Microsoft considered pulling Mac Office 97 to hurt Apple
A fascinating document has come to light, as part of the Iowa anti-trust trial, that shows the dismal view Microsoft had of Apple and the Mac back in ’97 (so what’s new?)
It suggests that they were seriously considering dropping Mac Office 97 altogether, in a bid to have more bargaining power with Apple, or otherwise to significantly hurt them.
“Although the Mac is declining,” wrote Bill Gates, “if we move ahead on this product we should ask for the subs with localised product to make a real effort.”
Microsoft decided that finishing the Mac version of Office would be beneficial in order to keep their word to customers and the press, but also because they could use the Mac version for experimentation, ‘because Mac Office is so much less critical to our business than Windows’.
And you wonder why Microsoft software on the Mac is even more painful than that on Windows?
The full PDF document is available here
(Via PC World)
