“After he left Microsoft, Satoshi Nakajima, the lead architect of Windows 95 and a ‘defining force’ in the creation of Internet Explorer 3.0, wanted to understand why people were so into Apple. He picked up a Mac two years ago and decided he’d never use a PC again,” Matt Buchanan reports for Gizmodo.
“Now his company, Big Canvas, develops apps for the iPhone… Their first app for the iPhone [is] PhotoShare,” Buchanan reports.
“He has some interesting thoughts on the mobile market, like there’s ‘no business reason’ to develop for Android and that ‘Apple has proved that having a single app store does make sense to users as well as the offerers, so I believe Microsoft, Nokia and possibly Google will follow and we’ll have five stores, and that’s ideal,'” Buchanan reports.
Full article here.
Via Cult of Mac:
After working so long in the Windows environment, what attracted you to start exploring the Mac?
It was really just the look and feel, and also Apple was a competitor of Microsoft. We studied them as a competitor, so once I was outside Microsoft I felt like maybe I should learn more. So it was getting into it [initially] more like a competitor, and then to understand why some people are so into Apple products and yeah, I think I got it. The have some kind of emotional high that’s very strong, very attractive – most addictive (laughs).
MacDailyNews Take: “We studied them…” Noo, ya don’t say? That has to be the understatement of the decade so far. Here’s what we do when we find ourselves in the unlucky position of having to try to use a Windows PC: imagine a Mac designed not for the end user, but in order to skirt the legal system. Look for items, icons, system settings, etc. in the exact opposite, most counter-intuitive place and you’ll have a much better chance of actually finding them. Windows is an upside-down and backwards Mac (originally in order to try to prevent a lawsuit from Apple) with fewer- and/or less-usable features. Plus, it’s ugly, bloated, and just feels cheap and rickety, no matter how much lipstick they apply.
Full interview with Satoshi Nakajima via Cult of Mac here.
Yeah, they studied them all the way to the retail shelf. Everything about Windows was a ripoff of other peoples’ work. First Post
Satoshi Nakajima, welcome to the light.
this happens to the lead vista guy before he hangs himself
pray people pray
Bwa
Hahaha
Bwahahahahaha!
“once I was outside Microsoft I felt like maybe I should learn more.”
Funny… when my cousin joined Microsoft he said he felt like maybe he should try to learn less. Hey look, fifth post!
Doesn’t seem like they studied too hard. Maybe between rounds of dungeons and dragons.
I give them a D-.
BTW, I wonder if Big Canvas will be doing any design work for Microsoft’s Big Table. Something like a document reader or a folder viewer might be nice.
Ooooh! How about something to take notes with! Then you can save your notes on the embedded hard drive and look them up the next time you’re at that particular bar!
Lead Architect by Lead Architect Apple will rule Microsoft.
Justice.
Great, so Win architects will now design soft for Mac?
This is tragedy.
I know it’s a good thing to have new switcher, but do you really think people responsible for designing crappy system will contribute anything good to Mac community?
I smell Trojan.
@Rob
Just remember that coming over from the dark side makes you a better person. You feel better and have better taste. Your love life also improves.
Yes, but “old habits die hard” and “you can’t teach old dog a new trick”
Ahh! But, MDN … why not tell us how you REALLY feel!
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brak, there’s nothing wrong with (Advanced) Dungeons and Dragons that GURPS can’t fix.
Rob, I’m 63 and I resemble those remarks!
What took this person so long too figure out how much better Macs were over PCs? I’m surprised anyone this stupid or without of shred of curiosity would be head of software design.
What’s next, MDN, a “report” of a death bed conversion to Mac?
Rob asks, “I know it’s a good thing to have new switcher, but do you really think people responsible for designing crappy system will contribute anything good to Mac community?”
This is, of course, an opportunity for them to redeem themselves. They aren’t tasked with designing the next iteration of OS X, so they can’t do any damage. And Mac users can afford to be selective. If these developers/switchers design crap they won’t succeed.
BTW, there was some speculation that Jim Allchin, who headed the Vista group and resigned on the day of its official release, might be a switcher himself. Don’t know if he ever did.
Raymond in Denial,
Careful, Ray. Gossip, rumor mongering, and flat out lies are not tolerated here at MDN. You might be accused of spreading speculation of Steve Jobs’ death.
Paul Thurrott says he has never met, or even heard of Satoshi and he would know. He’s been around the Microsoft campus kissing ass for years.
If Paul hasn’t met him, from the front or back, then Satoshi is just an ex Microsoft programming weenie. Just like thousands of others.
Besides, we all know the Windows 95 lead architect was a severe dyslexic who just copied Mac OS 6.0.
Who would want Windows 95 software architect on his resume anyway? That bug infested, security hole riddled poor copy of the Mac OS is nothing to be proud off.
Read this over the weekend. The guy seems pretty cool; his former employer isn’t (and never will be), but he seems OK.
At least he gets it about Apple products and their appeal (and is willing to admit it).
M$ “studying” Apple is a polite euphemism; they used to call Apple “R&D;South”.
Peace.
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Olmecmystic
Back in 95 when I was in Elementary School, I actually enjoyed Both the Macintosh LC’s, Apple II’s, and the Windows 95 Compaq PC at home which had all my gaming.
I actually miss popping in that 5.25 inch floppy disk into that klanky drive to play Oregon trail , Word Munchers & all those now classic mac games.
I have been a diehard Mac user since 05 ( when I was able to finally buy a Mac on my own thanks to the Mini) and I will never go back. But I did enjoy Win 95 & 98 back in the day.
>MacDailyNews Take: “We studied them…” Noo, ya don’t say?
Apple does the same.
Hmmm… don’t you MDN editors ever tire of ball-busting Microsoft? I’ve been a Apple user since the ][e and it got old fast!
[Apple does the same.]
When? Like when Apple released the iPhoneOne for sale the same day MS announced that it had been secretly working on BigAssTable for several years already?
I wish Apple would sell the tardis they have. Maybe it’s not Steve ready.
[Hmmm… don’t you MDN editors ever tire of ball-busting Microsoft?]
Doesn’t MS ever tire of ball-busting Apple, and the rest of the tech industry?
Apparently, there’s some speculation on the web that Satoshi Nakajima WAS NOT the lead architect of Windows 95. Search for a Paul Thurrott blog entry called “The lead architect of Windows 95? Really?”. If any of the readers here have access to a Windows 95 computer — which I suppose isn’t very likely — there’s reportedly an “easter egg” method which will display credits for the Windows 95 development team. Opinions…?