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Why is it called the recycle bin!?

suneohair

suneohair

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Aug 27, 2006
2,136
0
So I was sitting here thinking about how my physical trash can looks like the Mac OS trash icon and how lots of people here have the same trash cans. :p

Anyhow, then I thought, "Wow, Windows calls it the recycle bin. But what is being recycled? Well... nothing... What a silly name!"

Sorry if others have had this epiphany. But I just have to wonder why the heck it is called the Recycle Bin. Unless Microsoft downloads your data for reuse.... :eek:
 
suneohair said:
So I was sitting here thinking about how my physical trash can looks like the Mac OS trash icon and how lots of people here have the same trash cans. :p

Anyhow, then I thought, "Wow, Windows calls it the recycle bin. But what is being recycled? Well... nothing... What a silly name!"

Sorry if others have had this epiphany. But I just have to wonder why the heck it is called the Recycle Bin. Unless Microsoft downloads your data for reuse.... :eek:
Click to expand...

you are recyleing the bits.
 
once upon a time windows stole the idea (big suprise right?) of a trash can from apple... apple sued so microsoft had to change it!
 
A blonde walks into a computer shop and asks for a curtain.
The sales rep asks "What do you need the curtain for?"
She replied "I've got windows."

:D:apple:
 
pipesterdp said:
once upon a time windows stole the idea (big suprise right?) of a trash can from apple... apple sued so microsoft had to change it!
Click to expand...

babyjenniferLB said:
you are recyleing the bits.
Click to expand...

Both of these have some truthful elements.

I don't know if Apple sued Microsoft, but I'm sure Apple sent a letter to Microsoft with copies of their copyright certificates attached;) Microsoft probably backed down from there (as it is a fight that is very hard to win).

However, when it comes to "Trash" versus "Recycle Bin" there is a small difference. In Windows, the Recycle Bin only takes files and the like. Programs must be removed via the Control Panel. Otherwise, however, Mircosoft simply needed to find another name for what is essentially Apple's idea. In fact, I still hear most Windows refer to it as "the Trash" even though it has been the Recycle Bin for a very long time.
 
pipesterdp said:
once upon a time windows stole the idea (big suprise right?) of a trash can from apple... apple sued so microsoft had to change it!
Click to expand...

It has nothing to do with a lawsuit, but the thought is correct. Just as Microsoft put the desktop icons on the left side of the desktop instead of the right, they called the trash the recycle bin to differentiate Windows from the Mac. It's just one example of the many silly things Microsoft does in a futile effort to appear to have original ideas.

The recycle bin makes little sense as a concept, unless you have a geek awareness of bits and bytes -- which of course few users do. Apple also spent quite a bit of effort determining that placing icons on the right side of the desktop has cognitive advantages. Microsoft swapped them to the left just to be different, and because they don't care about human engineering.
 
IJ Reilly said:
Apple also spent quite a bit of effort determining that placing icons on the right side of the desktop has cognitive advantages. Microsoft swapped them to the left just to be different, and because they don't care about human engineering.
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, what are some of those advantages?
 
CalBoy said:
Out of curiosity, what are some of those advantages?
Click to expand...

Say, are you following me around? :)

I had to know somebody would ask that question. I don't honestly recall, but I do remember a lot discussion about this, particularly after Windows 95 was released. The answer may be in Andy Hertzfeld's book or Jef Raskin's book, both of which I have. I'll look it up when I get a chance.
 
IJ Reilly said:
Say, are you following me around? :)
Click to expand...
I did post in this thread first...if anything, you're stalking me:eek::)

IJ Reilly said:
I had to know somebody would ask that question. I don't honestly recall, but I do remember a lot discussion about this, particularly after Windows 95 was released. The answer may be in Andy Hertzfeld's book or Jef Raskin's book, both of which I have. I'll look it up when I get a chance.
Click to expand...

:cool: Once my month of midterms is over, I'll read over the dissertation you're sure to write me:p
 
northernmunky said:
Since I'm not north American I don't use the word 'trash' and I agree it is a bit annoying to see... so why not rename it to simply 'The Bin' :p

http://www.macworld.com/2006/02/secrets/marchmacosxhints/index2.php
Click to expand...

I'll reply to my own post....
Just tried it... works a treat! Very easy to do although those Terminal commands didn't work for me. Found it easier just to go to Dock.app, right click and 'Show Package Contents' and copy the file to the desktop and edit in TextEdit.

Seriously... the average human being does not know how to use Terminal!
 
in Windows, open the Trash can (or the Recycle Bin, or whatever you call it)
then right-click on one of the items, you'll see an option to "restore" it to its original place.

the same thing can't be done with the Mac's Trash (at least for now). say, you deleted a bunch of files and realize you've made a mistake. now it'll be a pain in your arse to try to remember which file goes to which place.
================

people've been bragging about MS steals ideas from Apple (or Xerox, or whatever). but ive never seen anyone bragging about how the Mac's mice now have left and right buttons.

whatabout the new bt keyboard with the number pad trimmed down? i thought the first keyboard to have that feature was the dinovo keyboard from Logitech.

all linux distros have their trash cans. why nobody talks about it?

i heard that Leopard comes with a feature called "Space" or "Spaces" or whatever. i thought this's been on all linux since forever? and now this guy who wrote "virtue desktop" has to stop his project because of "Spaces". sounds like how Internet Explorer kills Netscape to me.
 
northernmunky said:
Since I'm not north American I don't use the word 'trash' and I agree it is a bit annoying to see... so why not rename it to simply 'The Bin' :p

http://www.macworld.com/2006/02/secrets/marchmacosxhints/index2.php
Click to expand...

I remember the "Wastebasket" in the British localised version of the Mac OS.

I believe this got "trashed" for 8.6 or 9.0, one of the two.

I have now changed it in the Dock thanks to the instructions. I also changed it in the finder by modifying /System/Library/Core Services/Finder/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/Localiable.strings.
 
phuong said:
in Windows, open the Trash can (or the Recycle Bin, or whatever you call it)
then right-click on one of the items, you'll see an option to "restore" it to its original place.
Click to expand...

Can't you just drag what's in your trash to whereever you want?
 
I have pondered over this question many a time, but have found no logical explanation. Maybe it's subliminal messaging made by Microsoft to make people think of them as a environmentally concerned company? Of course not.

I renamed it Trash on my old HP laptop anyway.
 
phuong said:
in Windows, open the Trash can (or the Recycle Bin, or whatever you call it)
then right-click on one of the items, you'll see an option to "restore" it to its original place.

the same thing can't be done with the Mac's Trash (at least for now). say, you deleted a bunch of files and realize you've made a mistake. now it'll be a pain in your arse to try to remember which file goes to which place.
Click to expand...

To be fair, you could do this on a mac until OS 9.


phuong said:
people've been bragging about MS steals ideas from Apple (or Xerox, or whatever). but ive never seen anyone bragging about how the Mac's mice now have left and right buttons.
Click to expand...

The invention is the mouse, not the amount of buttons :p Or if a door vendor adds a third lock to it by default, the guy that had 3 locks before can claim he is stealing his door idea (if that makes sense)?

phuong said:
whatabout the new bt keyboard with the number pad trimmed down? i thought the first keyboard to have that feature was the dinovo keyboard from Logitech.
Click to expand...

Just like every single Apple Laptop keyboard to date :)
By the way, if Logitech decided to come with a keyboard with just one shift and then Apple came with a single Shift design, they would be copying too? Just as in the mouse example, there is a limit as to what constitutes "feature stealing"

phuong said:
i heard that Leopard comes with a feature called "Space" or "Spaces" or whatever. i thought this's been on all linux since forever? and now this guy who wrote "virtue desktop" has to stop his project because of "Spaces". sounds like how Internet Explorer kills Netscape to me.
Click to expand...

I could give you half a point here. But:
Actually, many Unix flavors do come with this feature, it wasn't born in Linux. Apple is just late to implement it, but it is in its OS roots in some way. I think it would be unfair to claim they "copy" a feature from Unix if they run BSD, don't you think? :)

BTW, the example doesn't relate at all with the whole Explorer-Netscape thingy.
 
You would think with Apple making a move to Greener technology they would want to call it recycle bin. Whatever happened to caring about the environment? Computers feel the effect of global warming too you know...

Makes me want to switch back to Microsoft. At least Bill cares about the 3 R's.

Although Apple has 5 R's... weird.

ok... I am done for the night, you can put your produce down.
 
suneohair said:
So I was sitting here thinking about how my physical trash can looks like the Mac OS trash icon and how lots of people here have the same trash cans. :p

Anyhow, then I thought, "Wow, Windows calls it the recycle bin. But what is being recycled? Well... nothing... What a silly name!"

Sorry if others have had this epiphany. But I just have to wonder why the heck it is called the Recycle Bin. Unless Microsoft downloads your data for reuse.... :eek:
Click to expand...

I could say the same about the trash can in OS X. Everyone knows it's rubbish not trash :).

Bring back the Wastebasket.
 
IJ Reilly said:
It has nothing to do with a lawsuit...
Click to expand...

Actually, it does. Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft Corporation, 35 F.3d 1435 (9th Cir. 1994)

"Everyone knows" how it worked out...Apple sued Microsoft claiming that Windows violated Apple copyrights* and lost, right?

Right...except that Apple did win one minor point. HP was also sued at the same time, and the judge ruled that the design of the Trash can icon in HP's GUI was similar enough.

When Microsoft made its trash can for Win95, it made darned sure that it couldn't be confused with Apple's.

(*Yes, it was a copyright suit, not a patent suit. Yes, I know the difference. Please read the caselaw if you really care.)
 
portent said:
Actually, it does. Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft Corporation, 35 F.3d 1435 (9th Cir. 1994)

"Everyone knows" how it worked out...Apple sued Microsoft claiming that Windows violated Apple copyrights* and lost, right?

Right...except that Apple did win one minor point. HP was also sued at the same time, and the judge ruled that the design of the Trash can icon in HP's GUI was similar enough.

When Microsoft made its trash can for Win95, it made darned sure that it couldn't be confused with Apple's.

(*Yes, it was a copyright suit, not a patent suit. Yes, I know the difference. Please read the caselaw if you really care.)
Click to expand...

The "look and feel" lawsuit was dismissed, mainly because Apple had licensed elements of the Mac GUI to Microsoft several years earlier. Microsoft did not have to change anything they were doing or planning on doing with Windows as a result.

And yes, I really do care.
 
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