Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft Patents Grouped Taskbar Buttons

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the thought-of-that-before dept.

I_am_Rambi writes "According to the US Patent office, patent #6,756,999 belongs to Microsoft. The patent this time is grouping taskbar icons processes. This is included in Windows XP, and some prior art in X. Looks like it was accepted two days ago."

5 of 714 comments (clear)

  1. Re:OK, so MS has had this since winXP... by Stevyn · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Seriously, how long? I've only seen this in windows XP. I never used it because i didn't like it, but it may just be legitimate. Gasp!!!

  2. What? by chadm1967 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    This is getting out of hand!

    God, I hate Microsoft!

  3. Re:A Plea to Americans by Nasarius · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    Nothing changes in the US without money. There's no benefit to a congresscritter who supports patent reform. It's just going to piss off some corporations (big donors), and cost the taxpayers more, because each patent will require a lot more scrutiny.

    And unless stupid patents start getting enforced and abused, the public (and the media) doesn't care.

    --
    LOAD "SIG",8,1
  4. Re:Better to put the start bar up the side by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Yeah, you think differently alright.

    "This computer costs twice as much as the x86 equivalent, and other than the fact that it has a nice, shiny case, there really isn't much point! I love it!"

    I guess not thinking at all could be counted as thinking "differently," yes.

  5. Re:Another one for the EFF to bust. by pavera · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    If there is something on your desktop that you aren't looking at then your desktop is misconfigured anyway. I always turn off the autohide because if programs I install put something in the tray they automatically are uninstalled. Nothing is worse than people that bug me saying "I don't know why my computer is slow now" when you turn off their autohide, and the running programs take up half the task bar... oh thats the problem... MS is so good at hiding spyware/adware from people they should be sued. Anyway, as I said in the begining, if there is something on your desktop that you aren't looking at, your desktop is misconfigured.