“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.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
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
Microsoft concerned that Longhorn’s look and feel will be copied if revealed too soon – August 25, 2003
Windows ‘Longhorn’ to add translucent windows that ripple and shrink by 2005 – May 19, 2003
MacDailyNews Dashboard Widget 2.0 released – September 03, 2005
Free ‘Amnesty Screen Saver’ lets Mac OS X Dashboard Widgets run as Screen Savers – August 11, 2005
Runaway hit: Apple Mac OS X Tiger Dashboard Widgets pass one thousand milestone – August 02, 2005
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
I just went to the “Microsoft Max” site wtf? mentions. The little robot with his dog near the bottom — the one below the words “We are not robots” — hey, it’s the Automator guy!
Follower –
Wow. It *is* the automator guy. In a sweater. With a dog. Though they very clearly have drawn a line in the sand by saying they’re NOT robots, whereas Apple’s Automator guy specifically says that he IS a robot.
So that settles that.
Redoing something or improving an idea is not innovation. Interface color choices are not innovation no matter how you stack it up. Stop overusing the words: innovation, elegant, etc…Microsoft making their windows have more of a 3d look after all this time is totally expected. Those of you who are worried about who did widgets and gadgets first don’t seem to get it. Let it the hell go. Apple stole pages and keynote from Microsoft….the idea at least….right? So once someone does something, no one else is supposed to attempt to make a better app? Let it go and stop acting like someone stole your marbles at recess. Fsck! How the hell is anyone supposed to take such beotches seriously.
Widgets are mini browser windows with the ability to tap into cocoa. Simple enough. I repeat, they are little web browser windows, with the capability to use higher level programming languages to add functionality. It’s not that big of a deal. Konfabulator wanted 25 bux for this and they provided no UI to design widgets. On top of that, anyone who wanted to run widgets had to pay 25 bux also. It was a bad model and an incomplete product. I tried it for a few days to see what the fuss was about after dashboard came out. It sucked ass and I threw it in the trash.
Ok, so maybe Microsoft is putting a face on it like they dreamt it up. Let them go. Until Apple runs a few friggin tv and magazine ads in the right places and starts concentrating on marketing something besides the iPod we’ll all be safe from viruses and such. =)
I really have serious doubts about the legitimacy of this site. Take the out of line pinstriping, the spurious WHOIS info (below), and the lack of at least copyright or registered symbols on the title, “Microsoft Gadgets”, the lack of a “www.” before the site name (it is just http://microsoftgadgets.com. Microsoft almost always would have something like this under either http://WWW.microsoftgadgets.com or, more likely, gadgets.microsoft.com or http://www.microsoft.com/windows/gadgets. The site also lacks a real Microsoft logo anywhere. Contrast this with the perfect architecture of microsoft.com.
WHOIS registrar info for microsoftgadgets.com:
Jack Spurr
62 Rcom Drive
Yarmouth, NS B5A 4B1
CA
Email: admin@internationaladmin.com
Don’t I remember something about Microsoft being located in Washington state?
Whether this particular site is legit or not, it still remains that the Gates himself showed off Windows Vista with a couple prominently displayed gadgets in the sidebar, so we know the concept is legit. What does it really matter then, if microsoftgadgets.com is legit? We all know that M$ is shamelessly ripping off Apple on more than this one count.
Maybe the thinking in Redmond goes something like this… “What… only 13 months until scheduled release and still no good ideas!?!?! Head to R&D South!”
©
Hey Voyager – have you checked all other blogs as well?
There’s a bunch of developers blogging the same thing.
I think it’s real.
Russell..two words…Desktop Accessories (circa 1984) before DesktopX or Konfabulator…
Can’t be real because it says Powered by Community Server, Has links to Googles blogspot, Copyright does not have “All rights reserved.” like all other copyrights on Microsoft.com, no MSN links, etc.
Ballmer says to Gates “Where Do You Want to Go Today?”. Gates replies “Cupertino, errr I mean Microsoft R&D South”.
Konfabulator contains its own self-contained JavaScript runtime engine, based on SpiderMonkey, the open source JavaScript engine from the Mozilla Project. Konfabulator UI layouts are specified in a custom XML format. I.e.:
Konfabulator = (Custom XML format) + (Custom JavaScript engine)
Dashboard, on the other hand, is based on WebCore, the underlying open source layout and scripting engine behind Safari. Dashboard gadgets are indeed scripted using JavaScript, the same language used by Konfabulator, but Dashboard uses the JavaScript engine that’s built into the system. And for UI layout, Dashboard gadgets are specified using HTML and CSS — using the same rendering engine as Safari.
Apparently Microsoft invented the wheel, telephone, cars, internet, tv, newspapers and fast food!
Amazing – They even invented music.
There u go – what an amazing company….
NOT!
They will be patenting ‘breathing’ as everyone knows microsoft invented that too – the only problem is that someone called God/divine being says he/she did. SO Microsoft will pay off the patent company as it always does and give the guy some cash.
PC Apologist: “The linked article acknowledges your distinction and credits OneClick as the missing link between Desk Accessories and Konfabulator.”
It doesn’t claim OneClick is a “missing link”, it mentions it as an example of another script-based mini-app creator.
No one is saying that programs are created in a vacuum, but the distance between Dashboard and Konfabulator is *far* shorter than that between Desk Accessories/FaceSpan/OneClick and Konfabulator.
re Paul Thurrott quote
I asked. He said “no”
It wasn’t him
What I love about Apple users is how they subsidize all the cool stuff we Windows users get by paying for Apple’s inflated hardware prices.
I just want to say “thank you.” It’s quite charitable. I know that I’ll enjoy Aero/Aqua shell with my Office Aqua interface–minus the 25% premium the Apple used, er… users, pay.
Well enjoy waiting more than a year to “enjoy” all those things then.