhhh...yeah

[curtisk]

"We only showed glimpses of the future of Longhorn,Wait until the fall when we'll go into more detail at the Professional Developers Conference."

Yeah, after they check out Apple's latest OSX version "Panther" in July :)
They only need a few months to emulate what they see there, right?!

Did anybody notice the photo (of the MS/HP Athens)

[rgoer]

I mean, sure, we can go back and forth with the same old MS vs Apple BS... but there is something new and humorous to point out here:

Did anybody notice the desktop image used in the promo photo of the MS/HP Athens (top right of atricle page)? It's as if MS said: "you're damned right we're copying Apple. Fuck them! We'll copy their default desktop image, too, pompous bastards that they are!"

Microsoft is speeding up...

[TFloore]

Really... Windows 2005 will have things that have been in MacOSX since 2001, huh?

Windows 95 copied things that had been in MacOS since... 1986 or so?

The way I count things, MS is getting better, right? They went from 9 years behind to 4 years behind, in only 10 years.

Re:What's so funny?

[bbc22405]

Yeah, but MS didn't steal the "Bliss Screen" and color scheme from Apple. They stole it from Teletubbies.

"Time for Tubby Bye-bye"!

Re:BSD

[Mikey-San]

Do you know who they both steal from? BSD.

Stealing from a dead man is called scavenging.

Re:The both copy each other...

[SoupIsGoodFood_42]

Microsoft becomes touchy-feely-hippie-interfaced Apple

If you mean that, like, in the way of a bad acid trip, then I guess you're right.

Have you seen Longhorn?

News from WinHEC...

[Slime-dogg]

Microsoft now announces:

The arrival of the nExT generation desktop! This desktop will include all-new technology, such as scalable icons and a specialized bar at the bottom that we like to call "the port." You can now land programs in the port, and ship programs from the port.

At the windows developers meeting, we will be unvailing the UCAPI, or universal component API. This API will be a C++/C# centric API, where MS nExT developers can place descendant classes of current coponents in a directory, and they will be automatically "turned on" for use in all programs that used the original component! Imagine the possibilities, such as a multi-threaded spell-checking text box!

We at MS are very excited to be the frontrunners in this brand-new nExT-generation technology!

Re:The both copy each other...

[suwain_2]

And UNIX copied su from SCO? ;)

Re:Arrogance is Dangerous

[thatguywhoiam]

I remember when IBM announced their first personal computer. Of course, Apple said something like "Welcome. Serioiusly."

Ah, but you forgot the most hubristic - and funniest - ad that Apple ran.

At the launch of Windows 95, Apple ran a full-page ad (NYT?) that said:

C:/NGRDLTNS.W95

Priceless.

Your point is taken, though. Let's see if Apple is awake this time. Something tells me they are.

And to misquote

[Anonymous Coward]

"... I don't think." -- Bill Gates