In an article regarding Palm’s decision to use Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 5.0 for their next Treo (see related article Palm goes to the dark side, next Treo to use Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0), Tech pundit Rob Enderle writes:
“It is interesting to note, that few seem to remember that Microsoft wrote the first MacOS under contract to Apple nearly two decades ago but, like most Apple partnerships, this one also ended badly.” – Rob Enderle, September 26th, 2005
Let’s pause to let that one sink in… savor, bask, indulge… Okay, one more time:
“It is interesting to note, that few seem to remember that Microsoft wrote the first MacOS under contract to Apple nearly two decades ago but, like most Apple partnerships, this one also ended badly.” – Rob Enderle, September 26th, 2005
Huh? Count us among the few that don’t remember a bit of that historical tidbit. We thought Apple’s Macintosh team designed and built the original Macintosh hardware and software: Bill Atkinson, Chris Espinosa, Joanna Hoffman, George Crow, Burrell Smith, Jerry Manock, Jef Raskin and Andy Hertzfeld. We searched all over, but cannot find anything about Microsoft writing the first Mac OS. Can you? About the only thing we can think of that Endere might mean is that Apple licensed Microsoft’s Applesoft Basic for the Apple II. Is that what he means? Or perhaps he means that Steve Jobs recruited Microsoft to be the first third party applications software developer for the Mac?
Some of the places we looked (and failed) to find out about how Microsoft wrote the first Mac OS under contract to Apple:
• kernelthread.com – The Macintosh
• Wikipedia – Mac OS
• Jef Raskin – Recollections of the Macintosh project
• MacKiDo – Early Mac OS
• Encyclopædia Britannica – Macintosh and the first affordable GUI
• Folklore.org: Andy Hertzfeld – The first time we demoed the Macintosh to Microsoft
• Folklore.org: Andy Hertzfeld – Steve Jobs confronts Bill Gates about copying the Mac
Enderle’s full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: So, are we among the few that don’t remember that “Microsoft wrote the first Mac OS under contract to Apple nearly two decades ago” or has Enderle just taken his “Enderleness” to hitherto unknown level?
What a turd
Wow. What an idiot. I’ve read every book on Apple for the past 15 years and never found a single shred of evidence to support that. What an idiot.
If Tera were around she’d rip the guy. Thanks MDN for exposing such idiocy.
Bambi Hambi
Mac360
How could Microsoft have written the first MacOS “nearly two decades ago” when the first MacOS was written well before that (for Lisa) and at least by 1984.
MS developed some of the first apps available for the Macintosh.
Who is it that signs his checks? I need a job and know absolutley nothing of Apples’ history. Shoot me a line Rob. Seriously
Is this what is called revisionist history?
I think he meant when it comes to software developement…i could be wrong…
I think Enderle is probably thinking of AppleSoft BASIC, the floating point BASIC written by Microsoft for the Apple ][ and licensed by Apple in 1977.
How can anyone take analysis written by an analyst that doesn’t do his research?
I’m afraid there’s to be no end to Enderle’s moronity (I know it’s not a word but it just sounds so right for him).
MS did NOT write the original Mac OS. I don’t know where he pulled this tidbit from, but it’s probably better that way. I’ve read every book ever written about Apple and, no, it’s absolutely 100% not true. There isn’t even some slight connection that could be blown out of proportion to concoct such an idea. The original Mac OS was probably 90% finished before MS even knew it existed.
One could, however, argue that Apple wrote the first version of Windows ; )
Microsoft has NEVER even written their OWN operating system, having bought the first one (MS-DOS) and stolen the other (Windows).
Enderle needs to up his lithium dose.
BTW, just one more thing…
“With a Palm user experience which rivals Apple’s, that being no surprise given Palm’s Apple roots…”
Uh, what roots, Rob? Palm came from Apple? Apple invested in Palm? Nada. About the only ‘roots’ could be some former Apple employees helped create Palm at US Robotics. That’s hardly ‘Apple roots.’
Bambi Hambi
Mac360
Where does this guy get these fairy tales from? The first Mac OS was done by Apple for Apple and then in 1995 Windows came out with there clone OS. A bad imitation but it was the same.
MS signs his checks, and since MS is running so scared of Google and Apple and Linux, they’re writing bigger checks than normal to idiots like Enderle.
Hope no-one followed the link to his bankrupt, vaporous site…
What a joy to learn history from the great Tech Pundit Rob Enderle:
“Microsoft wrote the first MacOS under contract to Apple”
ah, yes… and George Washington wrote the first draft of the Gettysburg Address (from the grave no less)!
Enderle must be getting paid big bucks from Microsoft to spew this level of FUD to the masses. Sad thing is that there will be an army of folks who believe him blindly without questioning where in the world he got that information. I do not even see how folks consider him a “journalist.”