Windows 7: The Search for Dock
Based on these concept pics, the “future” of Windows looks remarkably like the “present” of OS X
Speaking of stealing… Is it just me, or are these shots of the upcoming Windows 7 looking a little too similar to OS X?
![](https://i0.wp.com/macenstein.com/images/2008/windows7_ripoff.jpg?ssl=1)
I can’t wait to see what Microsoft decides to call that transparent Dock-looking thing. Given that they call OS X’s Widgets “gadgets”, I’m going to assume it will be called the “Spock”.
[images via techdreams]
I guess they want to stick with what works.
MS R&D spends $50M with only $129 spent on their copy of Leopard. Must be some awesome keggers!
I don’t think stealing is a good work for this, if a concept works why no adopt it ? If we follow this “stealing” rule all cellphones should have a different input method, the keyboards would be different, etc, etc.
“Speaking of stealing…”
Yes, but it is a good UI feature, so they should run with it. Besides, if Microsoft uses it, the open source desktop people, who are pretty unoriginal, will undoubtedly copy them, because they always copy what Microsoft does; so even more people will get the benefit of good UI design.
I think that’s a good thing. Apple’s still so far ahead in so many ways, that other people getting Docks won’t harm them.
lol
Tell that to the patent office acidscan…
How about the Fock? The Jock. The Dork? The Duck?
Ehh, just call it Windows Live Dock…
Has anyone looked at gOS linux from google? Looks even more like the dock than this thing. Even has magnification.
Works well in parallels too and is available now and is free.
If you have a PC stick that on it and save the Winblows upgrade for some beers.
“…but it is a good UI feature…”
Many UI designers, HCI people, and knowledgeable software engineers disagree (http://www.asktog.com/columns/044top10docksucks.html). I have mixed feelings about the dock, but regardless, if Microsoft is going to copy something, it shouldn’t be the dock. I also think there’s a chance this dock will only appear while using touch-screen technology.
“Has anyone looked at gOS linux from google?”
gOS is made by Good OS LLC.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOS_(operating_system)
This is gonna run sloooooow.
@nick: The OS desktop community has long been copying apple. There are many docks available for linux. Get your facts straight.
Oh and as for being unoriginal, who had 4 desktops first?
Or maybe look up Beryl/Compiz. Jiggly windows anyone? Okay, bad example, a lot of people don’t like that :p
But honestly, are surprised that Microsoft is once again “innovating” something apple has already done?
Were these not proved as FAKE by http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080528/dont-believe-everything-you-see-windows-7/ should get your facts right. They are mock ups by third parties and nothing to do with Microsoft. Both Crunchgear and Techcrunch who originally posted these apparent screenshots did not get their information right.
I hoped they get sued.
Wow, an Apple website posting FAKE articles? – sounds somewhat familiar 😉
Liam, the blogger @ http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080528/dont-believe-everything-you-see-windows-7/ should have posted some links to the 3rd party sites that had come up with the screenshots otherwise whatever the good doc reported is true..
In 2010, will anyone really care ?
Ahahahahahahahaha!!!
Until then Apple has already moved on to something completely more impressive and M$ will be left behind again with their shitty little clone.
Seriously, i thought M$ wanted to finally improve and radically change some things about their Windows philosophy. Seems not. Same bullshit again.
looks similar to an overlay of Sapiens
http://www.donelleschi.com/sapiens/
or
trampoline
http://www.old-jewel.com/trampoline/
wonder if they are going to license said UI element from either of these two firms…
I own both Mac and PC systems and all I can say is if you can’t see the obvious then you’re either a complete idiot or a complete idiot! Microsoft Windows (all versions) is a dinosaur and needs to be completely thrown out. All they are doing is dressing it up, putting lipstick on a pig if you will. The underlying code is still MS-DOS for cripe sakes!!!!! OS X is a whole new approach. Apple had the guts to throw everything out the window and start over. Gates has too much at stake to ever take that kind of gamble. Windows will always be a day late and a dollar short, and PC users will always be held hostage to the tactics of MS!
Apple, Microsoft – as far as i can see none of them came up with many truly great ideas on their own. They all just put stuff together and built on what existed. Microsoft wrote their operating system from the ground up. Apple took a unix variant and put it together nicely with a great interface. Multitouch, spaces, timemachine were open source /open domain technologies – just apple saw them and put their name on them. Bonjour is a nice protocol tho I’ll grant them that. In my mind Apple is now becoming what microsoft was – and seriously ripping people off. People worship apple and diss microsoft like jerks. They are both guilty of trying to patent the world.
@Pete: nice unbiased post there… :-/
Windows is not underlying MS-DOS code, quit trying to post and spread false information. Win2k, XP, 2k3, Vista, 7, are not MS-DOS based.
I have nothing against Macs at all, just Mac Fanboi’s.
I recommend you read some history on Apple to see that they “ripped off” pretty much everything they have from someone else. Serious power-users like myself turn off all of this type of frilly UI junk anyway.
If Macs were so good, then why do they remain way below PCs for market-share.
I can build a high-end PC that has excellent performance, is very stable, and can support all of the peripherals and software I need for a significantly lower price.
Computers are simply tools to get our work done, quit trying to turn the Mac into a golden calf. :-p
I hate docks
They’re so lame
Windows 7
Has no shame
It’s true, DOS is still at the very heart of ALL versions of Windoze, and those ads with the little kids using Windoze to “be creative” are tacky and shameless – they have sunk to a new low with the dock rip-off of an elegant, stable, and innovative OS like Mac OS X.
I know of no creative person myself who uses a PC box running Vista or XP, they all use OS X to get real work done, this is why we Mac users don’t really care about playing games WE USE OUR MACs TO CREATE.
Finally, i foresee Windoze 6.5 becoming an even bigger failure than Hasta-la-Vista.
Have you ever heard of “upgrades” going in the opposite direction ? from Vista back to XP ? but Best Buy offers this as a service !!
Now, that’s really speaks volumes.