The picture that made Steve Jobs stroke out

That's it, above.

Looks innocuous enough, doesn't it?

So why the sensational headline?

Because in contrast to what you're looking at above — 190 pixels wide as it accompanied yesterday's New York Times Business section online story by Laurie J. Flynn about Apple's sensational second quarter financial results, with 88% profit growth and its stock topping the $100 mark for the first time ever — the photo occupied half the width of page three of yesterday's dead tree version.

When it's that large (below)

you can see quite clearly that whichever store's displaying the iPod has placed Microsoft's Zune right in the center of the Apple display.

Look right above the Apple icon:

there are two Zunes in the bottom row, one just above and yet another up top.

Microsoft's prank or intentional effort, whichever it was, deserves a huge pat on the back from the executive offices in Redmond.

Ha.

Bet Steve Jobs choked on his granola when he turned the page and saw it.

And another thing: why is the guy in the picture — whom we assume is a hip consumer, what with his Bluetooth headset and all — doing such an impressive Steve Jobs — wardrobe, shoes, hairstyle, face and all — impersonation?

Note: All photo manipulations were performed by my crack computer graphics department using its proprietary PhotoFlop™* software.

*Price on request.