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For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Apple CEO creates a 'Reality Distortion Field' that makes even skeptics nod their heads in awe

Mercury News: "Apple has never been shy about adopting other people's good ideas, and there's already some controversy over a feature called 'Dashboard,' which collects a bunch of small software programs people use frequently -- such as calendar, address book, calculator or weather forecasts -- and brings them to the forefront for a quick display at a keystroke. Dashboard looks a lot like a currently available shareware application called 'Konfabulator,' which does pretty much the same thing."

The problem isn't that Apple isn't shy about "adopting" other people's ideas. The problem is that Apple acts like they invented technology they're ripping off and doesn't give credit where credit is due. The search stuff in Tiger is a great example: Every OS should have this kind of thing. But calling it "innovative" and "revolutionary" is a lie: Various companies have had products like this for years, and Microsoft has been very open about its search plans for Longhorn, and excuse me for finding Apple's inspiration for their search tech in Redmond.

But hey, ripping off Microsoft is fun, right? What about the small guys? What about the guys that made Watson, LiteSwitch, and Konfabulator, products that were killed in successive upgrades to OS X as Apple decided, screw them, those features should be part of their OS? What message is Apple sending to the people who are really being innovative on the Mac platform? The message is clear: Innovate and we'll kill you. It's the kind of thing Apple fans accuse Microsoft (often wrongly) of doing to Apple. I can't understand why Apple fans aren't more outraged at this obvious hypocritical behavior. This is shameful, sorry.

[ Posted at 7:00 AM | Permalink ]