B usinessWeek has published an interview with Tom Phillips, general manager of Microsoftis Windows Hardware Experience Group, in which Mr. Phillips pays a compliment to Appleis design work. Mr. Phillips was being interviewed about "the future of PC design," relating in part to something Microsoft calls "Windows Home Concept PC." From the interview:
Q: How should the look of the PC, which has stayed largely the same since the first IBM machine debuted in 1981, change?
A: A great product captures as much of your soul as your attention. It has to hit in an emotional spot. We have to compliment some of the design work done by some of our competitors [such as Apple]. As an industry, we havenit yet had the opportunity to do that.
Thereis more relating to Microsoftis approach to design in the full interview.