Microsoft Apple

Windows 8′s Metro Interface Was Designed on a Mac

Posted in Mac, News on 15/02/2012 by J. Glenn Künzler

11s

Microsoft’s Metro interface for Windows 8 has a lot of things going for it. It’s unique, it’s fresh, and it was designed on a Mac. Wait, what? Take a look at the desk pictured below. As CultofMac notes, It’s a work desk that belongs (or belonged) in the office of Bill Flora, a man who CNET describes as a key leader on Microsoft’s Metro interface team.

Notice anything unusual? Like the fact that a key Microsoft employee was using what appears to be a MacBook Pro, an Apple Cinema Display, and Apple’s wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse?  As it turns out, Microsoft’s fresh new interface, which will become the staple for the latest Windows desktops, laptops, tablets, and even smartphones, owes a debt of gratitude to Apple.

Despite Bill’s good taste in hardware and his design skills, however, he’s just not a Microsoft kind of man. Especially considering that he no longer works for Microsoft. Oh, well. He was probably too good for them anyway.

  • Guest

    Irony, we haz it.

  • Anonymous

    You know what is also pretty interesting.  The fact the Windows 8 and Metro will work on a Mac.. Go figure.

  • Night_Shadow

    You do know that Microsoft has used Macs for a very long time right?  How else would they develop Mac versions of Office, not mention they have always done a lot of graphic design work on Macs, cause the software for doing those types of things was always better on a Mac back in the day.

    • http://MacTrast.com J. Glenn Kunzler

      Yup. That’s a good point. But its especially ironic that even the interface for Microsoft’s “next big thing” has Apple-shaped footprints all over it.

      • Cory

        It’s misleading to say that Windows 8 was developed on a Mac from just this picture alone. I mean, maybe it was, I don’t really care, but this picture could’ve been taken after he left Microsoft. Unless someone recognizes those buildings in the background to be Microsoft’s, in which case I apologize for my comment, but I’m not so sure I’m buying it.

  • Andrew

    Lol if it’s true but the screenshot doesn’t prove that a Mac was used to make Windows 8 Metro Interface at all. Where did you find that from?

  • Foo

    That ain’t Microsoft dude… and if anything it was designed on Photoshop, only thing that’s Apple is the hw.

  • Foo

    That ain’t a Microsoft building dude… and if anything it was designed on Photoshop, only thing that’s Apple is the hw.

  • Noloc45

    This article (and most like it) make it seem like the people at Microsoft are a bunch of idiots or something and Apple engineers are the world’s top geniuses.  Fact is, both companies have the best of the best in the computer world.  Fact is, Microsoft is the leader by FAR margin in the desktop/laptop world.  

    I use both.  I use Mac for production and I use Windows for everything else.  I cant stand trying to use Office on Mac or the crappy iWorks to do HW or anything really that involves numbers, sentences and business related stuff.  

  • http://twitter.com/Gordon_Keenan Gordon Keenan

    Sorry to say… the Metro Interface looks as though it was designed by a chimp using a limited range of crayons. It’s ugly! Metro interface in the workplace will probably guarantee nobody will have it installed on their PC’s in business…

  • Pingback: Windows 8 (Metro) Developed on Mac – CTF « tomliberman

Related Posts

Latest Posts

Author

J. Glenn Künzler

Glenn is Managing Editor at MacTrast, and has been using a Mac since he bought his first MacBook Pro in 2006. Now he's up to his neck in Apple, and owns an old iBook, a 2011 MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air, a third-generation iPad, 2 iPhones, and a Mac Mini that lives at the neighbor's house. He lives in a small town in Utah, enjoys bacon more than you can possibly imagine, and is severely addicted to pie.