Microsoft Wiki

Be sure to join our wiki's Discord server by clicking here
Also follow our wiki's Twitter by clicking here

READ MORE

Microsoft Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Apple Inc. (formerly Apple Computer, Inc.) is an American multinational technology company that specializes in computers, mobile devices, and online services. Microsoft and Apple have long been partners and rivals in the industry and switched places as the world's most valuable publicly traded company on multiple occasions.[1] The companies now host one another's software and services in their respective app stores.[2][3] Having rebounded from near-bankruptcy to become one of the largest technology companies in the world, Apple has since come under government investigations for anti-competitive practices.[4]

History[]

The Apple Computer Company was founded by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Wozniak in Santa Clara County, California on April 1, 1976. The company was incorporated on January 3, 1977 in Cupertino, California and named Apple Computer, Inc. for the next 30 years. The word "Computer" was removed from its name on January 9, 2007 to reflect the company's ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. As of 2021, Apple had 154,000 employees around the world, and worldwide annual sales of $365.8 billion.[5]

Apple and Microsoft[]

Applesoft BASIC cassette from Microsoft

Applesoft BASIC, Microsoft's first project with Apple Computer.

Microsoft's first project at Apple Computer was adapting its version of BASIC, which superseded Steve Wozniak's Integer BASIC to become Applesoft BASIC for the Apple II Plus computer, which was released in April 1979. In 1983, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs invited Bill Gates to preview the pre-release development of the Macintosh. In 1984, Microsoft began development on Microsoft Word 1.0 for Macintosh, which was released in the following year.[6][7] After Jobs was forced out of the company and Microsoft had released Windows 2.0 with a GUI that was similar to the Mac, Apple Computer, under CEO John Sculley, filed a federal lawsuit in 1988 against Microsoft.[6][8]

Macintosh_1984_Promotional_Video_-_with_Bill_Gates!

Macintosh 1984 Promotional Video - with Bill Gates!

Despite the ongoing lawsuit, Apple and Microsoft announced a joint effort in September 1989 to develop alternative printing systems to Adobe Systems' PostScript, such as TrueType. The companies intended to incorporate TrueType into new imaging technologies, such as Apple's QuickDraw GX and Microsoft's TrueImage.[9][10] John Warnock, who was the CEO of Adobe at the time, distraughtly called it "the biggest bunch of garbage mumbo jumbo I've ever heard in my life".[11] Adobe responded by developing Adobe Type Manager to maintain the presence of its Type 1 fonts in the desktop computer market.[9] However, when Apple was financially struggling in 1996, Adobe teamed up with Microsoft to develop OpenType as a successor to TrueType.[12][13]

Investment in Apple[]

Macworld_Boston_1997_-_The_Microsoft_Deal

Macworld Boston 1997 - The Microsoft Deal

After Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he negotiated an end to the lawsuits with Microsoft and agreed to cross-license technology between the two companies in exchange for Microsoft's commitment to continue developing software such as Microsoft Office for the Mac and an investment of $150 million in Apple non-voting shares (just under 5% of the company). Apple also agreed to include the Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser by default with future Mac OS releases for the next 5 years. Though the joint announcement by Jobs and Gates was met with shock at Macworld Expo Boston in 1997, the investment from Microsoft helped save Apple from bankruptcy.[6][14]

In 2002, after Apple had introduced the iPod, Microsoft, then under the leadership of Steve Ballmer, began selling its stake of 18.1 million shares of Apple stock. By 2003, all shares had been sold for $550 million, garnering a net profit of over 260% within 6 years. However, if Microsoft had held the shares until 2020, they would have been worth over $120 billion, representing a profit of over 85,000%.[14][15]

Macintosh Business Unit[]

The Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU) was established by Microsoft in 1997 to focus existing development teams on software for the resurgent Mac platform under Steve Jobs. In December 2002, Roz Ho was appointed as the general manager of the unit at Microsoft, which at the time was the largest Mac-development team outside of Apple Computer.[7][16]

Apple Platform Experiences[]

Around early 2014, the Macintosh Business Unit at Microsoft was reorganized into Apple Productivity Experiences (APEX) to reflect that Apple's mobile operating platforms (iOS, and later iPadOS) had grown to surpass the Mac.[17]

Apple platforms supported by Microsoft[]

References[]

  1. Microsoft eclipses Apple as largest U.S. company for first time in nearly 16 months by Emily Bary, MarketWatch. 2021-10-29.
  2. Satya Nadella wants Windows 11 to be the center of an open tech ecosystem by Robert Carnevale, Windows Central. 2021-06-24.
  3. New Apple services and apps are rolling out on Windows 11 and Xbox by Samuel Axon, Ars Technica. 2022-10-12.
  4. Google, Apple facing anti-competitive complaint in Mexico, Reuters. 2022-09-09.
  5. Apple Statistics (2022) by David Curry, Business of Apps. 2022-02-01.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Microsoft's relationship with Apple by Christoph Dernbach, Mac History. 2011-01-30. Archived 2012-02-16.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Macintosh Business Unit: 25 Years of Connecting Mac Users to Microsoft Productivity, Microsoft. 2009-01-06.
  8. Today in Apple history: Microsoft gets sued for ripping off Mac OS by Luke Dormehl, Cult of Mac. 2019-03-17.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Adobe-Apple war on Flash reminiscent of PostScript struggle by Daniel Eran Dilger, AppleInsider. 2010-05-14.
  10. Microsoft/Apple Deal Leaves Industry Reeling, InfoWorld p.1. 1989-09-25.
  11. War, InfoWorld p.101. 1989-09-25.
  12. Microsoft and Adobe Systems to Deliver Universal Font Format Brings Profit Alliance Model to Microsoft’s Small Business Web Site, Microsoft. 1996-05-06.
  13. Adobe Type: frequently asked questions, Adobe. Accessed 2019-12-10.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Nearly 20 Years Ago, Microsoft Sold Its Apple Stock for $550 Million--and Left $120 Billion on the Table by Jeff Haden, Inc. 2022-09-19.
  15. Microsoft once owned a chunk of Apple, here’s what it would have been worth today by Yaron Yitzhak, The Next Web. 2020-08-25
  16. Microsoft Appoints Seasoned Leader as Macintosh Business Unit General Manager, Microsoft. 2002-12-18.
  17. Review: Microsoft Word for iPad by Jeff Richardson, iPhone J.D. 2014-04-10.

External links[]

Stub
Stub
This article is a stub, an article too short to provide more than rudimentary information about a subject. You can help the Microsoft Wiki by expanding it.
Advertisement