Well after reading this article posted here and looking around the internet for more information about this (Engadget, Arstechnica, etc.) I get the impression that what he meant by looking to Apple for inspiration doesn't mean copying the UI. To me it sounds like he's trying to say that Microsoft decided to make Windows a more fluid experience through animations, fading queues and the way elements are loaded in graphically (first the basic frame of the window fades in and then the elements within appear). If you've used older versions of Windows you can tell that there have been changes made here to make the user feel as if the entire experience is smoother.
This is similar to what Apple has done with Mac OS since X was released. It's not that Macs run applications any faster than Windows machines (it really is application specific as to which OS runs an app better on the same hardware), but Macs give off a more user friendly presentation by making things feel like they're flowing more smoothly. If you've used Vista and 7 you can tell that the underworkings of the two are VERY VERY similar and give similar performance. It's just that the Windows 7 team already had a lot of the tech built up from Vista so they just tweaked it to give a smoother presentation to the user - much like what Mac OS does. This makes the user feel as if the OS is more responsive and more stable.
For example: In Vista when a window is still loading up you get that annoying glowing circular mouse pointer, the window that's not responding turns to a white tint and is pretty much unusable. In Windows 7 an unresponsive window will still show elements within it that have been loaded up and I've noticed windows going to that white tint less often. Small details like this are what makes Macs seem so responsive and stable - and now the same is true for Windows.
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