Subj : Microsoft makes fun of macOS Tahoes Liquid Glass redesign for rip To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Thu Jun 12 2025 19:00:07 Microsoft makes fun of macOS Tahoes Liquid Glass redesign for ripping off Windows Vista but Apple could have the last laugh Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2025 17:45:00 +0000 Description: Watch out, Apple: Microsoft wakes up and joins the Liquid Glass fun-poking party, being six millionth in line to point out that Windows Vista got there first. FULL STORY ======================================================================Microsof t compared Liquid Glass to Windows Vista on its Instagram account Its rather late to the party in drawing this kind of comparison Mind you, if anyone has a right to do so, its Microsoft, which brought in transparency with the Aero effect on the desktop of Vista Microsoft has joined the throng of those whove been making fun of Apples new Liquid Glass interface for macOS Tahoe 26 (and iOS 26 or indeed other platforms such as iPadOS 26 ). On its Instagram account yesterday, as flagged up by Windows Latest , Microsoft posted a collection of screenshots of Windows Vista. This arrived complete with nostalgic sound effects (the chime of booting to the desktop) from back in the day (2007), with a single, simple sentence: Just gonna leave this here. A post shared by Windows (@windows) A photo posted by on In case you missed it, Apple has caught quite a volley of criticism for whats perceived as making it seem like Liquid Glass has reinvented the idea of transparency a glassy, see-through interface when this was actually done by Microsoft in yes, you guessed it: Windows Vista. In Windows Vista, this effect was called Aero (and later, Aero also came to Windows 7 ), and as you can see in the Instagram montage above, its all about translucent windows, allowing you to see the background through them. Microsoft is late to the party here, really, and in that respect, the company looks a tad silly. Everybodys done their take on how Liquid Glass is Vista (or Windows 7), how Apple are copycats, etcetera and so Microsoft is running the risk of inducing some yawns here. But still, Microsoft did invent Aero with these venerable desktop operating systems many translucent moons ago, so in a way, more than anyone, the software giant has a right to poke some fun at macOS Tahoe 26 here. Analysis: Fun but not fair? (Image credit: Apple) So, given the hail of critical bullets trying to shatter Apples Liquid Glass Microsofts latest potshot included its worth considering a key question. Is it really fair to level accusations at the Mac and iDevice maker for being so unoriginal and dated with its UI innovation here? I dont think it is. Still, Apple mustve known it was going to face this kind of backlash, even if its a rather tongue-in-cheek affair (mostly). And for Microsoft, its an obvious opportunity to take a rival down a peg or two, which, lets face it, is not to be missed. However, I'm not sure why Microsoft was slow to move with its post. Whatever the case, one thing is obvious: Liquid Glass does not equal Vistas Aero effect (and I hardly think Microsoft is suggesting that, of course). Yes, there are clear visual parallels, but what macOS Tahoe 26 is doing is very different from Windows Vista or 7. For starters, the reason nobody liked Aero much in Windows Vista was because it caused the OS environment to run slower nobody wanted lag when dragging windows around the desktop, unsurprisingly. (Windows 7 did better here, of course). Not only is contemporary hardware ripe for a much better implementation of transparent interface elements now, so itll all be suitably responsive, but Apples Liquid Glass appears to be far more sophisticated in nature. It looks like theres a lot of careful crafting here , with nuances in the way light passes through the glass and interacts with the interface behind. Granted, its still too early to say exactly how this will pan out, but Aero it aint, thats for sure. Ive been told by others on the TechRadar team whove seen the interface in action that it looks much better in real-world use than screenshots can convey. Even so, worries remain, without a doubt. The most obvious potential thorn is the diminished accessibility and the potential lack of clarity that these fancy, see-through effects might cause. What we dont want is a muddied look where the user may struggle to read basic text or make out icons in the foreground. Time will tell regarding those concerns, but Apple appears to have thought this whole plan and overarching philosophy through quite fully, given that this is not just a mere interface revamp, but a wholesale cross-platform unification for macOS, iOS, and all the rest of the companys operating systems. Thus far, Liquid Glass looks pretty slick, it looks like function is as important as form, and yes, it looks like Windows Vista a bit, too. But hey, what did you expect Apple to do with all eyes on its big WWDC 25 interface reveal? Acknowledge Microsoft as the forerunner of glassy transparency in the realm of desktop operating systems? You might also like... macOS Tahoe 26 is official - here's everything you need to know about all the new features Cant upgrade to Windows 11? This Linux project wants to save your old PC from the scrapheap when Windows 10 support ends Windows 11 is getting more AI shortcuts, but is Microsoft in danger of cluttering up the OS with AI creep? ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/microsoft-makes-fun-of-macos-tahoe s-liquid-glass-redesign-for-ripping-off-windows-vista-but-apple-could-have-the -last-laugh --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .