[MarchHare]

- Xerox invented the GUI'd OS which utilized a mouse and curser.
- Apple stole their idea, but created their own OS and also created their own version of the mouse.
- Microsoft stole Apple's OS and rebranded it as Windows, and sold it to NEC for their computers, which included Apple's mouse design.

That's Apple fanboy talk. Microsoft copied Apple in the same sense that Apple copied Xerox. Windows was built from scratch using Microsoft's own code. The only thing they "stole" from MacOS was the GUI concept and features, which Apple copied from Xerox.

This is how Andy Hertzfeld, one of the primary software programmers on the original Mac team, described the situation:

http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py...m&search=xerox

In November 1983, we heard that Microsoft made a surprising announcement at Comdex, the industry's premier trade show, held twice a year in Las Vegas. Microsoft announced a new, mouse-based system graphical user interface environment called Windows, competing directly with an earlier environment announced by Personal Software called "Vision". They also announced a mouse-based option for Microsoft Word. When Steve Jobs found out about Windows, he went ballistic.

"Get Gates down here immediately", he fumed to Mike Boich, Mac's original evangelist who was in charge of our relationships with third party developers. "He needs to explain this, and it better be good. I want him in this room by tomorrow afternoon, or else!"

And, to my surprise, I was invited to a meeting in that conference room the next afternoon, where Bill Gates had somehow manifested, alone, surrounded by ten Apple employees. I think Steve wanted me there because I had evidence of Neil asking about the internals, but that never came up, so I was just a fascinated observer as Steve started yelling at Bill, asking him why he violated their agreement.

"You're ripping us off!", Steve shouted, raising his voice even higher. "I trusted you, and now you're stealing from us!"

But Bill Gates just stood there coolly, looking Steve directly in the eye, before starting to speak in his squeaky voice.

"Well, Steve, I think there's more than one way of looking at it. I think it's more like we both had this rich neighbor named Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found out that you had already stolen it."