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Steve Jobs was able to get Microsoft to keep writing Office for the Mac, MS and Adobe to support OS X, the music labels to come to iTunes, Disney to iTunes, app developers to come to iPhone, and Netflix to come to the iPad.

Apple now can’t get anyone to support new platforms



> Steve Jobs was able to get Microsoft to keep writing Office for the Mac.

That was a contractual arrangement. Apple agreed to make Internet Explorer its default browser on macOS for 5 years, and Microsoft agreed to continue to offer the Mac version of Microsoft Office. Also, Microsoft was allowed to purchase $150 million in non-voting Apple stock.

I was in the audience when Steve announced this deal at MacWorld Boston in 1998. This was the famous "Microsoft doesn't have to lose in order for Apple to win" speech, after the audience booed when Bill Gates’ face was displayed on a large screen.

And let's be clear: Microsoft had run afoul of antitrust laws, so having Apple being seen as a viable company was in Microsoft's best interest.

After the 5 years were up, Apple introduced Safari.




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