This one is the most mysterious of all. Good coverage from Mac zines, too. I
just can't say what to make of it... the WSJ article was fwded earlier
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Microsoft wants to help Apple retain MacOS market share
By Cara Cunningham
InfoWorld Electric
Posted at 10:13 AM PT, Aug 12, 1996
Microsoft Corp. is devoting time, money, and resources to make sure that the
market share held by Apple Computer Inc.'s competing MacOS will not dwindle to
non-existence.
According to an article in Monday's Wall Street Journal, Microsoft has
established a San Jose, Calif.-based division that will eventually employ
about 60 people to help developers write Internet-related applications for the
Macintosh platform.
Headed by Don Bradford, who hails from Macintosh application publishers Aldus
Corp. and Claris Corp., this group's mission is to help Mac developers in a
range of ways, including the possibility of offering cash grants of up to
$100,000, the article said.
The move, an odd one coming from Microsoft who battled with Apple for market
share in the personal computer operating system market -- and won -- appears
to have at least two motivations behind it, according to the Journal.
First, Microsoft is the leading seller of Mac-based applications and would
lose this market if Apple's share sank below its current six percent into
insignificance. Second, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant is concerned
that if the MacOS no longer competes with Windows, Microsoft will once again
fall under the close scrutiny of the Justice Department, the article said.
The Justice Department's on-going investigation of Microsoft's competitive
practices could heat up considerably if Microsoft had one less competitor in
the PC operating system market.
Microsoft's Bradford, who mentioned the Justice Department threat in the
article, also said that part of his group's mission is to bring innovative
Macintosh technology to the Windows operating system.