Leopard Makes Fun of Windows PCs

With a new major release of a new operating system, one would think that there is so much new stuff to look at and play with that nobody would obsess over an icon. That is not the case, apparently, as opinions flare over Apple’s representation of Windows PCs in Leopard.

One of the new features in Leopard is easy access to computer on the local network, which show up, conveniently, on the left side of the window. Like with nearly all things, Apple has paid a lot of attention to the feature, to the point that the icons of each and every computer there tries to match what the computer product actually looks like on its owner’s desk. With Macs this is easy, since Apple can quickly identify the exact model of the networked machine, but with a PC, things are a bit more complicated since there are so many makes and parts in them. To solve this, Apple represents all Windows PCs as a beige monitor with a Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD).

What is obviously a Mac inside joke has been taken very personally by quite a few people. Like with the ‘Get a Mac’ ads, the company is being called out for being too smug. Outrage has been expressed both over the BSOD, and the look of the monitor, which has been criticized for being rendered to look extremely dated.

Everything else aside, apart from the BSOD, the only thing more representative of Microsoft’s Windows is the windows logo itself, which is copyrighted, and for which Apple would have had to obtain permission to use. Considering what obtaining such a permission would entail it is not surprising that Apple decided to go with the next big thing. As for the look of the monitor, those complaining that it looks ancient have not been around office cubicles for big companies lately. All in all, the representation of Windows PCs is obviously a tongue-in-cheek statement, and inside joke, and there really is no reason to take it beyond that.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 5th, 2007 at 2:55 am and is filed under Mac. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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