A BetaNews article about the MSN toolbar launch mentions something interesting about Apple’s Spotlight:

Apple recently added a desktop search feature of its own within the latest version of its operating system, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. Called Spotlight, the feature works much like MSN’s, which has caused some consternation internally within Microsoft.

Some within have claimed that Apple lifted the idea straight out of early builds of Longhorn. Apple, on the other hand, said publicly that the idea for Spotlight had been in the works for several years—long before any inklings of improved search capabilities within Windows came out of Redmond.

Deep Thought Take:Apple claims MS is copying them. MS claims Apple is copying them. Let the games begin.

Apple filed to patent a Spotlight-like search system in January 2000. (article)