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This is a myth that Microsoft “bailed Apple out”. At the time of the MS deal, Apple had 4 Billion in the bank because of a loan that Amelia had already secured
by scarface74 4y ago
This is a myth that Microsoft “bailed Apple out”.
At the time of the MS deal, Apple had 4 Billion in the bank because of a loan that Amelia had already secured.
Microsoft invested $250 Million in Apple and a month later, Apple spent $100 million to buy out PowerComputing’s Mac license. It also took 4 years before Apple was profitable after the deal
The other myth is that Microsoft “agreed to port Office to the Mac” in 1997. By 1997, Word and Excel had been on the Mac since the mid 80s. MS agreed to keep supporting Office on the Mac.
- dlivingston 4y agoIt’s also rips the context out of the deal: Microsoft “bailed Apple out” because MS was deep in an antitrust lawsuit, and giving a cash infusion to your main competitor was a way to signal to legislators - “we’re not trying to be a monopoly!”
- scarface74 4y agoAnd while the look and feel lawsuit wasn’t going Apple’s way, indications are that the QuickTime lawsuit where it was clear that MS was using Apple’s Quicktime code that was licensed to a third party had legs. Also MS was much more concerned about snuffing out Netscape than Apple. Apple agreed to make IE the default browser on Macs. Besides, at the time, MS made more on each Mac sold than Apple because of Office.