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"Steven Jobs may be no inventor, but to his credit he recognized elegance when he saw it and understood its significance." -- David Gelernter, in his 1998 book

by GHFigs 16y ago

"Steven Jobs may be no inventor, but to his credit he recognized elegance when he saw it and understood its significance." -- David Gelernter, in his 1998 book Machine Beauty. About ten pages after the above quote, Gelernter describes pretty much everything this suit was about in some detail, e.g. a use of the "time travel" metaphor very much like Time Machine's Finder interface, wherein the whole interface reverts to a previous state. Even if you don't agree with the verdict (or the damages, yikes) it's unthinkable after reexamining this book that folks at Apple didn't get some ideas from Gelernter's work, perhaps without even realizing it. Incidentally, it is a great book that I highly recommend.

kls 16y ago
Sure they did, The iPhone was a eerily similar concept to a device patented in the late seventies or early eighties. I wish I could dig up the link, but man it looked like a wholesale copy of this patent. Multi-touch and everything. Someone at Apple is rifling through old patents for ideas.
- b-man 16y ago
  Not exactly patented, but the concepts behind tablets, smartphones, and the PC itself can be traced directly to -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynabook http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynabook
kls 16y ago
As well there are a good deal of precidence of Apple doing this: http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/Konfabulator_Inventors_Not_Flattered_by_Apple_Rip-off/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/Konfabulator_Inventor... http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/08/08/apples-research-rip-off-department/ http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/08/08/apples-research-rip-of... http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/apple-tablet-ebook/ http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/apple-tablet-ebook/ http://gizmodo.com/5046463/apple-admits-british-man-invented-ipod-in-1979-uses-him-to-win-patent-lawsuit http://gizmodo.com/5046463/apple-admits-british-man-invented...

by GHFigs 16y ago

kls 16y ago

Sure they did, The iPhone was a eerily similar concept to a device patented in the late seventies or early eighties. I wish I could dig up the link, but man it looked like a wholesale copy of this patent. Multi-touch and everything. Someone at Apple is rifling through old patents for ideas.

b-man 16y ago
Not exactly patented, but the concepts behind tablets, smartphones, and the PC itself can be traced directly to -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynabook http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynabook

kls 16y ago

As well there are a good deal of precidence of Apple doing this: http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/Konfabulator_Inventors_Not_Flattered_by_Apple_Rip-off/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/Konfabulator_Inventor... http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/08/08/apples-research-rip-off-department/ http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/08/08/apples-research-rip-of... http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/apple-tablet-ebook/ http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/apple-tablet-ebook/ http://gizmodo.com/5046463/apple-admits-british-man-invented-ipod-in-1979-uses-him-to-win-patent-lawsuit http://gizmodo.com/5046463/apple-admits-british-man-invented...