While Apple and Microsoft may not be the battle it used to be — Apple’s current success comes from the mobile industry, a place where Windows phones can’t hold a candle, meanwhile, Microsoft still rules the home computer market if, for nothing, else, the proliferation of the Windows OS — it’s nice to revisit these stories from time to time. Thanks to a group of Windows supporters, disguised as construction workers, some Apple fans in Hamburg, Germany were reminded there are other choices to be made in relation to the tech industry.

The trolling in question saw the Hamburg Apple store get defaced with a Windows logo, which as already been removed. Thankfully, the would-be vandals documented the defacing for all of us to see:

The question that pops up, especially after reading the following at Edible Apple, is did Microsoft put these “artists” up to the task? It doesn’t sound like it’s outside the realm of possibility, especially after this:

Though this was clearly the work of some enterprising pranksters, it’s not all that uncommon to see official Windows branding so close to Apple retail stores. Not only have the folks in Redmond made a habit of placing new Microsoft stores in the vicinity of existing Apple retail stores, but they even went so far as to construct Microsoft-branded “I’m a PC” kiosks outside of a few US and UK-based Apple Stores where folks could create their own “I’m a PC” video.

What say you? Enterprising folks who wanted to make a joke at Apple’s expense or a Microsoft-backed prank?

At this point, I’m open to either suggestion.

In other news, this is not the first Apple defacement I’ve seen so far. Over at Reddit, there’s this gem. It has some NSFW language, but it’s a creative way to voice your opinion about a product.