'Apple copies Windows' claim opens desktop wars

[Mac Reporter]

Windows SuperSite writer Paul Thurrott claims: "Apple's Spotlight feature set is a rough subset of the desktop search features Gates discussed in late 2003, but presented to the user with Apple's standard graphical excellence."

Already, developer pre-releases of the metadata-based Spotlight offer very fast search results, "planned features of Longhorn", apparently.

Thurrott's accusation is that Apple's been "busy copying Windows features since Jobs returned to Apple in 1996". With Apple's desktop search technology already undergoing widespread beta testing among the company's developer community, the debut of alternativess isn't unexpected.

Read the rest of the story at Macworld UK

[Polar Mac]

Problem with Microsoft/windows that i always notice is they can't stop blaming somebody else.. they just gotta find someone to blame, instead of them trying to improve whats left of their OS :2cents:

[tdbur]

just find it ironic since MS stole the idea for Windows from Apple.. i still like spotlight over whatever MS can produce.. I don't have much faith in Longhorn

[kalbo]

Mac OS came first. Windows is a cheap copy. It sucked then, it sucks now and it will continue to suck.
OK enough of the emotional rhetoric.
Really, we have seen the enormous number of crashes, plug and play devices that hardly ever work properly, and the design flaws of the current XP that allows viruses to run rampant.
Mr. Thurrott seems to think pointing to "MS vaporware" - it doesn't exist and saying that Apple copied it. We've seen the previews of Tiger.
Windows fanatics don't face reality - they try to reinvent their own. Mac users know what stability, reliability, fun and easy to use means.

[Jiru-chan]

Apple may have copied some features that were from Windows (the Alt-Tab to Command-Tab shortcut comes to mind), but we all know who's the REAL copycat here. :dry:

[hypersomniac]

Competition is a good thing. Innovation will benefit us all. Both companies have to innovate to keep their users or attract new markets . I use Mac OS X and hopefully Tiger soon. But we will soon be upgrading to XP for our corporate laptops(finally). I will be comparing how they perform for my use.

Definitely the two are looking at what each other is doing and they may react to or "copy" each others move, and of course they are looking at what other companies are doing in response to customer feedback. OS wars are always fun to watch.
I like it when companies talked about their roadmaps and see who delivers.
I remember the days of Apple's Pink and Taligent project and other planned next generation OS ...

http://www.wildcrest.com/Potel/Portfolio/InsideTaligentTechnology/WW87.htm
http://www.kernelthread.com/mac/oshistory/6.html

I wonder what would have happened to Apple if Jobs didnt return ?

[Eric]

After numerous headaches from configuring/re-configuring our organization's Windows-based system, our contractor's project manager blurted out 'sana mag-introduce sila ng software na makaka-detect ng new hardware and replace this plug-and-play crap Microsoft implemented.'

'Meron na nun,' I told him, 'yun nga lang, its on a Mac, where it was implemented first.' He gave me a 'yeah right' look. Just like the guy in the article, most Windows users assume all the great features in GUI computing were invented by Microsoft first. Labo.

[Jiru-chan]

Originally posted by Eric
Just like the guy in the article, most Windows users assume all the great features in GUI computing were invented by Microsoft first. Labo.

Ang labo talaga. Pag may na-encounter akong ganyan, gusto kong bigyan ng in-depth background ng computer history. But we can't really blame them. I have to admit that before I switched, Windows seemed to be the epitome of innovation (errrk).

[ikenn]

me too. in fact before i switched i thought windows is the only OS.
Anyway I heard that XP is getting better already, with the SP2. Better security and patches. Although i'm leaning on Mac OS side i keep an open mind on XP.

[ikenn]

speaking of OS war... try visiting www.xvsxp.com. It got a nice comparison between the 2 OS. although i think it will close down next year.