Now, I realize that there are bloggers out there that will take Microsoft to task over something they have done, or poke fun at Microsoft, in order to get pageviews.

Some do it when it is justified, or when seems funny at the moment (we’ve done both) and then there are those like MG Siegler at TechCrunch who will go to any length to find something to fault Microsoft for in order to get pageviews.

Case in point is a post he wrote today about the rumored Windows App Store that is possibly coming to Windows 8, and possibly Windows 7, which is based around a leaked image of the App Store.

In his post he compares the image of the Windows App Store to images of the already existing Mac App Store, the existing iOS App Store, the existing Chrome Web Store, the existing Android Market, with the overall implication that Microsoft is once again copying its competition.

As you can see from the image at the top of this post the Windows App Store is .. well .. plain and unsurprising. However in Siegler’s mind the App Store being presented is a rip off of Apple and Google’s presentation.

Now if Google’s app stores, Chrome Web Store and Android Market, came after Apple’s two different app store then they are just as guilty in copying Apple’s app stores as Microsoft is – at least using Siegler’s logic. Of course he covers his ass by pointing out how he had faulted Google for this copying; but in his opinion Microsoft is an even worse culprit because it is ripping off Google and Apple.

Last year, we ripped Google for ripping off the design of Apple’s App Store for their Chrome Web Store. This actually might be worse. It looks almost as if Microsoft is ripping off Google ripping off Apple. Again, allegedly — the shots aren’t confirmed.

Look, let’s get serious here for a moment and look beyond the need to bash anyone. When dealing with a mass consumer market there is only so much you can do when it comes to designing an easy to use web e-commerce site. If Microsoft is guilty of copying a style used by both Google and Apple then we had better start smacking around all those other big name e-commerce sites that pretty well copy each other.

The point is that at some level all of these types of App Store sites are going to look the same. It is inevitable. Period.

However, to call out Microsoft for something that isn’t even confirmed yet and is based on a leaked image in order to fill some posting quota and pageview count is … well .. moronic; but then that type of writing and fanboi-ism is par for the course.

[Cross-posted at Winextra]