3 ms·

how about Apple at the end of the 1990’s? They were almost ready to fold, got a new iCEO, and completely turned around to become the world’s most valuable comp

how about Apple at the end of the 1990’s? They were almost ready to fold, got a new iCEO, and completely turned around to become the world’s most valuable company two decades later.

DeathArrow 4y ago
They wouldn't have succeeded without much needed cash from Microsoft.
- simondotau 4y ago
  It wasn't strictly cash, it was an agreement to buy $150 million of stock as part of a Judge-approved settlement of a lawsuit which Apple was winning. The settlement was a win-win for both sides, because it meant Apple remained a healthy company and Microsoft got to avoid paying out BILLIONS to Apple. Instead they bought stock which they sold for a tidy profit ($550 million) a few years later. (Fun fact: if Microsoft hadn't sold this $150 million investment in Apple stock, it would be worth $120 BILLION today and this shareholding would be Microsoft's single most profitable business unit.)
  - sircastor 4y ago
    One of the important parts of that deal was Microsoft promising to develop Office for the Mac. There were definitely competing products out there, but the Mac needed Office.
    - simondotau 4y ago
      It's really impractical to second guess history, but I don't think Office was quite as necessary as people say. Its absence definitely would have hurt sales on the margins, but it certainly didn't affect the majority of Apple's customers. The reasons why people owned computers was exploding in the late 90s, with the advent of the internet and the home digital media revolution.
  - quickthrower2 4y ago
    What you don’t know is how much worse MS itself would have been without the 550M for whatever they used it for. Unlikely 120B worse off but it would be something.
    - simondotau 4y ago
      That might be true on the margins, but it's impossible to know. Maybe they would have not pursued the original Xbox and lost out on that enormous market. Or maybe they would not have pursued Windows Mobile/Windows Phone and saved a few billion dollars on a dead end...
XorNot 4y ago
Apple wouldn't have revitalised without the iPod though. However you slice it that 1 product is responsible for everything. Twitter is the product though, there's not an underserved market that they can move into.

how about Apple at the end of the 1990’s? They were almost ready to fold, got a new iCEO, and completely turned around to become the world’s most valuable company two decades later.

DeathArrow 4y ago

They wouldn't have succeeded without much needed cash from Microsoft.

simondotau 4y ago
It wasn't strictly cash, it was an agreement to buy $150 million of stock as part of a Judge-approved settlement of a lawsuit which Apple was winning. The settlement was a win-win for both sides, because it meant Apple remained a healthy company and Microsoft got to avoid paying out BILLIONS to Apple. Instead they bought stock which they sold for a tidy profit ($550 million) a few years later. (Fun fact: if Microsoft hadn't sold this $150 million investment in Apple stock, it would be worth $120 BILLION today and this shareholding would be Microsoft's single most profitable business unit.)
- sircastor 4y ago
  One of the important parts of that deal was Microsoft promising to develop Office for the Mac. There were definitely competing products out there, but the Mac needed Office.
  - simondotau 4y ago
    It's really impractical to second guess history, but I don't think Office was quite as necessary as people say. Its absence definitely would have hurt sales on the margins, but it certainly didn't affect the majority of Apple's customers. The reasons why people owned computers was exploding in the late 90s, with the advent of the internet and the home digital media revolution.
- quickthrower2 4y ago
  What you don’t know is how much worse MS itself would have been without the 550M for whatever they used it for. Unlikely 120B worse off but it would be something.
  - simondotau 4y ago
    That might be true on the margins, but it's impossible to know. Maybe they would have not pursued the original Xbox and lost out on that enormous market. Or maybe they would not have pursued Windows Mobile/Windows Phone and saved a few billion dollars on a dead end...

XorNot 4y ago

Apple wouldn't have revitalised without the iPod though. However you slice it that 1 product is responsible for everything. Twitter is the product though, there's not an underserved market that they can move into.