Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Microsoft Internally Worked on a Mac OS X Aqua Inspired Windows XP Theme

maflynn said:
I know seriously, it's not like Apple visited Xerox and copied the idea of the mouse, gui and what not. They would never do that

And then inventing the MP3 player :oops:
Click to expand...

Clunky mouse that only moved in two directions, x and y. Palettes did not float on top of other palettes. Etc. Apple knew how to take the tech and improve it to make it useful
 
  • Like
Reactions: Madd the Sane
In Windows XP and Vista, with a couple of clicks you could disable the shipping theme and run it looking like Windows 2000.
 
AZREOSpecialist said:
Can nobody do anything without Apple doing it first? Jeez... the creative bankruptcy of other tech companies is palpable and the nerve with which they blatantly steal the IP of others is criminal.
Click to expand...

It's not about can do it first, it's about who can do it better. Prime example? The tablet/iPad.

microsoft-apple-surface.jpg


Background: https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-the-tablet-2013-5
 
Apple released Aqua in 2000 where this says Microsoft developed it in 2000 so that sounds like Apple was first.

Didn’t Microsoft just delay anyway and make Aero.
 
ArPe said:
In Windows XP and Vista, with a couple of clicks you could disable the shipping theme and run it looking like Windows 2000.
Click to expand...

And when you did that… boom!!!… your old dog of a PC suddenly got all its pep back.

Vista gave me freaking headache. I would always reset the machines to being Windows 2000 look. So much less memory overhead. (And yes, it was killing system RAM on the old HPs my nonprofit employer used.)
 
Eric Schmidt sat on board of Apple during development of iPhone. Heard everything. Quit before launch of iPhone and shortly thereafter Google had its own "smartphone" with Android running on 3rd party HW. I'm sure it was just a coincidence.....
 
Last edited:
AZREOSpecialist said:
Can nobody do anything without Apple doing it first? Jeez... the creative bankruptcy of other tech companies is palpable and the nerve with which they blatantly steal the IP of others is criminal.
Click to expand...

Of course the very premise of the original Mac operating system (originally Lisa) was famously "inspired by" Steve Jobs visit to Xerox where he got a good look at their Alto computer's mouse and graphical operating system...but I mean outside of that very foundational copying you may be right.
 
almondwine said:
Apple almost never does anything first. This is a well understood and well documented tenant of their business model. Sheesh.
Click to expand...
That is not it, is it? It’s not about creating a product.
sracer said:
It was an experimental theme and not released to the public. As for Apple doing it first, Apple rarely does things first. They didn't produce the first laptop, mp3 player, nor smartphone, nor tablet. Their offerings weren't even the first successful ones.
Click to expand...
I don’t think this is about that, I think it’s about The design of the product in which case the article shows how inspirational Apple is to other companies...
 
That just doesn't look good... But I do remember some of the themes, from back then, when using Stardock, so maybe there weren't that bad... 😅
 
I had a better looking OS X Skin on my Windows 2000 PC back in my early teens. I used Stardock WindowBlinds, which is apparently still a thing. And I would spend hours browsing wincustomize.com, which is apparently also still a thing. I loved the Mac back then, but didn't have the money to get one for myself. But we had some in the labs at school that I would use all the time. I even installed some utility I can't remember the name of that replaced the Start Button with the Mac's dock and I would find Mac looking glossy/glassy icons online to replace program icons, and when I couldn't find them I would make my own in Photoshop and upload them to the sites.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Madd the Sane
Haha. I remember a long time ago before getting into the hackintosh game, I used to run all kinds of fishyware theming apps to make Windows look like OSX.
 
I like how the source code conveniently leaked...couldn't be that they are trying to force the holdouts to upgrade could it? Yeah? Well, there are businesses that depend on antiquated software to run the hardware at the heart of the operation. This is shameful and despicable.
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: Atlantico, Shirasaki and Maconplasma
sw1tcher said:
You're kidding, right? Apple wasn't the first for a lot of things. Apple tends to improve on things and makes them easier to use.

GUI? Nope.
Personal Computer? Nope.
Portable computer / laptop? Nope.
Portable music player? Nope
Smartphone? Nope
Phablet? Nope
Tablet computer? Nope
Smartwatch? Nope
Smart speaker? Nope
Smart TV / Smart TV device? Nope
Wireless earbuds? Nope
Streaming music subscription service? Nope
Streaming tv service? Nope
Click to expand...

What do you consider to be the first personal computer? The MITS Altair 8800 sometimes gets the nod, but it was not all that personal. I trained on it with 6 dumb terminals attached. It took me 7 minutes to boot it from switches and 8 inch floppy disks. Microsoft BASIC was available as that's what Bill Gates created on it.
 
ArPe said:
In Windows XP and Vista, with a couple of clicks you could disable the shipping theme and run it looking like Windows 2000.
Click to expand...
Same for Windows 7. Microsoft only removes classic theme from Windows 8.
 
I miss the early looks of OSX interface. After 10.6 it all felt the same and dark and drab.
Be great if a New version could being back to the look of your fav OS
 
Designers usually put together something quick to try or show that new features....what’s the big deal?
 
progx said:
“Redmond, start your photocopiers!” That comes to mind, although that slogan didn’t come until 10.2 Jaguar’s launch.
Click to expand...

Bertrand Serlet had his fun along with the rest of Apple's Snr brass. But trust it's been a back n forth reality since the Macintosh ;)

miniroll32 said:
Same code, different skin ;)
Click to expand...

You mean same Kernel and different code in the skin to run the specific theme. Theme is devised of code at it's core regardless of what you visually see.
 
maflynn said:
You completely missesd the point, I was responding to another member who said this:
Can nobody do anything without Apple doing it first?

So I was pointing out that most of apple's successes were not for being the first out the door. Others have stated similar, the tablet, the mouse, the computer the gui, mp3, smartphones. These all existed yet the other member was foolishly saying apple does things first
Click to expand...


Normally I would agree with you. But in this case, the article is about design, not technical invention. And for many, if not most, of the inventions noted as not being Apple firsts, the Apple DESIGN absolutely revolutionized the product category, and set the benchmark for how future competitive products in that category should look and feel.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maconplasma
I’m sure MS tried a number of variations. I’m also sure Apple over the years has tried a number of (publicly) unseen themes. I wouldn’t be that surprised if some older Mac OS X version (like Jaguar) had a win 2000 style theme even if it was just a prank to pull on one of the other UI devs. :)
 
Apple made a mistake by ditching the Aqua interface and letting go of Scott Forstall.

The adversity will be gradually showing up.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: PickUrPoison
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back