People always love to make fun of Microsoft for its borrowing of other companies’ ideas. Sometimes they’re right, and many other times, they’re wrong. In fact, it’s amazing how many times I’ll hear people say that Microsoft’s products are blatant rip-offs of Apple ideas. Many times this is not true. In fact, usually Apple is the one that copies other companies (such as copying Konfabulator, now known as Yahoo! Widgets , and taking its original MacOS interface from old Xerox ideas). Microsoft often just follows suit, not because it loves to copy ideas, but because the ideas are good and worthy additions to Microsoft products.

As a result of my annoyance with people’s love to claim foul at Microsoft’s copying, I got kick out of loading up my personalized Google search page tonight. Google has offered its users a personalized homepage for some time now, with its main draw being that you can see your favorite RSS feeds on your Google search page, in addition to a preview of your email and the local weather forecasts. This interface, however, has always been fairly basic (and arguably ugly). I never really cared too much for this interface, but I was impressed with Microsoft’s approach. Since its launch, I’ve been using Windows Live (just recently out of beta; previously known as start.com ). I’ve always been impressed with Windows Live because of its sleek interface and handy options, such as the ability to have many pages through the use of tabs.

When I loaded up my Google search page, I was stunned to see that Google had done the unthinkable – it had copied Microsoft’s Windows Live! In a manner almost exactly like Windows Live’s tabs, users are now able to have multiple pages for gadgets and RSS feeds on their Google personalized page. Also, an "edit" function can now be found to the left of every X at the top right of each feed and gadget. Windows Live has an option just like this in the same location in its interface, except in the case of Windows Live, it’s "Edit". Now, I don’t think that the "edit" similarity is a very big deal, but the addition of tabs to Google’s page is a blatant rip-off of Microsoft’s sleek Windows Live. The mighty Google has copied the "evil" Microsoft. Nice move, Google. Now we’ll just have to wait and see how long it takes Google-lovers to proclaim that Google created tabs for search homepages. I’m sure it won’t take long, because, after all, Microsoft is always the company at fault, or so it would seem to many people. Microsoft, keep up the great work. After all, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Google, you can keep your new tabbed interface. I’m sticking with Windows Live.