this post was submitted on 26 Apr 2024
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Spoiler: GNOME wins

Btw their GNOME Theme manager is here

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 7 months ago (1 children)

That's because Microsoft has patented window snapping. Third party apps are still there because they aren't worth chasing.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

I mean gnome and kde both have it so that doesnt feel correct for why macos doesnt.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago (1 children)

If true, presumably that gnome and kde don't believe in the software patent but Apple doesn't want to try its luck and risk getting in a lawsuit.

(That said, they're not exactly short of lawyers for a lawsuit... Maybe it's in their interest to uphold the principle of software patents?)

[–] [email protected] 14 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Gnome and KDE had this feature LONG before Microsoft, so they have prior art to prove it’s an invalid patent

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

How was the patent approved if it already existed tf.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

My impression is that many parents are just approved by default, letting the courts determine validity... Good for the patent office, great for the lawyers.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Please note that I did mean patents in the above comment. I will let the typo stay though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Even if it did exist Microsoft would be obligated to litigate with kde/gnome use of it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, I meant it’s unlikely Microsoft would try to sue Gnome or KDE for it, because they’d likely lose the patent

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah but my understanding is if they have a patent or the copyright or whatever it is, if they do not go after any single possible infringement, they're potentially throwing away those rights at a later time. At least that's how I understand it works in the USA at least?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

I believe you’re thinking of trademarks

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

The 3rd party apps on Mac are probably about as popular gnome or KDE.