“Have you ever wondered how new technologies get developed in Microsoft? Wonder how a cool idea goes from incubation to release? Well, we’re excited to announce that we’ve started a blog designed to bring you closer to the process with the Gadgets blog and we’re kicking it off at the PDC,” Microsoft’s “Microsoft Gadgets” website reads.
MacDailyNews Take: No, we never wondered how new technologies get developed or how a cool idea goes from incubation to release at Microsoft. We even know the address from whence such cool ideas and technologies come: 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014.
Microsoft’s “Microsoft Gadgets” page also reads, “What are Gadgets? Gadgets are a new category of mini-application designed to provide information, useful lookup, or enhance an application or service on your Windows PC or the Web.”
MacDailyNews Take: Gee, thanks for the explanation. Gadgets are Widgets, but the name was already taken, so Microsoft just copied the idea and introduced unnecessary complexity and usability issues, as usual.
“Gadgets come in three flavors,” Microsoft says.
MacDailyNews Take: Flavors? Now where have we heard that before? Oh, yes, from Apple. One of Microsoft’s “flavors” is “Gadgets for Windows Sidebar.” You know, like “Widgets for Mac OS X Dashboard.” Simple, huh?
Anyway, Microsoft’s so “super-excited” about the “cool idea” they’ve been “incubating,” that they want people to start start building their own. More info: http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/dashboard/ Oops, sorry: http://microsoftgadgets.com/
MacDailyNews Take: To those who wish to scream “Konfabulator,” we present you “Apple Mac Desk Accessories” circa 1984.
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Apple leads; Wintel follows as usual – November 11, 2002
Microsoft appropriates Apple’s ‘brushed metal’ look for Office 12 for Windows – September 13, 2005
Windows czar Allchin says Apple copying Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn – April 27, 2005
Microsoft employees leaving due to (and blogging about) malaise smothering company – April 25, 2005
eWEEK Editor Coursey: Longhorn so far ‘looks shockingly like a Macintosh’ – April 25, 2005
Due in late 2006, many of Windows Longhorn’s features have been in Mac OS X since 2001 – April 25, 2005
Microsoft’s new mantra: ‘It Just Works’ ripped straight from Apple’s ‘Switch’ campaign – April 22, 2005
Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Microsoft’s Longhorn: ‘They are shamelessly copying us’ – April 21, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn will bear more than just a passing resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – April 15, 2005
Silicon Valley: Apple CEO Steve Jobs previews ‘Longhorn’ – June 29, 2004
PC Magazine: Microsoft ‘Longhorn’ preview shows ‘an Apple look’ – May 06, 2004
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Amnesty Widget Browser 1.0 released; runs Dashboard Widgets on Mac OS X Panther, Tiger Desktops – July 05, 2005
Apple CEO Steve Jobs: Mac OS X Tiger ‘is going to drive the copycats crazy – June 28, 2004
Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs previews Mac OS X 10.4 ‘Tiger’ to ship in the first half of 2005 – June 28, 2004
Apple takes dead aim at Microsoft, ‘Longhorn’ with WWDC Mac OS X 10.4 ‘Tiger’ ads – June 28, 2004
Yes, but dashboard is from Konfabulator so MDN shouldn’t get cocky on this particular news.
we all know that M$ is a shallow, pathetic coproration. thanks to today’s announcements most of the world will now realize that.
I personally think that they’ve shot themselves in the foot…
Fcsking Idiots Read Stupid Trash Syndicated People Obliviously Suck Tools
MDN Editor – Are you retarded
Seems like most of Microsoft’s R&D time is spent at Apple.com
Go visit the MS Gadget site and leave (public) comments to the “team” on just how innovative they are:
http://microsoftgadgets.com/blogs/gadgetnews/archive/2005/09/13/3.aspx#comments
Realise what Steve? that MDN is the worst site EVER? or that Microsoft Invented Widgets and Gadgets…LOL
Knowone carez about CrApple besides the Tools living here at Microsoft Daily News.
And thew truth is, Everyone WILL think that MS innovated the product…Sad but true…
How lame is this getting…..? it really seems like Apple is the development company for Microsoft. It must suck to work there.. as they truly are shamless.
And Konfabulator is an idea borrowed from Desk Accessories in the classic Mac OS. Hey, let’s have this argument again and again!
Tonight’s little joke! Hahaha!
But – is it anyone out there willing to bet against me when I predict that in the future there will be PC-users who will claim that Apple has copied Windows?
Thought not.
What has happened before, most likely will happen again…
That would be really unny if it weren’t so pathetic. They could do a whole Daily Show With Jon Stewart on this crap…
I also like the sidebar, which is Microsoft’s name for a dock.
Microsoft should name it “Windows OS X” rather than Vista.
“Wonder how a cool idea goes from incubation to release?”
Microsoft can incubate all their rotten ideas from here to kingdom come… they’re still not going to hatch!
Didn’t you know that Micro$oftopoly invented everything? They even filed a patent on double clicking a mouse.
Shocking isn’t it? What an in[competent]ovative company MS is. I’m in awe aren’t you
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A few yrs. back I had possession of a 128k mac. System 4.ish.
It amazed me:
On boot it asked if I wanted AppleTalk active?
And I could open and use all the DA’s on the disk at the same time…8 in all.
Call it Vista beta-20.
Far Out!
a widget…i mean gadget?? for your Trash? I mean recycle bin…how lame! how is that more useful then a trash, i mean recycle bin icon?????
Irrespective of the whole Konfabulator/Dashboard argument it still means that Microsoft is copying/stealing an idea that has been done prominently twice already. How brilliant of them.
Whew- that’s a lot for the first blog post. We’ll be blogging throughout PDC. Feel free to drop us your comments (keep them constructive please) and let’s start the conversation.
– Sean
keep it constructive please. its like there asking us not bash them over ripping off yet another apple invention.
What I REALLY liked about the site was the the first respondent on the site.
It seems that microsft is *still* all hype and vapourware….
——————————————————-
# re: Welcome to the Gadgets Blog! @ Tuesday, September 13, 2005 4:52 PM
Neat idea. Link to an actual description and/or sample would be great.
JD
————————————————–
Will MS Gad-gets be a separate add-on? What will its availability be? Will it be a new must-have part of Longhorn/Vista/XPSP3? (These are serious questions, I didn’t find the answers on MS’s site. Any takers?)
If Gidgets is to be part of Vista, it’ll delay Vista at least another two years. Also, given MS’s proven track record on security, Gidgets will be a huge new security hole just waiting to be tapped.
First we have Ballmer freaking at developers to “give it up” for him, now we have MS pleading with the world to get going on Gidgets. Funny, at Apple Steve J. gets his own applause, and Widgets took off on their own. The differences in the company cultures are stunning.
Nice tongue-in-cheek comment on the Microsoft site:
Hi there,
the idea of these seem strangely familiar for some reason… just can’t pin it.
Also- congratulations on the new glassy/bubble look that Vista is adopting… just proves how much Microsoft is capable of innovating- be careful someone like apple doesnt try stealing it now!
gadets+dashboard=konfabulator
cuppertino, redmond, start your photocopiers!
rob,
You’re an idiot:
To those who wish to scream “Konfabulator,” we present you “Apple Mac Desk Accessories” circa 1984:
http://daringfireball.net/2004/06/dashboard_vs_konfabulator
As I recall Widgets were originally supposed to be called Gadgets. SJ’s slip of the tongue and we were left with Widgets.
The pinstripe on that MS page don’t even line up. Notice how they go off center right where the Windows and Butterfly logos appear. Nice attention to detail, guys.
It seems that these Konfabulator guys were working for Apple when Apple was aquiring and implementing NeXT technologies, and that Widgets really came from NeXT. That’s what I’ve deduced from my research.