Of course, that implies the MS investment was worth more than the new board.
Then again, I guess one could argue that the first seven (13 -> 20) were
due to the board, and the last six (20->26) due to Microsoft.
By the way, are you as appalled as I that people think "cross-licensing
patents" means the same as "sharing technology and code?" People seem to
think this means Microsoft gets Rhapsody and Apple gets Win32. Sheesh. All
it means is that we don't sue each other for stuff that is already published
in the patent books.
The other funny part is that people worry that this means Microsoft will be
able to use all Apple's advantages. As if M$ hasn't already copied,
reverse-engineered, or stole everything they wanted out of Apple already...
This way, they at least pay (an undisclosed sum) and now Apple gets to use
any great ideas that M$ comes up with or buys (can you say WebTV?). This is
very good for Apple, since we no longer have any long-term R&D, whereas M$
has hired some of the brightest minds around (maybe not smart, but bright
:-). Joe, filing any patents I should know about?
More interestingly, these people miss what Apple (after all these years)
finally understood. Apple and the Mac's advantage comes from design,
integration, and packaging. The few bits of true technical innovation are
much less important than using them in a consistent way to deliver benefit to
the users.
The truly amusing part is that it does tend to legitimize the viewpoint (now
enshrined in the Dilbert Future) that Apple is really Bill's R&D lab. With
the added bonus that it is now also his tax writeoff. :-)
-enp
Begin forwarded message:
From: Joe Barrera <joebar@microsoft.com>
To: FoRK <FoRK@pest.w3.org>
Subject: RE: Apple: (WSJ) Jobs Juices Up Apple With Surprise Gates Deal
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 09:42:57 -0700
X-Priority: 3
Return-Receipt-To: Joe Barrera <joebar@MICROSOFT.com>
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.0.1458.49)
> Investors cheered the news, sending Apple's beleaguered stock up
$6.5625, or
> 33%, to $26.3125 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading.
Insider trading laws suck.
- Joe
Joseph S. Barrera III <joebar@microsoft.com>
<http://research.microsoft.com/~joebar/>
Phone, Office: (415) 778-8227; Cellular: (415) 601-3719; Home: (415)
588-4801
The opinions expressed in this message are my own personal views and do
not reflect the official views of Microsoft Corporation.