[natch]

In any flourishing ecosystem, parasites eventually emerge.

This is so crass of Microsoft. I would be ashamed to work in the group that did this.

Technically? Sure, it's an accomplishment, akin to copying someone else's homework by typing it in by hand. Please notice I didn't say it's the same, I said it's akin to. Very nicely typed, good job.

But morally, it's exploitative and gutless, and it represents Microsoft giving up on the idea of finding success through innovation. Microsoft seems so pathetic now.

[jfuhrman]

Would you say the same for WINE or ReactOS? Or Pages, OpenOffice and Google Docs 'copying' the docx format? Samba and SMB?

It's more about compatibility with an existing ecosystem than copying.

[natch]

I'd say take those on a case by case basis. When Microsoft was an abusive monopoly and there were few choices out there (hardly the case for Apple today, which has vigorous competitors who offer plenty of working alternatives), some of these made sense, although superior products made from the ground up would have been better.

>It's more about compatibility with an existing ecosystem than copying.

Wink, wink. Right.