Jobs Claims Microsoft Is Shamelessly Copying

Nicholas Roussos writes "Steve Jobs was outspoken at a recent annual shareholder meeting. He claimed 'They are shamelessly copying us', referring to Microsoft. Of course, Microsoft has done its share of pointing fingers as well." From the article: "Most telling, Jobs said is that Tiger, the next version of Mac OS X, will go on sale later this month, while Longhorn is still more than a year away."

Comments

Who's copying whom

[Flexible Typhoon]

From Who's Copying Who article:

Search: Tiger will feature a built-in local search technology called "Spotlight" (technology built upon the search engines that Apple currently uses to search iTunes and e-mail). Microsoft has said it plans to offer a similar local-machine search engine for Longhorn that will be based on the company's Windows File System (WinFS) technology.

Scripting:Tiger will include a front-end scripting environment known as "Automator." Longhorn will include a new scripting shell (currently in beta test) known as "Monad."

Built-in RSS support: Tiger will embed an RSS aggregator into the Safari browser. Longhorn will include an embedded RSS feature in the user interface.

Info-Display Panel: Tiger will have an information-display capability called "Dashboard." Longhorn will have an information-display panel called "Sideshow," to which users can "pin" collections of items of interest.

Integrated Instant Messaging/Video Chat: Tiger will feature a souped-up version of iChat. Microsoft will embed Windows Messenger (a sister to MSN Messenger), which also will likely feature video-chat.

64-Bit Support: Tiger will include extended 64-bit capabilities. Longhorn allegedly will be optimized for 64-bit systems.

As many an Apple advocate has pointed out, Tiger is set to debut at least a year before Longhorn. That's a pretty significant head start, especially for folks who have no corporate edicts, application constraints or other limitations on which hardware/software platform they choose.

Re:Who's copying whom

[rokzy]

>Search: Maybe I'm missing something, but name one somewhat modern OS without a built in search function.

yes, like most other people, you are missing something.

this is built into pretty much everything. for example if you open the system preferences and want to know where a setting is you type it into the search bar and it will highlight where it is no matter how deep linked. this will happen in real-time as you type and will be instant. I have never seen anything like this on Mac, Windows or linux before. usually you have to open a separate help application/window and do a long search on contents or select something from an index.

have you used iTunes? compare its live-updating search with the Windows/linux type-then-press-enter-then-wait-a-bit. it's not just evolutionary, its like the difference between going through various Yahoo portal screens or just Googling something. searching will always just be a variation on a theme, it's the *user interface* to the search that makes the difference between awkward and genius.

also, the results of *anything* are included in this instant, live-updating search. I love the prospect of having loads of PDFs of scientific papers and not needing any order to the filenames or directories because I can search for the relevant content and it will be much easier to adapt my filter as I go because I'll see how many results are being returned.

just imagine not just the invention of Google, but a Google that would change its results in real-time and which would do web page, image, PDF search etc. all at the same time. everyone accepts Google has changed the web but is so blind to how Spotlight changes the desktop even more.

Re:didn't apple steal...

[ltbarcly]

They licensed the GUI and the mouse from Xerox. Stop getting your knowledge "out of the air" and look it up. Xerox was paid a significant amount for them, including apple stock.

Re:Copy...

[CrackedButter]

(You cannot even post without being anonymous, shows you stand by your comment) . Why is this falsehood still presented as fact? Apple licensed the GUI from Xerox but MS copied their desktop metaphor from Apple. How many times does it need repeating until the trolls and the uninformed shut the fuck up and bring different points to the table?

Re:This has popped up before

[CrackedButter]

Going with the flawed metaphor, Steve actually licensed the TV.

Re:Nope, analogy still works.

[Queer Boy]

At Xerox Parc, the GUI they developed only contained icons for verbs. Cut, copy, paste. There were no icons for nouns, which is where Apple innovated. Apple also invented the pulldown menu. Meaning a stable menu where menus dropped down. That's just a few of the things they came up with. Xerox got Apple stock based on the ability of letting them SEE what they were doing, not actually get any code or know HOW it was done.

The truth of the matter is Xerox invented the wheel and Apple went and invented the Maserati.

Re:My favorite OSX to Windows feature...

[Queer Boy]

Apple's Dock was a similar nod to the popularity of the taskbar in Windows

You make me laugh, really hard, too. This is Slashdot, you know, you shouldn't say such assinine things like the Dock comes from the taskbar. Let's see a raise of hands for everyone who knows where the Dock comes from.

Re:Imitation

[macmurph]

So tell me why Apple remains stagnant at 3% of the desktop market and it's biggest commercial success in years has been the iPod.

Simple, it's not stagnant.

Forbes Magazine: The conversion rate of iPod customer base to the Macintosh platform from PC "implies two points of global PC market share gain for Apple in 2005," to 5% from 3%, said Morgan Stanley, adding that the conversion rate for iPod owners could track closer to the 25% range going forward from 19%.

http://www.forbes.com/markets/2005/03/18/0318autom arketscan10.html