BeOS would have been a disaster. Jobs gave Ive a chance to design an iconic iMac, which handily restored Apple's credibility and also helped get some money roll

BeOS would have been a disaster. Jobs gave Ive a chance to design an iconic iMac, which handily restored Apple's credibility and also helped get some money rolling in. And then the iPod, iPhone, iPad and the rest. I can't imagine BeOS going in the same direction. Macs would have been increasingly PC-like - but with a much nicer OS, and maybe brightly coloured plastic [1] instead of beige - and someone else would have eaten mobile. I suspect BeOS Macs would have ended up more like the Amiga - an item of nostalgia. Apple would likely have been sold off within a couple of years. [1] Probably purple.