[budster101]

RIPPED from the headlines of MacNN...

"MARCH 07, 2005 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Nearly a decade ago, just a few months after Microsoft shipped Windows 95, I asked Bill Gates if it was a conscious decision in the development of that product to give Windows more of a Mac look and feel. Of course I knew he'd say it wasn't, but I couldn't resist asking.

"There was no goal even to compete with Macintosh," Gates proclaimed. "We don't even think of Macintosh as a competitor."

That was a crock, so I pressed the issue a little. I asked him how he accounted for the widespread perception that Windows 95 looked a lot like Mac 88, and whether the similarity was just a coincidence. I didn't expect a sobbing confession of mimicry, but I thought it would be cool to see how he'd respond. Surprisingly enough, Gates shifted gears and became more forthcoming.

"Some of the things in Windows 95 the Mac had earlier," he acknowledged, citing long file names, plug-and-play capabilities and built-in peer-to-peer networking. You know that had to be tough for him, so when he proclaimed that "there's a ton of things even in Windows 3.1 that the Mac doesn't have, that someday they'll probably add to their system, too," I didn't have the heart to call him on it when he didn't cite any examples."...

More here: (Not much though)

Computerworld article link

[mitchell_pgh]

I think they have more important things then go after the 3-4% that Apple has. Like make an OS that isn't a joke.

[olePigeon]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
I think they have more important things then go after the 3-4% that Apple has. Like make an OS that isn't a joke.

When you command 90% of the market, does it matter? A lot of people have fallen into a "Microsoft only" solution with no way out. They take the crap and ask for more.

[ort888]

Is this from some sort of timewarp? This is 10 years old.

Seriously though. M$ needs Apple around so they can claim they don't have a monopoly. It's in there best interest to make sure Apple stays right where they are.

I think Apple scares them a lot less then Linux at this point.

[TubaMuffins]

in (i believe the most recent) Fortune magazine, there is an interesting article on Apple. It also says that Micro$oft's original $150 million investment in Apple stock is now worth over $1 billion. So i think Gates has a lot of interest in seeing Apple thrive believing that at this time they are not a threat to Micro$soft.

[Millennium]

Originally posted by olePigeon:
When you command 90% of the market, does it matter? A lot of people have fallen into a "Microsoft only" solution with no way out. They take the crap and ask for more.

It's not that they have no way out, because except in a few small fields (those with no Mac programs covering the field at all) this isn't actually true. However, they believe they have no way out, and this has always been the real genius of Microsoft's marketing: pushing programs, not protocols, as "standards". These people don't understand the concept of interoperability, because Microsoft has convinced them that it is nothing but a myth.

[chabig]

The shares the Microsoft bought for $150 million in 1998 or so were sold a few years ago.

Chris

[TubaMuffins]

Originally posted by chabig:
The shares the Microsoft bought for $150 million in 1998 or so were sold a few years ago.

Chris

maybe i am interpreting it wrong

Fortune Magazine, Feb 21, 2005:
The two struck a deal in which Microsoft bought $150 million of Apple stock and promised to keep supplying Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer for the Mac, programs that made Apple's computers at least somewhat compatible with the PC world. (Microsoft's stake in Apple is now worth well over $1 billion.)

[Goldfinger]

Originally posted by TubaMuffins:
maybe i am interpreting it wrong

I think the article is wrong, as said the stock was sold AFAIK.

[Big Mac]

It was reported on various places that M$ sold its non-voting shares a few years back.

[ManOfSteal]

Bill Gates.

[kemuri]

He's kinda right, though.

I love Billy.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

i like the idea of bill gates being forced to use Windows for the rest of his life

[Truepop]

Originally posted by ort888:
I think Apple scares them a lot less then Linux at this point.

that's what I think too.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

Originally posted by Truepop:
that's what I think too.

actually, whats not to like about apple?

it's expensive, it's not a threat, it comes out with good ideas you can copy off of and when you do, 90% of people don't know apple enough that you stole it

i personally think there is room to co-exist. i know apple will never die. let losers and bitches use windows while you know where it's at


edit: i am a loser too because i am using windows for almost 6 months now...

[SSharon]

Originally posted by Apple Pro Underwear:
i like the idea of bill gates being forced to use Windows for the rest of his life

I never thought about it like that. I think I will sleep better knowing this though. His money can buy him a lot, but to have to use windows, uchhh.

[MilkmanDan]

But can all his money buy him love?

[Secret__Police]

Originally posted by MilkmanDan:
But can all his money buy him love?

I'm sure his wife Melinda loves Bill very much.

[Big Mac]

Originally posted by Secret__Police:
I'm sure his wife Melinda loves Bill very much.

Yeah, she adores his bills. . .

[ReggieX]

What did Win 3.1 have that was so special? I still had to go back to DOS and reboot with a custom autoexec.bat file to play games.

[budster101]

Originally posted by ReggieX:
What did Win 3.1 have that was so special? I still had to go back to DOS and reboot with a custom autoexec.bat file to play games.

I remember that. Also, messing with the config files to make bootup more efficient, blah, blah, blah... I hate fcuking Windows. DOS was so much better, and still is.