Divergence

While Apple consolidates their hardware line from iPhones to Macs to Xserves on the same core set of Apple software technology based on OS X, Apple's software for Windows is suffering from a severe split-personality disorder.



QuickTime

The grandaddy of Apple's cross-platform technology, a quasi classic MacOS API on top of Windows. These days everything except the player window looks like a well behaved Windows citizen.

The main window is custom, standard Windows controls on the dialog panels, slightly funky menu.



iTunes

The stepchild of QuickTime, obviously based on the same cross-platform technology as QuickTime.

The main window is custom, standard Windows controls on the dialog panels, another different slightly funky menu.



Safari 3

What was originally an Objective-C app with a C++ framework was ported to Windows sitting on top of Apple's own CoreGraphics on Windows, Apple technology right down to the font rendering! The strange thing of course is that there is no sign of Objective-C, did they rewrite the Safari application in some new UI kit?

Everything is a custom (for Windows) Mac look, right down to the Preferences panel.



Apple Software Update

Looks like a native Windows app, Windows controls all the way through.



So we see Apple using three different platforms on Windows, the QuickTime originated platform for QT/iTunes, a new CoreGraphics/CF based one for Safari and native Windows controls for Software Update. While Apple pushes all the developers on the Mac towards Cocoa and new API's, Apple is not really following their own advice on Windows. Not to mention there is no sign of Objective-C anywhere.

The whole thing leaves more questions than answers. QuickTime on OS X is heading towards Objective-C, where is the QT SDK on Windows going? Is Safari a trial run for a new CoreGraphics based platform on Windows that QuickTime and iTunes will use ? Is it impossible to teach a Windows programmer Objective-C? Was it Colonel Mustard in the Conservatory with the Candlestick?