Can you name one that isn't Apple? Intel: Sure, they had clashes over the decades (especially over Intel's forays into software, which Microsoft pushed damn ha

Can you name one that isn't Apple? Intel: Sure, they had clashes over the decades (especially over Intel's forays into software, which Microsoft pushed damn hard to kill, and over NT ports to other ISAs), but these are exceptions. Citrix: (From the fourth reference listed by https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Citrix_Systems#Microsoft_relationship https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Citrix_System...) "Citrix's relationship with Microsoft was key to the company's growth. Microsoft's Windows was exceedingly popular, and Citrix allowed network users to run Windows, even if they used Macintosh computers, which had a completely different operating system. The two companies were deeply intertwined. Iacobucci had known Bill Gates for years, Microsoft was a major investor in Citrix, and much of Citrix's growth was due to the demand for access to Windows. But Microsoft shocked Citrix in 1997 when it announced that it was considering building its own version of Windows networking technology, supplanting Citrix with a home-grown Microsoft product. Citrix's stock plummeted on this news, as it did not seem possible for Citrix to survive without Microsoft. Yet in some ways, Microsoft's new plan didn't make sense. At that point, no one besides Citrix made anything like what Citrix made, so there was no chance of Microsoft licensing the technology from another company. And it would take Microsoft some time to develop a comparable program, probably years. Iacobucci flew to Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, with a crew of advisors and negotiators and prepared for a long stay. The Citrix team camped out in a suite of apartments and hammered out an agreement with Microsoft over a period of months. Finally Citrix announced that it had signed a new licensing agreement with Microsoft, promising Citrix $75 million immediately, and another $100 million spread over several years. Microsoft would endorse Citrix's Windows networking systems for five more years." Just because a partner is strong doesn't mean they're not a partner.