William...no, it's been since quite a bit before this thread, however it was this thread and the other related one that has brought it to prominence, that's all.
Personally I'm not much of a fan of the Apple look, but I know it's popular, but as with Registered trademarks for any such product, we have to show a reasonable degree of 'restraint' in their use/acceptance.
As I mentioned earlier, Microsoft is extremely unlikely to have any issues with a skinner's use of their imagery, as it's intended to enhance their [Microsoft's] product.
The same cannot be said for several other companies, however...