MS Repurposes (OK, Steals) Apple Universal Code Logo

Pete Mortensen ()

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I’m kind of at a loss for words. Apple obviously didn’t invent the Yin Yang symbol, but Microsoft just flipped the Apple Universal logo horizontally and adjusted the highlights. Maybe the metaphors involved in marketing software are all the same, but this is ridiculous.

Image on Flickr.
Via Digg.

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About the author

Petemortensen

Pete Mortensen is a design strategist for consulting firm Jump Associates and the co-author of Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy, a book and blog that are significantly more interesting than you might initially think. Pete's particular Apple avocations are both around design--interface and industrial. Follow him on Twitter!

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  • Pmoes

    Why even bother to comment. I think Apple had it right with their banners at the MacWorld expo. “Redmond…Start your photocopiers!”
    Lame, pathetic, poor, why even go on.
    Surely the Real Steve Jobs has this logo trade marked and if not, he should be replaced by the head of a major soft drink company!
    (just kdding really)
    The tide is turning

  • rolf

    since ominous days of 1984 Microsoft has done nothing innovative, just copying, mostly from its apparent idol Apple, though in self-denial, and that they can’t even think for themselves, let alone for a simple logo, proves the entire 1000-manpowered staff is not at all about the biggest brains from around the world, but if at all intelligent or with some iQ above 100, is dumb with original thought and only sins…there’s never been a dumber company of men & if even the really smart ancient civilizations i.e. Greece, Rome, Egypt, Phoenicia etc. reached decadence, imagine MS following IBM giant amongst others faster than you think! the only MS salvation or rather delay to decadence is its strong foothold, but slowly and surely its foundations are finally rottening – they had their chance but after bullshitting the public for too long, well, the monopolizing brain-terrorists, the world’s largest legal criminal gang is paying for their price alas, right in this life, on this earth. with the world so full of B.S. & negative news, is that not a step forward for mankind?! to be or not, is to think, not vomit! F@*# MS & its Bill Gates of Hell…odd world no, in which a nerd is the devil. life should be freeing, relaxing, flowing, aesthetic, pleasurable, noble, meaningful instead and fun!

  • Danielito PantalonDelFuego

    what are you guys talking about? i dont see anything remotely the same. one is a yin yang, one is a yang yin. duh. the ms one is better because theres 3x more stuff happening in it and we all like more to be going on in everything around us.

  • imajoebob

    What? We’re supposed to be surprised?

    They stole Windows from Apple/Xerox, they stole virtually every feature in WinWord from WordPerfect, they stole Win95 from IBM (right down to the OS/2 code), they stole Excel’s look and feel from Quattro, they tried to steal NetWare, but only got as far as Active Directory, they stole Vista’s graphics from OS X, they stole the visual aspects of the Zune from the iPod. And the only reason Symantec, Corel, Novell, and maybe even Apple are still in business is that Microsoft got caught either stealing their products or trying to steal the market (through predatory acts, not with better products), and paid each a mountain of cash that allowed them to stay in business and develop their current products.

    Stealing the Yon and Yang – all the way down to the colors, is par for the course. Too bad they didn’t do the same with the Zune colors.

    By the way, thank you for using Yin, not “Ying.” [Rant Alert] That drives me up the freaking wall, along with “vice-a-versa;” pronouncing forte (when indicating a particular knack or talent) “for-tay,” when it’s actually the French word for strong pronounced “fort,” not the Italian for loud; and I really hate people who are “chomping at the bit,” because a horse champs the bit, or grinds, not takes a bite out of it. [End Rant]

  • LeslieT

    Not only did they steal it, but the slapped a couple of more logos on top of it, because Microsoft seems to be constitutionally incapable of keeping anything clean and simple.

  • Adam

    Not to nitpick, but I figure a rant in a public comments section invites it, “for-tay” is acceptable pronunciation, indeed even considered standard along with “fort” now.

    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/forte

    Otherwise, I agree with the rest. :)

  • DJ Rizzo

    I enjoy a good slam on M$ as much as anyone… but I think we’re pushing it here. Any designer told to come up with an image that would show two things working in harmony is bound to think of the Yin & Yang. Yes the color scheme is similar but the MS sites have been using shades of blue & blue green since before the Vista launch. Now here’s a good example of icon stealing:

  • Steve Savage

    They also “borrowed” the Ubuntu logo recently.

  • http://www.BriceWolfgang.com Duh

    Apple Repurposes (OK, Steals) Yin Yang !

  • Zippy

    Bwahaha, MS has the logo reversed because thay can’t go with the flow.

    •Anonymous commentard

  • Spark

    Is this what MS means by “The Wow Starts Now.” ?

    I, for one, am totally amazed.

  • Allen

    Do any of you guys know about the case where MS stole Apple code, and was forced to buy Apple stock? Thanks…