X-POP3-Rcpt: jaques.law@louise Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996 13:54:13 -0600 From: Donald Jaques Reply-To: djaques@eagle.wbm.ca MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Kevin Eric Jaques Subject: [Fwd: [Fwd: Apple and Next]] Received: from maelstrom.stjohns.edu (maelstrom.stjohns.edu [149.68.1.24]) by eagle.wbm.ca (8.6.9/8.6.6) with ESMTP id TAA02190 for ; Sun, 22 Dec 1996 19:23:18 -0600 Received: from maelstrom.stjohns.edu by maelstrom.stjohns.edu (LSMTP for OpenVMS v1.0a) with SMTP id 662E522C ; Sun, 22 Dec 1996 20:08:45 -1300 Received: from SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU by SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 1.8b) with spool id 0112 for HELIX-L@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU; Sun, 22 Dec 1996 20:09:20 -0500 Received: from SJUVM (NJE origin SMTP@SJUVM) by SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 0111; Sun, 22 Dec 1996 20:08:44 -0500 Received: from pinegov by SJUVM.stjohns.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R3) with TCP; Sun, 22 Dec 96 20:08:43 EST Received: from 136.174.202.13 by pinegov (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id PAA28954; Sun, 22 Dec 1996 15:07:23 -0500 X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0 (Macintosh; I; PPC) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="------------718B124835EC" Approved-By: "Larry R. Bedore" Message-ID: <32BD954A.7BDF@co.pinellas.fl.us> Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 20:08:45 +0000 Reply-To: lbedore@pinegov.co.pinellas.fl.us Sender: Helix Express Discussion List From: "Larry R. Bedore" Organization: MEO Dist 6 FL Subject: [Fwd: Apple and Next] To: Multiple recipients of list HELIX-L X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 FYI -- Larry R. Bedore, Dir of Opns Quote: Medical Examiner Dist 6, FL “Stay alert!, 813-582-6800 Everyone needs a lert.” Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Return-Path: Received: from mail-out1.apple.com by pinegov (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id HAA23739; Sat, 21 Dec 1996 07:31:31 -0500 Received: from scv3.apple.com (A17-128-100-121.apple.com [17.128.100.121]) by mail-out1.apple.com (8.7.5/8.7.3) with ESMTP id JAA31882; Sat, 21 Dec 1996 09:30:29 -0800 Received: from [17.3.243.21] ([17.3.243.21]) by scv3.apple.com (8.7.5/8.7.3) with SMTP id JAA81662; Sat, 21 Dec 1996 09:32:09 -0800 Message-Id: <199612211732.JAA81662@scv3.apple.com> Subject: Apple and Next Date: Sat, 21 Dec 96 12:31:29 -0500 x-sender: hageloh@mail.apple.com x-mailer: Claris Emailer 1.1 From: Michael Hageloh To: "Steve Wolfe" , "Larry Bedore" , "Ken Nelson" , "Landon Ross" , "Gerry Bruger" , "John Phelps" , "Tom Knecht" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" BY CATALINA ORTIZ Associated Press SAN JOSE -- Apple Computer Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs, who oversaw the creation of its Macintosh before his bitter ouster more than a decade ago, will return to help revitalize the Mac's aging software. In a remarkable reunion, Apple and Next -- the company Jobs founded after leaving Apple -- reached an agreement late Friday, a spokeswoman for Next said. Details of the accord were not immediately available, but the companies scheduled a news conference at Apple's Cupertino headquarters. The announcement ends weeks of speculation about Apple's plans for updating the Macintosh's software, widely considered one of the most critical decisions in the company's history. Apple hopes a more-advanced operating system -- which controls the Macintosh's basic functions --will help it regain technological leadership and keep it a significant player in the personal computer industry. But its own efforts to develop the program fizzled earlier this year. Recent published reports said Apple was talking with Be Inc., headed by former Apple chief technologist, Jean-Louis Gassee, and Sun Microsystems Inc. as well as Next. Be previously was believed to be Apple's first choice. But it lost the deal because Gassee demanded a price Apple rejected as too high, according to the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the renewed Apple-Jobs tie Friday. The announcement came hours after financial markets closed. Reaction to a likely deal appeared mixed as investors sorted out the impact on Apple. Apple stock, down in early trading, closed up $1.25 at $23.50 a share on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Industry analysts said before the announcement that an agreement with Next -- even if it's Apple's second choice -- makes sense for Apple, the nation's third-largest maker of personal computers. ``The logic of it is certainly there -- both in terms of the technology Next offers and, I'm guessing, the economic terms,'' said Robert G. Herwick, president of Herwick Capital Management in San Francisco. Next's software, used in high-end business computers, is admired for its ``object orientation'' --technology that helps developers write new software quickly and simply. It also is good at ``multitasking'' -- running several different functions at once -- and is highly unlikely to crash. All those are qualities Macintosh users have long wanted. The need to reinvigorate the Mac's aging operating software has taken on more importance in recent years. It has lost significant market share as PCs using Microsoft Corp.'s Windows OS largely eroded the Mac's traditional ease-of-use advantage. The alliance marks an extraordinary -- and ironic -- reunion between Apple and the man responsible for the original Macintosh. Jobs co-founded Apple in 1976 but left nine years later after losing a power struggle when then-chief executive officer John Sculley. Jobs then founded Next Computer Co. in Redwood City, Calif. But the company's sleek black workstation computers never caught on, and in 1993, Next got out of the hardware business and concentrated on software. It officially changed its name in January to Next Software. ``Jobs has come full circle,'' said Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies Research International in San Jose. ``When he went to start Next, in his view he was going to create the next great computer with both hardware and software. Of course, his hardware vision failed miserably, but he always had faith in his underlying operating system,'' Bajarin said. ``You could now argue he is putting his system back into the Apple world and in essence creating the next great OS.'' Users are not likely to see any big difference in the ``look and feel'' of Mac computers running on a Mac-Next software system. However, a new system is expected to run much faster than current models and crash far less often. Mac users will not be immediately affected by any Apple decision about the operating system because analysts and software developers expect that it will take at least a year to develop. But Eric Lewis, an analyst with International Data Corp. in Mountain View, Calif., pointed out that Apple will need to make sure that current Macintosh applications work with the new operating system. That will be a tricky task, given the great technical differences between the Mac and Next operating systems. Despite the challenges, Apple is betting that a state-of-the-art operating system that outperforms Windows will encourage more software developers to write hot new applications for its computers. That would, the company hopes, not only keep Mac fans loyal but attract new users. ``Apple must once again position itself as the `computer for the rest of us,''' said Frank Chiachiere, a computer science student at the University of Pennsylvania, quoting an old Mac advertising slogan. ``Apple needs to emerge once again as having a powerful product that's easy to use, friendly, and, most of all fun,'' he said. Five Key Points Proof of a New Open Apple. Embracing outside technology and cross platform industry standards, Apple believes it can innovate in the key areas that give its products and technology differentiation. NeXT's cross-platform development environments in the enterprise and Internet/intranet space allow developers to write once and deploy across a range of Internet and client-server platforms. With Apple driving alliances in the Internet/intranet space, Apple technology will contribute to the further development of the information industry. Strengthened Enterprise Position. NeXT's dynamic object oriented development environments allow enterprise customers to develop software solutions quickly Strong Internet/Intranet Position. The acquisition of NeXT will significantly strengthen Apple's technology portfolio in the Internet/intranet space. Apple's current Internet products and technologies, when combined with NeXT's object-oriented Java-enabled open development platform, give the company a competitive advantage. Apple Computer believes the acquisition of NeXT will give the company the opportunity to become a preeminent development and deployment platform for Java technology. Kick-Start Apple's Software Business. The acquisition of NeXT's development environments for enterprise and Internet markets will allow Apple to supplement its growing list of software products with a ready-made portfolio of powerful customer-focused software solutions. Apple is committed to increasing the revenue it makes from its software business and the acquisition of NeXT will be a significant milestone in building a differentiated, sustainable and profitable software business. Delivery of Next Generation OS. NEXTSTEP's maturity, networking, customer and developer acceptance, multi-tasking, protected memory, scalability from portable to server-level products, information linking, and powerful object-oriented architecture - will provide the Mac Apple Computer, Inc., a recognized innovator in the information industry and leader in multimedia technologies, creates powerful solutions based on easy-to-use personal computers, servers, peripherals, software, personal digital assistants and Internet content. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple develops, manufactures, licenses and markets solutions, products, technologies and services for business, education, consumer, entertainment, scientific and engineering and government customers in more than 140 countries. Press Contacts: Katie Cotton Russell Brady Apple Computer, Inc. Apple Computer, Inc. (408) 974-7269 (415) 493-0244 email: katiec@apple.com email: brady2@apple.com Nicole Overson NeXT Software Inc. 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