[Eug Wanker]

Microsoft dismisses Apple threat

With Apple's own next-gen OS, Tiger, widely expected to debut this month � almost a year before Longhorn's scheduled release � Apple execs have hinted they expect to be copycatted by Redmond rival.

Crossley said she expected technological crossovers but denied they would be deliberate.

"We do a load of research into what people want and funnily enough so does Apple � it's not hard to work it out... Will I be surprised if there are similarities? No."

In truth, I think both Apple and Microsoft copy each other to a certain extent these days, but Apple is the bigger UI innovator.

[AppleOptionFour]

It's a rationale that Microsoft has already put into effect when it recently announced the news that IE7 will debut before Longhorn.

YES! I can't wait for IE7. I hear its going gold master soon and has an intro movie also. Anyone got that link?

[JohnSmithXTREME]

"Funnily" is such an awful word.

[E's Lil Theorem]

"We're not happy about losing any market share," Crossley said. "We worry less about 'losing share' and more about what else we can get into... we want to do it all."

And that's the problem, in my opinion. They want to do so much that they do it all half-assed instead of concentrating on a few products and doing them well.

[Superchicken]

Microsoft's idea of researching what people want? An ADC membership

Why do you think they have the Mac BU... it's not to make Mac software that's just the guise... it's really to make sure they can have a copy of OS X without anyone getting suspicious...