Deal Generally Gets a Vote of Confidence
At ground zero, Macworld Expo attendees greeted Steve Jobs’ announcement Wednesday that Microsoft Corp. was coming to the aid of ailing Apple Computer with boos and hisses. But outside the inner circle of ultra-loyalists who traveled to Boston for the annual trade show, reaction to the new alliance was greeted by Macintosh users with a hearty dose of optimism, pragmatism and enthusiasm.
“This means that Apple’s going to be here to stay, and that’s one of the biggest things the industry has been worried about,” said Larry Moon, vice president of Di-No Computers, an Apple reseller in Pasadena. “[Microsoft founder] Bill Gates wouldn’t be investing in this company if he didn’t think it was viable, and everyone respects his business ideas.”
Although die-hard Mac fans hold Gates in about as much regard as Darth Vader, rank-and-file users have long used their Macintosh computers to run Microsoft programs, such as Word and Excel. To them, the biggest threat to Apple doesn’t come from Redmond, Wash., but from the marketplace, where Apple’s market share has slid to a mere 5.3%.
“Anything that touches Microsoft gets a seal of approval, and touching Apple to the extent of $150 million is a nice boost,” said Len Wines, senior vice president of the Los Angeles Macintosh Group and a Macintosh consultant. “This is a great vote of confidence.”
In addition to buying $150 million worth of Apple stock, Microsoft promised to step up its development of software for the Macintosh, in part thanks to a more liberal cross-licensing agreement that gives each firm broader access to the other’s patents.
That is expected to encourage other software developers to stick with the Mac platform, which, in turn, should make the Mac more attractive to computer shoppers.
Guerrino De Luca, Apple’s vice president of marketing, acknowledged Wednesday that the company knew it risked alienating loyalists by turning to Microsoft for help.
“But the majority of our users will understand that we’ve chosen to give a future to the Mac,” he said, “and that’s what they care about most.”
Besides, he said, the Microsoft agreement doesn’t put an end to the rivalry. “The Mac continues to be better than the PC,” De Luca said, “and we won’t stop saying that.”
Times staff writer Greg Miller contributed to this report.
