Microsoft gives up trying and starts blatantly copying...

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aryayush

Aspiring Novelist
Microsoft gives up trying and starts blatantly copying…

John Gruber just made quite an interesting post/find on his site about how Microsoft has straight copied Apple’s Workgroup Manager Icon.

Here’s a screenshot of Microsoft’s page with the icon:

*www.theappleblog.com/wp-content/uploads/microworkgroup.jpg​

The page this is on is here (click the Buy Now button).

*www.theappleblog.com/wp-content/uploads/appleworkgroup.jpg​

Then check out the icon on Apple’s OS X Server page (towards the bottom).

This is way more than “inspiration” here. This is some kid at Microsoft going to the Apple site, saving the image to the Microsoft server, and then bragging to his boss that he just whipped up the icon. Pathetic.

UPDATE: It would seem Microsoft have swapped out the icon…what a surprise.

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Source: Microsoft gives up trying and starts blatantly copying… at The Apple Blog


I know this should have been in the 'News' section but such topics usually spark off a debate, therefore, I posted it here. Mods, please move it if it is inappropriate. As for the Microsoft defenders, what have you to say? Copying features from an operating system is one thing, but ripping off your opponents icons! Sheesh!
 
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krazyfrog

Guest
I must say this John Gruber guy has some great observation skills.
Btw, i think this thread would be better off in News section. I don't think anyone would come to fight for Microsoft after seeing this.:p
 

~Phenom~

The No.1 Stupid
His site says that MS has replaced that icon now. I really wonder whether that icon was really there and MS has replaced it now or it was just a rumour by John.
 
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aryayush

aryayush

Aspiring Novelist
I know the pic can be tampered with. BTW, if you visit the source I mentioned, you'll see that the update about MS changing the icon was posted at a much later date than the original post. Plus, if you read the comments, it becomes quite obvious that readers have seen it too.
 

Kiran.dks

Technomancer
Some are so much anti-microsoft that they just see world from their own view. What the big deal in this issue? Work manager icons are not designed by either apple nor microsoft. It is a 3rd party development. It has been long time in use. Possible that the 3rd party vendor may have given the same icon accidently. Don't make a BIG mess-up of these kinda small issues. All I would say, this as a 'childish' act.
 

Aberforth

The Internationalist
Marketing and page designs (including Icons) are done by the respective department and often by third parties. If a method worked why can't any company use that technique to sell their products. It is not like Windows Vista is a carbon copy of OS X Leopard or Microsoft is phising Apple's site. Its just an inspiration and a matching icon, what the fight is all about, come on its only an icon. :D
 
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aryayush

aryayush

Aspiring Novelist
That icon was developed by Apple's designers in Apple's labs. There is no third-party involvement here. And it is not a matching icon, it is the SAME icon. I am not fighting or anything - it is just a goof-up by Microsoft that I reported. And had it no been of any significance, Microsoft would not have removed that icon. Apple has been using that icon for more than three years.
Please do not jump at the slightest aspersion cast at Microsoft! What is true will remain true. As for Windows Vista, yes it is not a carbon copy of Mac OS X and it can never hope to be either.
 

Aberforth

The Internationalist
In that case I think this is a topic worth in the Chit Chat or News forum, not exactly a fight worthy topic.
 
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gxsaurav

Guest
aryayush said:
That icon was developed by Apple's designers in Apple's labs. There is no third-party involvement here.
hmm

chuk it...whose gonna say again
 
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aryayush

aryayush

Aspiring Novelist
It was one thing to copy an icon on their website. It is a totally different thing, however, to incorporate a ripped-off icon into their mobile operating system. See this:

*img76.imageshack.us/img76/4927/01425sz1i15240700gc5.jpg

And now see this:

*img69.imageshack.us/img69/918/isyncfq4.png

Notice something similar? The picture above is of Windows Mobile 6.0 and the one below is of Apple's iSync icon. It is copied and pasted. If you cannot ask your designers to make an original icon, it really is no surprise that Vista is a rip-off of OS X.

Source
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BTW, that globe icon is also a straightaway rip-off of this icon of the OmniWeb browser:

*img151.imageshack.us/img151/2826/omniwebma4.png
 
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aceman

Broken In
My god, the apple fan-boys have nothing else to say about the os and are left with commenting about some Icon usage....how funny :)
and tying some icon usage to vista os development .............these kinds of comments can only come from apple fan boys, since as usual they look at only the glossy exterior and forget about anything else that works inside :).Vista is radical improvement when compared with any other windows os..............give it some time to stabilize.
 
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subratabera

Just another linux lover.
aceman said:
My god, the apple fan-boys have nothing else to say about the os and are left with commenting about some Icon usage....how funny :)
and tying some icon usage to vista os development .............these kinds of comments can only come from apple fan boys, since as usual they look at only the glossy exterior and forget about anything else that works inside :).Vista is radical improvement when compared with any other windows os..............give it some time to stabilize.
I am not a Mac user or fanboy but I can say that you must agree that M$ indeed done something which is not so professional...
 

gxsaurav

You gave been GXified
aceman said:
My god, the apple fan-boys have nothing else to say about the os and are left with commenting about some Icon usage....how funny :)
and tying some icon usage to vista os development .............these kinds of comments can only come from apple fan boys, since as usual they look at only the glossy exterior and forget about anything else that works inside :).Vista is radical improvement when compared with any other windows os..............give it some time to stabilize.

That is why they are called macboys, an Icon is an Icon, should I say how many icons apple copied from Rocky & Marvilla....

The problem is not with Apple hardware & Software, it's with there Marketing methods & macboys arrogence. Sometimes i think with every mac they buy, they get paid for posting anti-MS rants,......it's been said many times by Admins here, to use whatever they like & shut up, but still they don't leave a chance to whine.....

even linux users don't like MS for many things, but the best thing about them is that they know here they lack & admit it, & atleast they never whine about linux like macboys do

(hides under the rock.....attack coming from apple camp :D)
 

eddie

El mooooo
As I have said earlier, Mac camp should be the last one in this world to talk about copying. An OS that is built by "blatantly copying" Open source code and gives back nothing should not even talk about such things. First people should look at themselves and then point finger at others. This is just an icon...if you hold the copyright...go ahead...sue them. If you can't do that, then just keep silent :)
 
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