os x leopard workspaces

[luckyd]

As of today, Apple has unveiled an almost final version of leapard. I was wondering, since besides time machine workspaces are the biggest addition to os x, arn't they under the GPL or something? I mean linux has had workspaces for along time, and now Apple is just going and marketing their new release with workspaces, it dosn't seem quite moral or as a matter of fact legal to me. Please enlighten me if i'm wrong...

[Adamant1988]

Linux in general has had virtual desktops for a very long time. Apple has decided to give this to their people, but I highly doubt it uses any GPL'd technology.

[luckyd]

It still seems so much like copying an idea though.

[Adamant1988]

It still seems so much like copying an idea though.

Naw, the Apple computers have a BSD kernel so I'm willing to bet they've had this ability for a while, it's just that Apple is making it available and easy.

[neorou]

Welcome to the corporate world.

I see what your concerns are. I have used the Macintosh since version 6-, and wondered that same question every time Microsoft 'took' an idea and incorporated it into their Windows flavors.
It used to make me worry that Microsoft would 'patent' a technology and charge people/companies money every time the technology is copied or re-engineered.
Microsoft actually has a division that does that, I think.

One of the reasons why I switched from OS X to linux (ubuntu in particular), is so that when I work on a project, I could look at the source code and know (or perhaps prove later) that what I am working on isn't encroaching upon someone else's money machine, and won't have to worry about giving back to the same people that have given me the tools to create my projects with.

[mips]

It's a Unix thing. Lets not get like MS or other companies and start calling people rip offs.