If this story is to believed, it may well go down as Microsoft's single biggest screw-up since ... well, since Vista was rolled out not so long ago.

PCR, a British trade publication, claims that in a recent interview, a Microsoft manager said the new Windows 7 was based on the anti-Windows itself.

That's right, on Mac OS X. Could it be?

The manager's name is Simon Aldous, and his remarks are igniting quite a feud among the companies and their legions of supporters, Fort Lauderdale computer repair experts say. So who is this guy and is the comment legit?

The legitimacy of the comment is almost secondary to the PR nightmare he has created talking about Apple's "fantastic" and "easy to use" operating system.

A little polite praise of one's adversary is harmless enough, of course. That wasn't even the actual quote in question. This was what sparked the controversy:

"What we've tried to do with Windows 7, whether it's traditional format or in a touch format, is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics."

It gets worse. The reporter followed up with this question that no doubt solidified the public's perception: "So you've taken the style of the Mac platform and built it on the more solid foundations of Vista?"

It wasn't flatly denied at the time, but Microsoft promptly sprung into action. Less than 24 hours later, a company rep called this "an inaccurate quote."

The internal damage control continued.

"Unfortunately, this came from a Microsoft employee who was not involved in any aspect of designing Windows 7," the company's official site says. "I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments are inaccurate and uninformed."

Wow.

Continue reading about the supposed Windows 7 inspiration and its link to the Mac OS, and the man behind it, here.