Originally posted by mproud
What people seem forget when trying to make up a pretend Apple device is that they mock the Aqua GUI way too much.
Apple is very picky - a purist and total control freak, as evidenced by its return from computer licensing, its continual abandonment of old technology and adoption of new ones, Apple Stores, and leaving of MWNY. They want to control every aspect and make the Macintosh a truly unique and rich experience.
So a quick Q and A:
Apple will not rip off the Aqua scheme for any smaller devices because it would:
a) Probably not emulate every aspect of the OS on the new device
b) Not clearly identify the differences between the two devices
c) Confuse users in the experience
d) Distract users in the original purpose and context of the device
And the answer is...
All of the above!
Apple will not take something they already have and apply it to a completely different project to be done way poorly. Apple is not that kind of company.
You will not see Apple put Aqua on another device, or anything that even REMOTELY looks like Aqua unless Apple first decides Aqua is dead on Mac OS X, and even then, Apple will probably find some better thing to do by that point.
However, one thing Apple may copy (as they currently do) is the general style of the product (i.e. the white/opaqueness of the iMac attributed to the iPod). This gives the device a nice welcome and family feel to existing products of these qualities, and calls out hey, I work with other things that look like me! So consumers will be able to (hopefully) associate quality products by their style, and take comfort in their synthesis.
THIS is what Apple is.
* Copy hardware style? Probably.
* Copy the user interface? Hell no.
