Microsoft official admits Windows 7 design inspired by Mac OS X

Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
When it looked to redesign its dominant operating system after the struggles of Windows Vista, Microsoft reportedly turned to Apple's Mac OS X for the "look and feel" of Windows 7.



Simon Aldous, partner group manager with Microsoft, told PCR that the graphical style of Windows 7 -- which he calls "Vista on steroids" -- was inspired by the look of Apple's Mac OS X. The new Windows operating system launched in October.



"One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it's very graphical and easy to use," Aldous said. "What we?ve tried to do with Windows 7 -- whether it's traditional format or in a touch format -- is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics. We've significantly improved the graphical user interface, but it's built on that very stable core Vista technology, which is far more stable than the current Mac platform, for instance."



One of the more obvious similarities between Windows 7 and Mac OS X is the new taskbar. By default, the Windows 7 taskbar acts much like the dock that has been in OS X, combining program applications for both launching and accessing open windows, with only one icon per running application. And like Expose with the OS X dock, Windows 7 allows users to glimpse open windows on the taskbar before selecting them with Aero Peek.



The similarities between Windows 7 and Apple's latest operating system upgrade, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, were noted by The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg in his review of the Microsoft software. He said he believes that the Mac OS is still the superior operating system, but only slightly.



Snow Leopard had a head-start on Windows 7, launching in late August to positive reviews that praised the software's performance improvements and bargain $29 price. Consumers also responded positively to Mac OS X 10.6, with initial sales doubling that of its predecessor, Leopard, and coming in four times higher than Tiger.



For more comparing and contrasting Windows 7 with Snow Leopard, read the AppleInsider Windows 7 vs. Mac OS X Snow Leopard series.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 229
    Kind of pathetic...but at least they are honest.
  • Reply 2 of 229
    In honor of our nation's veterans on Veteran's Day, I can comment quoting Gomer Pyle, USMC...



    "Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!..."
  • Reply 3 of 229
    zunxzunx Posts: 620member
    Microsoft, do HUMANITY a favor: get out of business, so that all people can enjoy the Mac!
  • Reply 4 of 229
    kaboom headshot.
  • Reply 5 of 229
    Microsoft's R&D Dept...



  • Reply 6 of 229
    erunnoerunno Posts: 225member
    One detail where Microsoft actually ended being better than the original are jump lists as contrary to the OS X pendant they also work when the application is not running. I usually use them to start an application with a specific recently used document which saves a few clicks. People are also set in their ways as I've experienced two installations by different people where the new task bar was reconfigured to work as closely as the old one did despite the OS X inspired design being far superior imo.



    Another detail which I wouldn't mind Apple porting over to 10.7 is that on Windows 7 there's a visual indicator that multiple windows have been collapsed into the icon. On OS X currently you pretty much have to remember it and having to press the mouse button for some time to make them visible in Expose is not as elegant as selecting them directly in the Aero previews with just hovering over the taskbar icon.
  • Reply 7 of 229
    "We've significantly improved the graphical user interface, but it's built on that very stable core Vista technology, which is far more stable than the current Mac platform, for instance."



    Honest, but still delusional.
  • Reply 8 of 229
    al_bundyal_bundy Posts: 1,525member
    big deal



    one time i read a book about famous buildings throughout history and every single one from the Parthenon to the Temple Mount has it's roots in other buildings nearby. Not one was an original design.



    everyone always borrows from someone else
  • Reply 9 of 229
    [QUOTE=but it's built on that very stable core Vista technology, which is far more stable than the current Mac platform, for instance."[/QUOTE]





    I call BS on this statement made by MS...
  • Reply 10 of 229
    Hmmm.. I see Windows7 looking more like Linux than MacOSX.

    The taskbar doesn't look anything like Mac's dock.
  • Reply 11 of 229
    erunnoerunno Posts: 225member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DCno10 View Post


    Honest, but still delusional.





    I've experienced both kernel panics on 10.6 as well as total freezes on Windows 7 so from my subjective point of view they are both equally guilty. Microsoft in fact *does* have the more modern graphic stack with drivers running in user space which allows for recoverable driver crashes, updating without reboot and switching graphic cards without logging out first (which I really expected to make a debut in 10.6 which it didn't to my disappointment).
  • Reply 12 of 229
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    ... very stable core Vista technology, which is far more stable than the current Mac platform, for instance."



    When someone makes a statement like that, shouldn't they be asked: How do you make that claim? Can you prove it? Has it been shown?
  • Reply 13 of 229
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zunx View Post


    Microsoft, do HUMANITY a favor: get out of business, so that all people can enjoy the Mac!



    If everyone wanted to have a Mac they could simply buy one. Microsoft has nothing to do with Apple ownership.
  • Reply 14 of 229
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    When someone makes a statement like that, shouldn't they be asked: How do you make that claim? Can you prove it? Has it been shown?



    I agree the statement is stupid and I'm not sure there really is a way to prove something like that.
  • Reply 15 of 229
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by al_bundy View Post


    big deal



    one time i read a book about famous buildings throughout history and every single one from the Parthenon to the Temple Mount has it's roots in other buildings nearby. Not one was an original design.



    everyone always borrows from someone else



    Art & architecture are open source and anyone can borrow from anyone else



    However, having an R&D department that spends billions and in the end they have to mimic the competition is embarrassing
  • Reply 16 of 229
    Think about it.



    He just admitted the competition is "fantastic." I don't know about you, but he just did Apple's marketing for them. And he was asked about Windows 7, not Apple. If that weren't bad enough, he also admitted that they tried to "create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics."



    Double-whammy. He basically admitted that MS are ripoff artists. Way to feed in to the classic MS stereotypes, which apparently have been true all along.



    It seems that every time an MS employee speaks (especially Ballmer - the CEO, even more scary), they make Apple look great. Even the Laptop Hunter ads admitted subtly that Macs were the most desirable product.



    "What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 -- whether it's traditional format or in a touch format -- is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics."



    So then WTH is the point of Windows 7 when you can get the Real Thing with a Mac??





    Smooth move, Ace.











  • Reply 17 of 229
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    Think about it.



    He just admitted the competition is "fantastic." I don't know about you, but he just did Apple's marketing for them. And he was asked about Windows 7.



    I would quote his statement in the next keynote if I were SJ
  • Reply 18 of 229
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    Think about it.



    He just admitted the competition is "fantastic." I don't know about you, but he just did Apple's marketing for them. And he was asked about Windows 7.



    It seems that every time an MS employee speaks (especially Ballmer - the CEO, even more scary), they make Apple look great. Even the Laptop Hunter ads admitted subtly that Macs were the most desirable product.



    Smooth move, Ace.



    Actually if you read what he was saying he was trying to point out that while Windows 7 has the look of OSX its far more stable. However if you have used Windows 7 you would know it actually doesn't look like OSX at all. It has far more of a Linux look.
  • Reply 19 of 229
    I just wish I could enjoy the Mac OS X GUI on a nice shiny, quad-core, 27 inch iMac. *looks in wallet, sighs.*



    I guess I'll have to "settle" for my 8 month old 24 incher.
  • Reply 20 of 229
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    I would quote his statement in the next keynote if I were SJ



    Whats he going to quote the fact that someone said it has the look of OSX but is far more stable? Yeah that would go over well.
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