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Microsoft Responds To "Like OS X" Comment

Posted by samzenpus on from the imitation-is-the-greatest-form-of-flattery dept.

Z80xxc! writes "After a comment by a Microsoft employee claiming in an interview that 'what we [Microsoft] have tried to do with Windows 7... is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics,' the Windows 7 team has issued an official rebuttal, saying that the comment came from an employee who was 'not involved in any aspect of designing Windows 7,' and that it was 'inaccurate and uninformed.'"

10 of 505 comments (clear)

  1. ego by sopssa · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Random person thinks he knows everything, grows an ego and tells "juicy" stuff to press to boost that said ego while actually knowing nothing.

    Nothing to see here. But I suspect lots of Linux/Mac OSX fanatics will be coming in 3.. 2.. 1..

    1. Re:ego by sitarlo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Or, totally informed person tells the truth and evil corporation fabricates a "rebuttal" to save face.

    2. Re:ego by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Jack Thompson is a safe bet in all situations.

      For every Off-topic mod you get, you'll be almost guaranteed one Insightful mod. As long as you're against Jack Thompson. Which I am!

      --
      Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
  2. Things not to do if you like your job by Random5 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Pretty sure on the list of 'Things not to do if you like your job', admitting you're inspired by the competition and complimenting their design TO THE PRESS has got to be in the top 3.

  3. So? by war4peace · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So a Microsoft employee says something out the top of his head. In a normal discussion between me and you, this would be just an opinion, something along the lines of "I think that...". But change the speaker and all of a sudden it's along the lines of "BIG SECRET REVEALED!!!1111" kind of thing. Even worse, for most people it becomes one with the company's official PoV and this simple statement grows so much that the company must spit out a rebuttal via an official channel/spokesman.
    We are living in a twisted, perverted world, where one can't express an opinion without being beheaded by both the press and the company he's working for. God help us all! :)

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  4. employee who 'inaccurate and uninformed' by hibernia · · Score: 4, Insightful

    and no longer has a job

  5. Re:they've been copying Mac all along... by JerryLove · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So Mac copied Xerox Star, and Windows Copied Mac? Do you know who copied whom for OS/2, Amegia Workbench, NeXT, Linux, BeOS, and GeoWorks; all of which have similar WIMP interfaces?

    It would be silly to say that any (other than STAR) evolved in a vacuum; but "borrowing ideas" has happened in every direction.

  6. Re:What Apple does right by Procasinator · · Score: 4, Insightful

    One of the problems OS X has is that it lacks the ability to use these menus through the keyboard easily. In Windows I can hit the Alt key, and quickly see all the menus I can open by using an other key (the letter used for the menu item will have an underscore). Such as Alt + F is the file menu.

    Each menu item then can be accessed usually through an access key. So Alt - F - S would be save. I know in both Windows and Mac OS X you have direct save short cuts too, and you can configure short cuts to common items, but that's not I want.

    What I want is to be able to access a menu list from the keyboard quickly while exploring, not remember various different short cuts.

  7. Re:If this is true... by recoiledsnake · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Windows 7 is still clunky, slow, and unstable.

    Citation needed. I use Windows 7 and it's certainly not one of those.

    --
    This space for rent.
  8. Save face? by professorguy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The employee specifically said they copied the Mac's "look and feel" which is a determining factor for infringement lawsuits. So as far as lawyers are concerned, he basically said "We stole some of Apple's work."

    They ain't trying to save face. They are trying to save a lawsuit loss (i.e., money).