Samuel Caughron of Proteron LLC (creators of the fabulous LiteSwitch X) wrote an angry open memo, saying that Apple included a basically copied LiteSwitch X and included it as a base feature in Panther. Among other things, Sam accuses Apple of usurping features and entire products from 3rd party Mac OS X developers, and including them as part of the base OS (much like it did with Sherlock/Watson).
Today, Kevin Fox posted a rather scathing response to the Proteron memo:
Your open memo is based on the claim, reiterated on the LiteSwitch X home page, that "LiteSwitch X was the original application switcher for the Mac OS". This is both 'disappointing' and 'dishonest'. The first application switcher for the Mac OS was "Switcher" written by Andy Hertzfeld (with special thanks given to John Markoff and Bud Tribble) while under the employ of Apple Computer in 1985. Apple pioneered the technology you're claiming they pilfered, and they did it when the Mac OS was barely one year old. Over the intervening 18 years countless "little guys," Proteron among them, have come out with application switchers building on Apple's foundation. Surprisingly, very few gave any credit to Andy, John, Bud or Apple for the original innovation.Um, yeah.
