Just a quick one...

This quote from The Register made me laugh:

When Jobs petulantly pouted that Windows stole the Mac's look and feel, Gates countered with "Hey, Steve, just because you broke into Xerox's house before I did and stole the TV doesn't mean that I can't go in later and take the stereo."

I think I may be using that particular quote in future.

Here's a thing, reading a book by an ex-Microsoft employee a few years ago I seem to remember the said employee reminising on development of Windows 1.0. The first (or at least an early) version of scroll-bars in windows had a dynamically sizing thumb area to reflect the proportion of the window visible compared to its overall size. When Gates was shown this he ordered it to be removed, not because he didn't like it, but because it looked too much like the Apple OS, so the fixed size area that some of you may remember was born.

It seems like such a bad choice to make now, but there you go. Interpret that as you will, to me it says Gates didn't want to be seen copying, but knew that a WIMP environment was the way to go. Of course, these day's the whole concept would have probably been patented by Xerox on the drawing board and never implemented. Still, that's progress.

Either way, I know who I'd rather work for...