MacDailyNews Take: We’d be remiss if we did not point out that Rizzo’s “but” does absolutely nothing to disprove Steve Jobs’ contention.
Rizzo continues, “Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard each contain features that originated in the other OS. Some features were stolen so long ago that they’ve become part of the computing landscape, and it’s difficult to remember who invented what. Here we give credit to Microsoft where credit is due.”
1. Finder Sidebar: Windows Navigation pane
2. The Mac Path bar: Windows Address bar
3. Back and Forward navigation buttons in folder windows
4. Minimizing to document windows into app icon
5. Screen Sharing: Remote Desktop Connection
6. Time Machine: Backup and Restore (Rizzo admits, “Apple didn’t steal Time Machine from Windows, just the concept of including backup capability with the operating system.”)
7. System Preferences: Control Panel (Rizzo calls Windows’ Control Panel “one convenient place,” thereby proving he’s never used Windows.)
8. ActiveSync and Exchange 2007 support (Rizzo’s run out of “thefts” already.)
9. Command-Tab: Alt-Tab
10. Terminal: Command Prompt
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Mostly a list of minor concepts and features, most of which can be disputed, as Rizzo himself does in many of his descriptions. Overall, this is quite a silly list that, if anything, proves just how little in Windows is worth “stealing.”
With bated breath, we now await Computerworld’s followup articles: “Top 1,000 features that Microsoft stole from Macintosh,” “Top 100 ideas Microsoft stole from iPod, iPod touch, and iPhone,” and “Top 50 concepts that Microsoft stole from Apple’s Retail Stores.”
See also: Rizzo’s “Top 10 features Microsoft stole from Mac OS X,” also from last October, here.
We covered this all the first time around here: Apple’s Mac vs. Microsoft’s Windows: The top 20 stolen ideas of the OS wars – October 12, 2009
Apple stole the command prompt from Windows? LOL!
a lot of things were in NeXT from 1989. So than Windows must of copied NeXT. Since NeXT is OS X than Windows looks like its the odd man out here.
Top ad concept that Microsoft stole from Apple: “I’m a PC!”
@MDN Take: No one can prove Microsoft stole retail store ideas from Apple.
It’s like trying to prove Yugo stole automatic transmission technology from Ford.
Terminal?????? WTF, this is how all computers started and it’s a UNIX thing.
Screen Sharing?
How can you steal the command prompt when Unix has it from…..like the beginning???
Yugo never had automatic transmission. The technology was too advanced for the old factory in Kragujevac, Yugoslavia (now Serbia). Oh, and by the way, they are still making the same exact Yugo from almost 30 years ago! Still no automatic, A/C, power steering, OR power brakes…! But you could fix everything (including engine overhaul) with just a simple pair of 13mm and 17mm wrenches, a phillips and flathead screwdriver and pliers…
If Apple “stole” anything from Windoze, wouldn’t they REALLY have been “stealing” from themselves since they invented point and click, drag and drop, keyboard and mouse, icons, the desktop metaphor, etc., etc., etc.?
The reason all of the above is now used on EVERY consumer/enterprise computer in use today is because APPLE brought it to the masses first…nobody else. Anything that came AFTER that was imitation (me being generous) or out and out THEFT (me being factual).
You can’t rewrite history. It ALREADY HAPPENED!
Peace.
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Olmecmystic
Here’s a worthy one for Apple to steal:”press control-alt-delete to begin.”
Press delete to BEGIN?!
This list is completely stupid since all windows concept was stolen from apple decades ago. there is no way to compare win7 since it’s just a made up version of old winxp, win95, win3.1
Microsoft started off by stealing DOS from Gary Kildall.
He is missing the largest top item that Apple took from Microsoft, THEIR CUSTOMERS! They are bailing from that sinking virus infected tanker.
That guy is an idiot. Almost half of that would never have showed up if we were still looking at the C:
Isn’t that like saying that the modern car took the idea of the wheel from the horse drawn wagon?
Idiot
Absolute bull. Many of these features were on the main frame I worked with in the 70s – before Microsoft exited.
ANAT was around long before Windows Remote Desktop.
To be truthful….MS invented the blue screen of Death….for some reason Apple never copied it
Is this asshole kidding? Maybe he ought to look at things the other way around. Who’s the innovator? MS? That’s fantasyland.
7. System Preferences: Control Panel
WTF!? Control panel goes all the way back to Mac System 1.1 or thereabouts!
I stopped reading his list after that ridiculous claim.
The original Macintosh had a Control Panel before windows was even a wet dream in Microsoft’s pants. Terminal is a Unix function that was around since before Microsoft was even thought of.
Doesn’t anyone do their research “before” they publish anymore? Just more proof of the dumbing down of America and the loss of our Professionals.
I wish Apple would steal from Windows the concept that you can resize a window from any edge.
I also wish they would improve Finder. I use PathFinder and like it a lot but I shouldn’t have to buy a separate tool for that kind of file browsing capability.
I use Windows XP at work and Snow Leopard at home. I also have Windows XP, Ubuntu, and Windows 7 virtual machines on my iMac. I can’t pinpoint any specific things but I just like using Mac OS X better.
As opposed to stealing the entire idea:
– mouse
– menu bar
– pull-down menus
– the desktop
– document windows
– scroll bars
– icons for applications
– icons for documents
– folders
– trash can
– cut-copy-paste
– text selection
– proportionally spaced fonts
– drag & drop
– plug & play
– undo
– gadgets
Mac Path Bar? I think not. I could go back as far as I can remember and you could command-click on the name atop any Finder window and it would show you the path to that file.
That they made it a separate, more obvious button doesn’t mean they stole it from MS.
Oops meant to say DOCUMENT window, not FINDER window.
Command Prompt predates the Unix Terminal?
In what parallel universe?
So, WIndows 7 and Snow Leopard are the latest incremental refinements of a paradigm shift—from a commandline to a GUI—that Apple did in 1984 and Microsoft has been copying since.
Focussing the discussion on very minor, 3rd or 4th generation refinements of that paradigm shift and then arguing of “who did it first” is an attempt at mis-direction.
It’s at best a stupid argument, and probably deliberate obfuscation of the central truth:
Apple brought the paradigm to the desktop and Microsoft copied it…..badly.