An 'Open Letter to Apple' 159
ndpatel writes "It looks like Apple has a a success in Panther, but it also seems like they've ruffled a few feathers over at Proteron by incorporating a new Windows-esque task switcher that mimics (most of) the functionality of Proteron's LiteSwitch X utility for Jaguar. Proteron has written an "Open Memo" to Apple, but it doesn't seem like Apple really cares. Shades of Karelia, Watson, and Sherlock 3? Is Apple screwing its smaller developers, or just refining their software with relatively obvious improvements?"
Wasn't this in OS 10.1? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Wasn't this in OS 10.1? (Score:5, Informative)
But meh. Whether the "bar with icons" is my dock (makes sense) or a new, redundant graphic in the middle of my screen is pretty irrelevant to me.
Re:Wasn't this in OS 10.1? (Score:3, Informative)
Not true. (Score:2)
Re:Wasn't this in OS 10.1? (Score:2)
ie, While holding 'command' one can mouse over the application switcher and select, quit, and hide applications.
Re:Wasn't this in OS 10.1? (Score:2)
Huh? Not sure I follow what you meant to say. Do you mean you can do a cmd-mouse over, and you're given a menu- select, quit and hide? What would this have over, say, right-clicking an icon in the dock and picking one of these actions?
Re:Wasn't this in OS 10.1? (Score:2)
Now, move your mouse over the application switcher, and try hitting "q" or "h" while your mousing over these apps.
Office 6 (Score:2)
It's also what a Microsoft system extension bundled with Mac Office 6. What was that, 7.6 era?
Re:Wasn't this in OS 10.1? (Score:2)
The article specifically refers to liteswitch and app switching in 10.3, not 10.1.
Re:Wasn't this in OS 10.1? (Score:1)
However I do think that the originality of function being integrated was much more defendable.
-Jacob
Reintroduced copied Windows feature? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Reintroduced copied Windows feature? (Score:2)
Funny thing is that I recall using Liteswitch on Classic before it was introduced as an OS feature. I don't remember the company "Proteron" being behind it. I think it was just a shareware utility. I don't recall any hubbub when it was rolled into the OS then.
Re:Reintroduced copied Windows feature? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Reintroduced copied Windows feature? (Score:5, Informative)
Products like Unsanity's Labels X, Windowshade X, and Xounds [unsanity.com] and ASM [vercruesse.de] also bring back missing functionality. I gladly paid for those enhancements. Labels were reimplemented in Jaguar though, and I don't recall ever seeing an open memo from the Unsanity folks bitching about it.
Re:Reintroduced copied Windows feature? (Score:2)
This is hair-splitting. To the end user, the "Mac OS" is the operating system that ships with a Macintosh, and the details of its internal architecture are (and ought to be) irrelevant.
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Reintroduced copied Windows feature? (Score:3, Interesting)
As OS X was slowly rebuilt to include previous OS 9 features. It was obvious that this was going to be reintroduced. It would be as unfortunate to suggest that LabelsX a 3rd party application to reintroduce labels to 10.2 systems. Was being -squashed- by apple with 10.3 bringing labels from OS 9.
Unlike the sherlock/watson affair which was an obvious extension at the time, but in retrospect seems a little contrived. Writing software that you know will be cannon balled is heroic, but don't whine
And? (Score:5, Insightful)
StarDock made themeable windows way before Microsoft added it to XP. They're still around, they just made sure their product was much versatile and better than the built in theme engine.
Let's start a petition against Apple because of their iPod. I'm sure it's really harming the sales of the other HD based MP3 players. We'll ask Creative to do an open memo as well.
Re:And? (Score:2)
I do feel some sympathy for the guys, but this request is likely to have sprung forth from user requests as opposed to anything else.
Unless they had it patented (and even if they did... remember the "look and feel" lawsuits) it's all ripe to be plucke
aftermarkets are always vulnerable. (Score:5, Insightful)
It is a lot like a automotive products after market seller finding a something they sell is going to be part of next years stadard in the car: Halogen lights, electonic ignition, automatic oilers, turbo chargers. It your market is the aftermarket you are always going to be vulnerable but that does not mean the major mareter is a bully.
Where it gets illegal is when a major marketer uses their leverage to enter a new market. GM cars requiring GM tires and GM gas. The distinctions are fine sometimes since it requires the definition of what is a distict market. In this case there is no fine distinction. LiteSwitch was only useful on macs and it was not a commodity market.
Re:And? (Score:3, Insightful)
Did we read the same letter? I don't recall it telling Apple they shouldn't have added the feature, it in fact was positave about that. All it said was "give us credit! tell people we did it first!"
If the letter is to be beleved all they want is on the page that lists "150+ new features in panther" where they say "command tab now shows icons across the middle of the screen because we found out pe
Re:And? (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing the reason the Proteron and Apple implementations look so much alike is due more to using the same APIs for drawing windows and text and following Apple's interface guidelines, than any deliberate "copying" on Apple's part.
Re:And? (Score:2)
Well they gave MS credit for beign the first to do "Fast User Switching" (of corse they improved it enough to bash them a little at the same time, and I don't see 10.3's Cmd-Tab as any better then MS's Alt-Tab...then agian I dont' really find it better then 10.2's Cmd-Tab)...so sure, credit where credit is do due and all.
They're doing what MS don't (Score:4, Interesting)
Apple is much smarter. They realize that there is a feature that many people want added to the os. They realized the feature is a good thing and a lot of people use it. So they add it in. You can only make money developing applications for OSX. Which is the way it should be. You can't profit by making a piece of software that just adds some missing functionality to the os. This way everyone gets all the features necessary in an implementation that is compatible with the rest of the os. Not like Windows where you have 20 seperate little programs to add in all the missing stuff that should be there in the first place. And not like linux where you add it in yourself.
This is a plus for OSX in my book. I think I'm going to start saving now for the eventual arrival of the 12" G5 powerbook.
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:2)
It's not quite as slick as virtual desktops are on XF86, but it does let you view all desktops at once, which is kinda neat.
It can be quite slow though.
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:1)
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:2)
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:1)
I know this is off topic and I appologize, but that's an interesting point, very interesting. I can't believe I overlooked it. Obviously MS's biggest competition is Win 95/98/2000. If they don't leave some obvious oppotunities for improvement to encourage upgrades then they're just perpetuating the proplem. Of course by not implimenting these important features now they're o
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:2)
Don't worry... (Score:5, Funny)
Dude, Microsoft leads the field in innovation. Why, pop-up blocking will be available built into Windows in a mere 2.5 years.
Re:Don't worry... (Score:2)
Internet Explorer 7 will add pop-up blocking. I can't wait!
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:2)
I would love to see tabbed browsing in IE, though. Of course, while I'm wishing, I'd like a job where I don't have to use Windows at all...
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:4, Interesting)
The Windows Power Toys [microsoft.com] [sic -- "toys", not "tools"] kit is really the key thing here. Microsoft has provided it in some form since at least Win98 or Win95, and some of the apps that they've been providing, such as TweakUI [microsoft.com], are really fantastic if you want to "fix" the interface on a Windows machine. Why the Power Toys are only available as a separate download instead of bundling with the OS, I have no idea, but they're free, they're "official", and they can be absolutely essential for making Windows just a little bit less insane to use.
The XP edition of Power Toys includes, as you note, a virtual desktop management tool, but more to the point at hand, it offers an enhanced alt-tab switcher. If Apple ripped off anybody, the Microsoft tool is a more prominent candidate than the Proteon one, by a wide margin.
The one feature that the Proteon switcher seems to be unique in -- if the XP one supports this, I've forgotten & can't check at the moment -- is that it allows switcher functionality other than just putting the selected app in the foreground: you can hide, quit, minimize, etc. That seems to be a new insight, but a minor one: once you've got the hook to put additional functionality into the switcher, it's not so interesting which particular functionality does or does not make it in.
I think another precedent was the BeOS switcher ("twitcher"? I forget what they called it at this point...). Like Proteon, they also allowed functionality in the switcher -- in particular, I seem to remember that you could drag icons around in the window that popped up, so that you could control the order in which applications would be called next by repeated alt-tab presses. This isn't as evolved as what Proteon or Panther do, but it demonstrates the basic idea of "switching doesn't just have to be a bridge -- you can do things along the way". While not many consumers used BeOS, it seems to me that a lot of OS designers did -- Microsoft is ripping off ideas from the Be File System in their uberfilesystem project Yukon, while the guy that designed that file system is now an Apple employee. Various aspects of the Aqua & XP interfaces feel to me like echoes of the BeOS, and the new Panther switcher could well be one too.
So functionally, I'm willing to accept that Apple may have borrrowed the "functionality hooks" idea from Proteon's LiteSwitch, but as for the specifics of the visual implementation, I just don't see it. The Panther implementation's appearance borrows as much from XP and the XP Power Toy switcher (and before that, the switcher dialog that goes back at least as far as Win95 or Win3.1) as any other implementation, and there's only so many ways that this idea could be implemented in OSX that it would be harmonious with similar aspects of the Aqua interface -- in particular, the dim grey overlay icons that you get when you hit eject or the volume control keys.
I can't help you with the job, but for the other point you're in luck, sort of. Just as Mozilla is a thin XUL layer wrapped around a crunchy Gecko core, Internet Explorer is a thin .EXE program that calls on a crunchy handful of .DLL libraries. Ergo, it should be easy to replace iexplore.exe with an program that offer
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:2)
But it's functionality that was already in 10.2 in that if you held down the command key while cmd-tabbing, press 'Q' to quit an app. I haven't tried it myself, but apparently the show/hide commands from the application menu work
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:1)
In beos, switching to a window switched to that window's desktop. (the programmer could also set the window to appear in all desktops). You could send a window to a desktop by switching desktops while clicked in the window title bar.
Also, each BeOS de
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:2)
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:2)
Tabbed browsing isn't a basic functionality that should belong to the OS. In fact, it doesn't in Mac OS X. It belongs to Safari only. Expose is the type of functionality that should belong to the OS and thank goodness it does in 10.3.
I do agree that this is basically Apple moving their app-switching visualization from the Dock to a temporary location in the middle
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:2)
One man's features is another man's bloatware. I don't want any of the stuff you listed and I don't want a 3-DVD Windows installation just because they try to include every little feature that someone, somewhere might want. They already do that with Office and they take constant flack for Office bein
Re:They're doing what MS don't (Score:2)
The ability to put stuff in the system tray.
btw, there is no such thing as the Windows "system tray". The correct term is "notification area". Raymond Chen, a Microsoft dev from the Windows 95 team, describes the original Win95 taskbar design: Why do some people call the taskbar the "tray"? Because they're wrong. [gotdotnet.com]
When the going gets tough.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Proteron made their money for a year and a half, and by the time Apple finally caught up with the functionality they should have moved on. They can't sit around on their thumb and milk a simple idea forever.
Re:When the going gets tough.... (Score:5, Insightful)
You can honestly point to Microsoft for the first mainstream implementation of this kind of task-switching, that's for certain. They probably got the idea from somewhere else, in a slightly different form, like many such things.
The salient points, I think, are:
- This feature was in Windows before.
- This feature was in Classic Mac OS before.
- This feature is blindingly obvious to most half-skilled computer users.
- Proteron made their money for a good period; LiteSwitch has not improved appreciably.
The tone of the 'open letter' is that of a whiny brat. Personally I don't sympathize with the guy at all.. and I am a huge advocate, and owner, of shareware. But the idea that Apple just lifeted his groundbreaking concept wholesale is just stupid.
This is much more cut-and-dried than the Sherlock situation (which frankly I also thought was an obvious idea). Apple cannot just 'stay away' from utility functions like this that turn out to be tremendously popular.
Re:When the going gets tough.... (Score:2)
Sounds to me like their just pissed off that they finally have to be innovative to justify their existence. And what, they didn't know this was coming? Surely they had the Panther seeds.
that's right... (Score:2)
Yep, that's what patents, copyrights, trademarks, contracts, licensing agreements, EULAs, and lawsuits are for. Sorry, Proteron, too slow!
Lacks a grip on reality... (Score:2)
The funniest part of this is a comment over on Proteon's web site:
Proteron today also released a public memo to Apple Computer regarding Apple's assimilation of third party software into the Mac OS. Visit the LiteSwitch X Home Page for more information.
Porteon is claming even more than "inspired by." What a load of bunk! Samuel Caughron seems to have a slender grip on reality at best.
Re:When the going gets tough.... (Score:2)
Re:When the going gets tough.... (Score:2)
I've said it before and I'll say it again, to get in on Apple's party, you need to bring something nice to put on the table.
why now? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:why now? (Score:1)
- It seems that this is such a simple an obvious feature
- Go take a look at Windows, this has been there since at least 95
- Get a copy of 10.0, or even 9 and basic apple+tab switching is there
Exactly how is LiteSwitchX like Watson? Watson was a pretty new and innovative idea, and it was more than a single handy little utility.
Really, I think it would be nice for Apple to recognize Proteron, but I don't see how they can justif
Sounds spurious to me (Score:2, Informative)
If they were really serious, you would think they might present a few links to real solid evidence from that open letter. You know, comparisons of screens or whatever. Perhaps they are planning on litigation? I doubt it. Plus, as some have already pointed out, window switching has been around in older Apple OS's and was then dropped.
From Proteron to Apple (Score:5, Informative)
Re:From Proteron to Apple (Score:2, Funny)
No!!! Credit should never be given to Microsoft! What, are you crazy?
Not on Slashdot buddy...
Re:From Proteron to Apple (Score:2, Informative)
Re:From Proteron to Apple (Score:1)
At macosxhints, somone says this and doesn't back it up. I'm not saying it isn't true, but who knows, really?
Good point on the Windows thing. I said this before, I think it's been in since at least 95.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re:From Proteron to Apple (Score:1)
I remember about a year ago watching a movie of a Longhorn prototype that showed something very similar to Fast User Switching.
I think the original link was from /. actually.
Maybe Steve reads /.
Re:Microsoft invented switcher (Score:2)
Using Alt+Tab to change windows existed earlier, but in all versions I ever saw it just changed between opened windows, you had to use the mouse to get at iconized windows. So I think even the idea of having a keystroke that selects a possibly iconized window is a MicroSoft invention, this is vastly more important than just a pop-up window of large icons (personally I don't understand why they did not copy the taskba
Re:Microsoft invented switcher (Score:2)
Re:From Proteron to Apple (Score:2, Interesting)
Great marketing ploy by LiteSwitch (Score:5, Interesting)
1.) Panther is a bit steep right now at $129 and Jaguar is doing just great for now.
2.) They've never heard of LiteSwitchX until now.
3.) They've now downloaded LiteSwitchX and are considering shelling out $15 for it.
I'm not saying the fellow doesn't think his idea's been ripped and burned to the Panther CD, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't think about it being a great marketing ploy for free advertising before he wrote it as well.
Re:Great marketing ploy by LiteSwitch (Score:2)
Re:Not a bad night's work (Score:2)
Open Letter to /. (Score:5, Funny)
Open letters are both extremely obnoxious and grossly ineffective.
If you feel the need to write an open letter, please seek professional medical help. If your initials are "ESR", or if you are a party to the SCO lawsuit, please unplug your computer and hang yourself with the cord.
Thank you,
Near-pixel duplication? (Score:5, Informative)
As a former LiteSwitch user, I can say with some confidence that the window is not a "near-pixel" duplication. There are similar concepts in both cases, to be sure. The background of the switcher is transparent with rounded corners, but this can hardly be called a ripoff; the style is consistent with Apple's brightness and volume indicators, which have been a part of OSX since 10.0. Apple can't be blamed for UI consistency on that score.
The app titles are in Lucida Grande Bold in both LSX and OSX, colored white with a black drop shadow. Again, this is just a matter of UI consistency; Apple uses this very same font on desktops, and has since 10.0. In fact, this appears to be intended as Apple's standard font for text on top of any dark-colored UI element; the white text is controlled by a hidden preference "com.apple.Finder.hasDarkDesktop" (this was true in 10.0 at least).
The application icons are arranged in a horizontal row in LSX and OSX. Frankly, no other layout would make sense; Apple can hardly be blamed for this one.
Both LSX and OSX highlight the active app's icon by surrounding it with a differently-colored box. Aside from there being no other sensible way to highlight the icon in such an environment, it is worth noting that the boxes look different; LSX uses a dark box solid white border, while OSX uses a light box with no border but rounded corners, again more consistent with the style. Note that Proteron's implementation is closer to the look of the Windows application switcher, which predates both LSX and OSX.
Both OSX and LSX print the title of the currently selected application. LSX prints it centered at the bottom of the window, while OSX prints it under the application's icon. It's arguable which of these is better UI -points can be made both ways- but again, OSX is more consistent with Aqua, LSX is more consistent with Windows.
Panther's application switcher is not a duplication of LSX's functionality. For one thing, LSX actually goes significantly beyond what Panther's switcher does; if it's a copy, then it is a poor one except in terms of aesthetics. For another, although they look similar -more a testament to LSX's attempts to remain consistent with Aqua than Apple's attempts to rip them off- they are not the same. Some of the differences had to have taken some real effort to write, above and beyond any sort of cut/paste job.
Finally, I suppose, we should take a quick look at the history of LSX. LSX began life as a part of GoMac, which was nothing more or less than a Start Menu implementation for Mac OS 8. Not a bad implementation, either; they even added in support for control strip modules to replace Windows' system tray modules. However, this app copied the Win9X Start menu almost down to the pixel; they used Apple's system font and a Mac OS logo in place of the Windows logo, but other than this the resemblance was more than just uncanny. Later on, Proteron would develop an application switcher as part of the shareware GoMac, which they later duplicated in the freeware LiteSwitch as a kind of teaser for GoMac.
Either way, this kind of application switcher is not a new concept, and Proteron should know that better than anyone. If Apple is to credit the original developers, then they should credit the original developers. I'm sure Microsoft ripped the concept off from somewhere, but whoever it was, it wasn't Proteron. Apple and Proteron have both ripped this one off.
The comparison to Karelia's Watson is, frankly, borderline disgusting. At least Watson could legitimately claim to have come up with a new concept and interface; Proteron -at least as far as common features between LSX and OSX goes- just Aquafied a longtime feature of Windows. LSX did other things, but these don't seem to have been duplicated. I don't agree with everything Karelia has said about the Watson situation either, but they had a much better claim than Proteron does.
Re:Near-pixel duplication? (Score:4, Informative)
The brightness and volume indicators were introduced in 10.1, other than that... well said.
Re:Near-pixel duplication? (Score:2)
Re:Near-pixel duplication? (Score:2)
The pot calling the kettle black (Score:5, Insightful)
If you look on Proteron's site here [proteron.com] stated in really large type is "Dear Apple: You forgot some important features" and showing in particular the "switch and hide others" feature. This is pretty funny unto itself, but you see the entire design of the Proteron site is completely ripped off from Apple!
Was this just a brilliant last minute stroke of inspiration, or planned publicity stunt? Either way it's well earned and well deserved. Bless you Proteron and I hope everyone buys a copy of their MaxMenu's.
So, "switch and hide others"? I'd love to see this as part of Apple's Switch Advertising Campaign? I'd love to make Windows disappear!
Re:The pot calling the kettle black (Score:1)
Re:The pot calling the kettle black (Score:3, Insightful)
You'd think they'd point out (Score:2, Informative)
The front page (Score:3, Funny)
Seems like adding those features just responds to that message.
Re:The front page (Score:2)
Yeah, kinda funny how proteron wants it both ways, hmm?
Oh and I see they still have "Mpegger" for sale. Yeah, just in case anyone's still using System 7. Sheesh.
Serves the Sharecropper right. (Score:4, Insightful)
Not certain what the big deal is (Score:5, Insightful)
For example:
DiscBurner
The Command-tab thing
Safari
TextEdit
DiscUtility
And so on. For each of these, there are commercial variations which are, should you need the features, better. You can always buy Toast, LightSwitch, OmniWeb, BBEdit, DiscWarrior and so on.
Is this really a big deal? LightSwitch is *better* than the built-in. I paid for it. Toast is better in some ways than DiscBurner -- I paid for it.
As far as I can tell, Apple's doing us a service. Basic versions of useful ustilities *come* with the system. Should you decide you need better, *pay* for something better from a third party.
Nobody screams when an OS comes with a text editor. We just buy a batter one, or download a good freeware.
Move along now, nothing to see here.
Re:Not certain what the big deal is (Score:3, Insightful)
OS X has much better built-in media burning than an alot of other OSes (i.e. Windows), but I too purchased Toast since I wanted more (and the latest version kicks some serious butt!). No one is going to pay money for an OS without getting some decent built-in features.
All this ruckus over Cmd-Tab. The previous functionality (moving to apps in the doc) did pretty much the
Action GoMac? (Score:3, Insightful)
I did, though, hear of Proteron in the Mac OS X 10.1 or so days. And I used their free version of LiteSwitch. In fact, I used it until Friday when I installed Panther. Of course 10.2 made Cmd-Tab not work, trying to force you to upgrade to the paid version of LiteSwitch. But a nice, little, free Haxie took care of that -- free versions kept on chugging along.
I prefer to have the built in version. I wish no ill will toward Proteron, but I do hope they grow up.
We, Proteron, shall be "pot"... (Score:3, Insightful)
Not that I'm pro-Microsoft, or anti-Proteron. I used LiteSwitch back in my OS 9 days, but Fried Christ on a Stick, don't demand credit for something that you copied from another OS in the first place.
Hi MOM (Score:2)
To suggest that these guys came up with something unique makes no sense at all. (Unless you're so anti-Microsoft that you never used Office for Mac, which not too many Mac fans were in the OS 7-8-9 days.)
Wah. (Score:1)
Missing one blatent Apple ripoff in that list... (Score:1)
Re:Missing one blatent Apple ripoff in that list.. (Score:2)
I sympathize with these developers for their interest in writing little (and not so little) utility apps just as in the good old shareware days.
But it does seem increasingly anachronistic. Who, after paying $129/year for OS X, wants to go and plop $15 here and there for tiny enhancements?
The economics of a modern consumer os argues against this practice. When you're paying regularly for an os upgrade, you come to expect Apple will be on top of
It's simply business (Score:2)
In the business world, one fundamental risk is that as soon as the public is aware of your product, one test of the worth of your efforts is if people still come to you or end up adopting the idea for themselves. If the idea is simple and easily re-implemented elsewhere, then basing a business model on it is nearly suicidal (i.e., it is a natural commodity!). At this point, if you can't compete on price, then, well, your only profit is experience.
Using software patents to defend such a business model is
Let OS X be usable without 3rd party apps (Score:2, Interesting)
I think the pattern here with Watson and then LiteSwitch X has some interesting parallels to Linux vs. Unix, except w
To quote Jean-Louis: Get over it. (Score:5, Interesting)
To summarize his points, the platform is made richer by creative people writing system enhancements, but don't be surprised if Apple (or any other system vendor) provides those enhancements in a future version of the OS; just move on to another good idea.
If it isn't patented or copyrighted, tough luck (Score:1)
Eh? (Score:1)
LiteSwitch X is spyware (Score:2)
Re:LiteSwitch X is spyware (Score:1)
Um... would you care to substantiate that "rumor"? Repeating a rumor doesn't make it true.
- Peter
Re:LiteSwitch X is spyware (Score:2)
Semi OT - Cool thing to do with the task-switcher (Score:2)
Hit the "H" key to hide the selected app
or the "Q" key to quit it and still keep the palette open (as long as the command key is held).
Why Apple Shouldn't Give Credit (Score:5, Insightful)
If Apple says publicly at the launch of Mac OS X 10.3, "We've got this excellent new switcher behavior, coopted entirely from the hard work of Proteron's LiteSwitchX utility," That might make Proteron feel good. It might even be a fair gesture. However... if Proteron then took Apple to court, they'd have a great big leg to stand on when they said Apple ripped them off.
I don't know if that kind of rip off is illegal or not, but Apple would have handed them at least a part of the court case. So they can't make that little gesture.
Too bad. Whatever. Move on, whiny Proteron dude.
Nice classic whining (Score:2, Insightful)
Folks, very few "features" that are being added by third parties are new in concept. Operating Systems companies like Microsoft and Apple have years ahead of the third parties in testing and design theory allowing them to pick and choose when the right time to introduce such features or not presents itself.
Comp
proteron should whine (Score:1)
Trying to include the following two UI functions in the dock was a screw-up by Apple from the start.
1. (primary) App-switching
2. (primary) "Easy-access app & file repository"
This is a fact, proven by Apple's _replacements_ for both implementations: (1: the new Panther app-swx, and 2: the new Panther (finder
Windows (Score:1)
It was nice to make an app that mimicked this behaviour for the mac, but if one company can share concepts, then why not Apple?
And credits? The fact that Apple hired the actual programmer of the feature isn't credit enough?
If this open letter is a marketing stunt, I'd do a slight rewrite, a bit more upbeat, a bit less beaten up. Would still get the sa
Mausenscheiss (Score:2)
Daring Fireball (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Sounds like Microsoft's 'Stacker' problem. (Score:5, Informative)
Stac vs Microsoft was a patent case. First, Stac sued Microsoft claiming Doublespace infringed on some of the compression patents Stac held. Microsoft were found to have unintentionally infringed on Stac's patents.
Then Microsoft sued back because Stac reverse-engineered some undocumented MS-DOS 6.x trickery that allowed the drivers for compressed drives to be loaded automagically and into HMA. Stac were found to have "misappropriated trade secrets".
Basically, it's a textbook example of why Software Patents Are Bad.
A better comparison might be with Netscape vs IE-in-Windows, except that a web browser isn't really an operating system function (that is, most users see it as an application) [...]
This might have been true before the mid 90s. Today a web browser is basically considered core functionality - and even by the late 90s when Win98 came out it was expected by most.
"Everyone" was bundling browser apps with their OS in the 95 - 98 timeframe. Plonking a browser component into the OS, as Microsoft eventually did with Win98, was a pretty logical step to take once they realised MSN had bombed and the WWW was the future. Even without Netscape's foolish grandstanding and goading they would have done it.