Microsoft gives up trying and starts blatantly copying…
Written on December 11, 2006 by Josh Pigford and 90 people have commented
John Gruber just made quite an interesting post/find on his site about how Microsoft has straight copied Apple’s Workgroup Manager Icon.
Here’s a screenshot of Microsoft’s page with the icon:
The page this is on is here (click the Buy Now button).
Then check out the icon on Apple’s OS X Server page (towards the bottom).
This is way more than “inspiration” here. This is some kid at Microsoft going to the Apple site, saving the image to the Microsoft server, and then bragging to his boss that he just whipped up the icon. Pathetic.
UPDATE: It would seem Microsoft have swapped out the icon…what a surprise.
Richard Neal on December 11th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
Hm, it looks like the tilt is a bit different, that makes it okay, right?
Schlaeps on December 11th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
Wow… just wow.
treycranson on December 11th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
I’m not sure if this is the case, but previously when I would here someone stated that “those icons are Mac-ish” or “Windows stole those icons”, I figured out that neither group designed their own icons and most of the work was done by the same company, IconFactory. Since this single company is creating for both OSes, we have reason to believe that both will look similar and neither is copying.
One complaint I would have is using the same icon for two different things.
Andrew Creek on December 11th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
I’m no MS fan, but I find it hard to believe they would just steal something like that.
Jim on December 11th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
And both look like complete rip-offs of David Lanham’s Agua icon set… done a LONG time ago! Since he works for Iconfactory, I suppose he is responsible for the icon, but I can’t believe he wouldn’t change at least **something** about the icons before selling them to MS and Apple.
Jim on December 11th, 2006 at 1:53 pm
I guess I should say they were completely INSPIRED and heavily COPIED, not rip-offs.
Ed on December 11th, 2006 at 2:17 pm
I saw this on Gruber’s site also, but is there any confirmation that the Apple site did indeed use the icon before the M$ site.
james on December 11th, 2006 at 2:30 pm
(In reply to #4 Andrew)
Teach a college web design class, and see how students think any thing they find on the internet is their free depository of ideas and sadly, you’ll see how easily and often this happens as depicted above.
While i believe 99.99% of things in the world are derivatives, it is sad when a lack of originality or respect when representing a company or product or idea is taken.
Aaron on December 11th, 2006 at 2:48 pm
Workgroup Manager (from which the icon originates) has been in use in OS X Server since at least version 10.3. Placing it ahead of M$ by about 3 years. The icon hasn’t changed in the interim.
Aaorn on December 11th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
Aha, here we go. Wayback only shows from April 2004 which is 7 months after the release date…
http://tinyurl.com/yf9ja2
Alexey Rashevsky on December 11th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
It is normal practice :)
U can go to the http://europe.nokia.com/A4162309 and see iTunes icon
Commy bastard on December 11th, 2006 at 3:47 pm
I find it very easy to believe that microsoft would do something like this… :D
Joost on December 11th, 2006 at 4:09 pm
Indeed Nokia does it too. The most pathetic aspect is, that only Windows software is offered when you click the iTunes icon on the Nokia website! Tragic.
Marco (Griffith) Jardim on December 11th, 2006 at 5:03 pm
I’m not a Microsoft fan, however, lately they’ve seem to have been adopting standard, or should I say, more popular icons like the RSS Feed icon in Internet Explorer 7. Perhaps this is just another move similar to that.
“Blatantly copying” is a very negative to put, if we aren’t informed about it. However, it could just be a better standardization between two different platforms. Then again, what you’re saying is more likely. Therefore, it is, in fact, a blatant copy.
Nick on December 11th, 2006 at 9:07 pm
I agree with Jim. It means Apple is influencing more people than we think, even the great MS who rarely innovates anyway.
My take is that they’re not copying, they’re just going with the times and Apple is a trend setter. After all, it’s been like that for a while now, remember that interface deal between Steve and Bill?
Pingspike on December 11th, 2006 at 11:49 pm
Have you also noticed that the user folder structure within Vista is exactly the same as that of Mac OS X ? e.g. /Users/Pingspike/Documents/ etc. (where Pingspike is the username)
Appleplexy on December 11th, 2006 at 11:57 pm
Is this what you spend your time criticizing Microsoft for? And given that 99% of the applications I hear mac fans go on about have to do with changing icons or the colors of items on their desktops, shouldn’t this be on the list of importance somewhere between “pink USB cables, pro or con” and “ionic air purifiers and WiFi, a guide for newbies”?
Besides which, we could always talk about how both companies ripped off Xerox in the first place, but that would just be petty, wouldn’t it? Like this blog entry?
yo momma on December 12th, 2006 at 12:03 am
we all know how MS makes their OS,
1-steals graphics from apple
2-steals code from open source
3-stuffs it with whole bunch of garbage,which no one wants on their system and sells it for $500 a pop,
now thats a ripoff
Rofecture on December 12th, 2006 at 12:05 am
Seriously man. I’m no Microsoft or Apple fan. Quite frankly, I like Linux. And you know, IconFactory has done design work for Microsoft, Apple, and Ubuntu. It’s pretty obvious that the only thing “pathetic” here is your desperation to find something to hate about Microsoft. There are a lot of things, but them finally updating their OS’s look with a bit of style isn’t one of them.
j on December 12th, 2006 at 12:11 am
I must be a freak because even if it is a ripoff I can only see this as a good thing. It will help people switch OS’s more easily and feel more comfortable in the process anyway.
O/S Icons are the way to go, think about the end user for a change perhaps?
Research TV on December 12th, 2006 at 12:13 am
This isn’t copying, it was an inaccurate MS bashing. MS isn’t the greatest company, but I think we need to look at apple and ms equally – both are responsible for deskilling the concept of the OS.
Mike on December 12th, 2006 at 12:24 am
If you look now, Microsoft has changed the icon.
Gary R Boodhoo on December 12th, 2006 at 12:39 am
sarcasm follows…
the sky appears to be falling. This is a travesty. What has happened to the idea of craftsmanship in this country. This is nearly as banal as every blog out there using the same templates.
doug on December 12th, 2006 at 12:39 am
i tend to agree with people on here in saying that one shouldn’t just jump to outlandish conspiracy theories. however, i’d say it’s pretty telling that microsoft has changed the icon, while apple hasn’t.
Ace on December 12th, 2006 at 12:43 am
I can’t believe Apple would do something like that!
That icon has been used by Microsoft for years, oh well…it’s the sincerest form of flattery right? :)
Azr3n on December 12th, 2006 at 12:45 am
“Pathetic.” The only thing pathetic here is that you seem to enjoy MS bashing. Get over it.
“This is some kid at Microsoft going to the Apple site, saving the image to the Microsoft server, and then bragging to his boss that he just whipped up the icon.” Oh and I’m sure this actually happened.
ani625 on December 12th, 2006 at 1:03 am
Check out MS site now.. They have changed it.. bravo! :)
Court Kizer on December 12th, 2006 at 1:13 am
I can personally attest to the FACT that not only did an Apple employee create that Icon, they own the copyright on it. I know the individual in question.
Apple created this icon, not a stock company. Apple has hired people who worked at stock icon companies in the past, but ONLY as full time employees and never as a contractor or stock icon. This icon has been around for a long time. This is blatant copyright infringement.
ken on December 12th, 2006 at 1:14 am
Remember when the Enterprise uploaded Windows to the Borg spacecraft? That was 11 years ago and I still hate their product. You don’t have to be a Mac/Linux Zealot to appreciate an operating system that works well. When Microsoft jacks the price up to $300 next year, I bet all the MS Loyalist idiots change their tune. Oh yeah, did I mention that you won’t be able to steal it anymore with Vista? Funny how half the loyalists aren’t even paying for it.
Court Kizer on December 12th, 2006 at 1:16 am
This icon has been used by Apple for at least 3 years for their OS X Server Admin Tools.
Me on December 12th, 2006 at 1:22 am
Yeah, there’s no chance whatsoever that Apple buys the same stock icons at the same place. They make everything from scratch you know.
KenLenny on December 12th, 2006 at 1:39 am
Apple is so great. Microsoft sucks so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for reading this. If you are reading this you love Apple!!!!!!!!!!!! HONK IF YOU LOVE APPLE!!!!!
Post 123 if you hate Micro$oft
1 – 2 – 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
someone on December 12th, 2006 at 1:39 am
@ken… vista can’t be stolen? why am i using it right now then?
As for the icon’s… good one iconfactory.
ajazzscientist on December 12th, 2006 at 1:57 am
They did change the page, but I found this in the source code. I can’t read xml, and have no i dea what it means, but it is interesting. It is on line 8, right above .
functionfooterjs(doc){if(doImage==null….8EE59C61&r=http%3a%2f%2ftheappleblog.com%2f2006%2f12%2f11%2fmicrosoft-gives-up-trying-and-starts-blatantly-copying%2f&lc=en-us”
Sam on December 12th, 2006 at 2:03 am
Hrmm, doesnt Microsoft own a part of Apple… A large part? I am under the impression that after steve jobs went wack some years ago, Microsoft/Bill Gates had to pull him out of the pooper by buying part of apple.
If so doesnt this give MS the right to take apple stuff? Its published by apple, but still partly owned by MS.
Maybe they both just ripped it from a GNU icon set, you never know.
Eiggua on December 12th, 2006 at 2:11 am
Seriously, Vista has already been cracked, I’m posting from an activated version right now… In fact, I’m dual-booting it with OS X on my HP laptop — I used Windows for years, and can say without a doubt that Mac is better.
If you check out the link supplied in the story for the Microsoft “Buy Now” page, the icon has been changed… interesting…
123,
Honk.
abdul on December 12th, 2006 at 2:22 am
next thing is going to be the source code
jbelkin on December 12th, 2006 at 2:37 am
MS did buy some shares of Apple but sold it a long time ago.
However, if you own an investment in a company, that does not allow to random copy or use another caompny intellectual property. If you buy 10 shares of Coca Cola, you don’t have the right to get the ingredient list … d’uh.
This is a blatant ripoff – clearly by looking at it – it was simply a screenshot grab because the MS icon is clearly lower resolution – MS is lazy. That is their company culture. It’s just their way because they believe they don’t have to follow any rules. If you accept that – fine, continue to buy their products. It’s your money, you’re an adult – you can choose poorly and continue to support a company that has created no innovations in their industry since 1985 – again, you choice … and as for the Xerox thing – both MS & Apple paid money to tour and discuss research with Xerox Parc. At that time, Xerox didn’t much care about the pure science they were funding – they had plenty of money and of course, since they could not conceieve if a business model from these random “creations,” how could anyone else?
So, if you pay to visit a research lab that let’s you in the front door and shows you everything – it is called research and not “theft.” Try and learn a few things resolved since 1984?
Eiggua on December 12th, 2006 at 2:44 am
“#37 abdul
next thing is going to be the source code”
I WISH THEY WOULD!!! Maybe they could get a decent OS then…
Ok, not really, because that would suck for Apple, but still…
dave on December 12th, 2006 at 2:54 am
@sam #35, I also own part of apple, so maybe I can also use apple copyrighted work without fear of infringment? if this is true please tell me, I am anxios to start selling apple computer inc. work as my own!
Anthony on December 12th, 2006 at 2:55 am
You haven’t proved that MS copied Apple. Both could have got it from a third party.
So apple had it first, that’s a questionable design decision on MS’s part, but did it originate at Apple? No evidence of theft.
Research TV on December 12th, 2006 at 3:04 am
@Court Kizer
Mind telling us the person? Provide proof – it’s easy to say “oh I know this guy who’s a friend of a friend of a friend of God’s sister, and he says MS sucks”.
People are stupid in that they like to create two extremes, the good company and the bad company. Apple is just as crappy as Microsoft, it’s just that they have a better PR team that works around the clock to ensure that Apple’s dirty little secrets stay secret. What about that IPOD controversy – they’re created in sweatshops? It was big news for a short while, if MS had something similar – it would be a full blown lawsuit I’m sure.
But MS sucks as well, but I just hate how ignorant people are when it comes to the follies of Apple. Apple is just as monopolistic as Windows, remember they still have DRM technology with IPods – only they call it ‘proprietary’ when it’s apple and DRM when it’s Microsoft.
New Icon on December 12th, 2006 at 3:15 am
The thing I think is sad, is that before they changed the icon, the page looked really bad. I mean yeah its a nica icon, but it didn’t match the color scheme on the rest of the page, and stood out like a sore thumb(nail *chortle*). Seriously though, the new icon looks a lot better, I wonder why MS used the other icon, when it ruined the look & feel of the page?
Patrick S on December 12th, 2006 at 3:29 am
Its been changed :P.
Good old Microsoft :)
Intellex on December 12th, 2006 at 3:32 am
Just in case you retards missed post 19
# #19 Rofecture
Seriously man. I’m no Microsoft or Apple fan. Quite frankly, I like Linux. And you know, IconFactory has done design work for Microsoft, Apple, and Ubuntu. It’s pretty obvious that the only thing “pathetic” here is your desperation to find something to hate about Microsoft. There are a lot of things, but them finally updating their OS’s look with a bit of style isn’t one of them.
Mikal on December 12th, 2006 at 3:47 am
@ 34
I’m pretty positive that the reason the url shows up in the source code is because its the refering site that brought you there.
If you copy and paste the link into a different browser window you will notice that the code is no longer there.
So much for the conspiracy theories.
And yes, it is HIGHLY likely they simply used the same third party icon shop.
Stuart on December 12th, 2006 at 4:27 am
Microsoft have changed the icon, and I prefer it.
Alistair Holt on December 12th, 2006 at 4:37 am
Just ridiculous..
Schmoe on December 12th, 2006 at 5:02 am
@Court Kizer
“I can personally attest to the FACT that not only did an Apple employee create that Icon, they own the copyright on it. I know the individual in question.”
Real world headsup – no multi billion dollar corporation is stupid enough to allow its paid employees to own the copyright on works created. “Yes Mr Shareholder, er actually that $50K a year developer we let go owns the copyright to some of our core IP, so we’re a bit up the creek”. Ho ho.
Crackhammer on December 12th, 2006 at 5:03 am
If you like Mac, does not mean that you have to be a mac zealot. Let Apple and MS sort it out, why do we have to comment it? Isn’t this whole business is based on copying? Have you seen the movie Pirates of the Silicon valley?
drew olanoff on December 12th, 2006 at 6:05 am
it’s probably clipart lol.
Conan on December 12th, 2006 at 6:35 am
1. Someone at apple DID create that icon
2. apple does own the copyright to that icon
3. some lazy designer at M$ needed an icon to finish his page by his deadline, not having sufficient time to create an icon representing more than one user (only what, 5 or so years since vista started?) he grabbed one… and probably not from the apple website. maybe from his own collection of GUI bits or some other website that was using it without permission already.
4. the fact that M$ immediately changed it is proof they dont own any copyright to it and that it was not initially a M$ sanctioned choice of icons anyway.
slam on December 12th, 2006 at 6:57 am
IDIOT, the icon isn’t from Apple. So you might as well accuse Apple too.
Jared Schwager on December 12th, 2006 at 7:32 am
Yet another reason why I’m hopping off the Windows bandwagon and onto the Mac/Linux bandwagon. I’m sick and tired of Microsoft.
Yo Conan on December 12th, 2006 at 7:38 am
WTF Conan, how do you know that someone at Apple created the icon? Did YOU do it? No, didn’t think so. You’re such a barbarian.
Iconfactory Corey on December 12th, 2006 at 7:58 am
Wow, we noticed a lot of referrals from this post at Digg this morning so I thought I would jump on quickly to clear things up. I posted a quick response at the Iconfactory. In a nutshell, the icon in question IS an Apple icon and was created by designers at Apple.
Senseasian on December 12th, 2006 at 8:04 am
Look at the good side, they are making things easier for people who use multi operating systems. Globalization and Localization is their motive… :))
Barkley Anderson on December 12th, 2006 at 8:56 am
People, cool your jets. Vista is using a Draw layer API called WDDM, Windows Display Device Manager or something like that. What people don’t know and what noone at Microsoft wants anyone to know is that they are licensing Apple’s draw layer API and rebrading it. This relationship started in 96 when MS first paid Apple 150 MIL to license some pretty interesting things that began Windows’ evolution away from 8 bit icons and poor display performance (Win95-98). There are likely to be many icons and graphic elements in the base libraries that will be common to both Vista and OSX. To any Apple fanboys who may find this information disturbing, take solace in that every copy of Vista sold, every OEM license secured will put $ in Apple’s pocket. It’s a complex world and its only going to get more so.
Robert Pritchett on December 12th, 2006 at 9:47 am
Myth-busting ad nauseum; Apple paid Xeroc Parc for the right to use their GUI technology. Microsoft settled out of court with Apple on the look-and-feel stuff to keep the lawyers at bay.
Da Coyote on December 12th, 2006 at 11:12 am
Don’t understand the excitement. Just exactly when did Microsoft ever 1) do anything original, 2) do anything better than anyone else (technical here, not the normal business robbery), and 3) advance by any other method than blatently copying the work of those far more advanced?
Brabus V12 on December 12th, 2006 at 11:36 am
Microsoft is to Apple as
Lexus is to Mercedes
anon on December 12th, 2006 at 12:08 pm
lol, lexus vs. mercedes?
i guess the only point you are making is that everyone has different tastes and needs so why argue which is better? o.O
lame
Neven on December 12th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
To the doofus who wrote:
“And you know, IconFactory has done design work for Microsoft, Apple, and Ubuntu.”
For Microsoft, certainly. Not for Apple. Ever. You’d think they’d like, brag about that? Here’s a post from Icon Factory on the whole matter: http://iconfactory.com/home/permalink/1754
It takes an MS fanboy to think that Apple doesn’t use one of their legions of creative people to draw their own icons.
hostile on December 12th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
Are you telling me you were going to buy Vista?
SomeLlama on December 12th, 2006 at 3:06 pm
OH NOES!!!! someone stole an icon from a website.. that proves M$ is crap!!!!//11
(see how I made the s a dollar sign, it’s to show that microsoft is greedy and I am hip)
We should hold a rally to protest Micro$$$oft (uber leet dollar sign usage) that will teach them not to steal Apple’s website icons!!!!1.1.2omgwtfbbq
The Average White Guy on December 12th, 2006 at 3:31 pm
I love how people believe that Mac and MS are like The US and USSR during the Cold War. If you Mac fanboys were really in tune with what your favorite company was up to, you’d know that there is PLENTY of Mac/MS interoperability going on. They outsource to the same firms the same way rivaling grocery stores buy good from the same farmers and vendors. I mean, would you say: “Holy crap! Foot Locker is selling the SAME EXACT PAIR OF NIKE’s that Famous Footwear is selling!!”
MisterKen on December 12th, 2006 at 6:00 pm
“I find it very easy to believe that microsoft would do something like this…”
Bwaaa ha ha ha ha haha! THAT is funny.
What amazes me is that no one at Microsoft bothered to check this.
Is there an approval process in place?
Wait a minute (remembering) ActiveX, CSS compliance in the browsers, domain registry, et. al….Forget what I just said.
Digital Fine Art Guy on December 12th, 2006 at 6:17 pm
I love how, as MACs and PCs have become more similiar, the supporters of each system have become more partisan over the tiniest of issues.
Geesh, get a life.
Dug on December 12th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
Microsoft did not steal the icon they “borrowed” it until someone noticed. It’s a nice example that of how big business can make low level mistakes. :-) Im sure that they are still happy about the free press to their new products.
Nelno on December 13th, 2006 at 2:04 am
Talk about over-analyzing something.
First, this is an MS web page, not Vista or any other MS product. I see nothing to indicate this icon even exists in Vista.
Second, there’s no guarantee MS even created this web page. It may have been contracted to a third party.
Third, it’s irrelevant because some not-too-smart person designing the page is the guilty person here. I can guarantee you that Bill Gates didn’t call down to the web design department and tell some intern to copy icons from Apple, because, “hey, Apple is so much cooler than us.”
Give it a rest, people. Some of you seem so hopelessly devoted to Apple that you’re willing to read *way* too much into a little icon plagiarism.
lenjc57 on December 14th, 2006 at 10:19 am
i read a lot of these posts and blogs, and the thing that fascinates and frustrates me the most is the apparent lack of spelling and grammar skills exhibited by most posters. if you want to get your point across, you need to learn how to express yourself. most posts on these sites are little more than random, pointless, incoherent babbling. but, it can be quite entertaining, i must admit.
Unix_Usr on December 18th, 2006 at 7:08 am
Dear lenjc57,
Before one should bitch about spelling and grammer, one should look to one’s own post for a proper example; you complain about the atrocious spelling and grammer of others, ironically in a post of your own which lacks proper punctuation! You do know that sentances generally begin with capitolization of the first word? Or that when one refers to one’s self using the pronoun ‘I’, that it too should be capitolized? Before you rip on other’s thoughts and postings… perhaps you should look to your own faults.
Patrick Sneyers on December 19th, 2006 at 8:33 am
Not true: watch this
John L. on February 18th, 2007 at 12:39 am
You’re a jealous poor pathetic boy.
M$ SUCKS!!! on July 7th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
I say we all meet at M$ biggest industry and protest with signs that say. STOP COPYING APPLE.
M$ SUCKS!!! on July 7th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
123 HONK!!!
BellaKitty on July 13th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Great post. This is why MS will never die. Sadly for linux heads like me lol. Nah I use windows daily. Just kidding.