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How Microsoft beat Apple to buy PowerPoint for $14M

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Re: How Microsoft beat Apple to buy PowerPoint for $14M

#41

Post by cookiemonsta »

pmarreck wrote: post #11
martin-adams wrote: post #3

I think it's so ironic that the first version of Powerpoint was for Mac which ended up helping give Windows it's name when running Office. I've seen Powerpoint used for so many crazy things. Most notably non-technical managers designing a UI in Powerpoint. It's just one of those, lets just get the job done pieces of software.

The first version of Excel was ALSO for Mac. I think the Macintosh doesn't get enough credit for what it inspired at the time.

I believe Halo, one of the Xbox's most popular games, had its first version (first one you could buy, i mean) on Mac

Re: How Microsoft beat Apple to buy PowerPoint for $14M

#42

Post by Quinner »

babuskov wrote: post #27
ralfd wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

4 years?? Holy shit, what a return.

That's interesting. I also read it as "Four", but now I look at it and it reads "five". Could be some brain trick.

Interesting, same here, perhaps we actually processed the numeral in the child comment subconsciously while reading the written-out five in the parent.

Re: How Microsoft beat Apple to buy PowerPoint for $14M

#43

Post by wlesieutre »

Razengan wrote: post #13
pmarreck wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The first version of Excel was ALSO for Mac. I think the Macintosh doesn't get enough credit for what it inspired at the time.

As well as the first SimCity and a few other series that started in the Apple ecosystem. One of the bigger ironies is how Doom was developed on NeXTSTEP then went on to make the IBM PC cool among gamers. Also the first web server if I'm not mistaken. Thankfully, unlike the Amiga etc. the Mac didn't completely die and has been having a great resurgence in the past half-decade. Looking forward to this Monday and hoping…

Halo was being developed for Mac as well, until MS went and bought Bungie. They presented on stage at MacWorld in 1999.

Re: How Microsoft beat Apple to buy PowerPoint for $14M

#44

Post by ethbro »

wlesieutre wrote: post #43
Razengan wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As well as the first SimCity and a few other series that started in the Apple ecosystem. One of the bigger ironies is how Doom was developed on NeXTSTEP then went on to make the IBM PC cool among gamers. Also the first web server if I'm not mistaken. Thankfully, unlike the Amiga etc. the Mac didn't completely die and has been having a great resurgence in the past half-decade. Looking forward to this Monday and hoping…

Halo was being developed for Mac as well, until MS went and bought Bungie. They presented on stage at MacWorld in 1999.

sighs Oh, Marathon.

Re: How Microsoft beat Apple to buy PowerPoint for $14M

#45

Post by 27182818284 »

I know lots of folks my age that loved Hypercard. Deal of the century? No, but Hypercard not going mainstream was a huge missed opportunity. I mean I know a generation now of people my age that grew up with that and loved that product in elementary school and all of us ended up doing lousy powerpoints in high school, college, and beyond.

(Additionally given the programming-like nature of Hypercard, I wonder how many more young folks would have entered programming related fields...)

Re: How Microsoft beat Apple to buy PowerPoint for $14M

#47

Post by Spivak »

babuskov wrote: post #30
eli wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Vim is a tiny fraction of a percent of word processor usage. Most people like GUIs.

Yes. Most people who aren't in the tech just launch a word processor (word, libreoffice, etc.) Tech people on Windows use Notepad or a similar GUI program. Vim is used by a tiny, tiny fraction of people in the world.

> Tech people on Windows use Notepad.

I'm always horrified to see this. MS really shot themselves in the foot with the dev community by not providing a powerful text editor as the default. Getting a WinAdmin to enjoy the UNIX'y way of doing things is like trying to feed a child broccoli.

Re: How Microsoft beat Apple to buy PowerPoint for $14M

#49

Post by baldfat »

bad_user wrote: post #31
baldfat wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK same kind of idea: Netscape vs Internet Explorer (MS just gave the browser away for free) For a good 6 months Netscape was out "selling" IE but eventually IE won the war for a good 15 years.

Back then Internet Explorer was the superior product, being fast and clutter free.

> Fifteen months ago, the Redmond giant decided to get serious about the Internet. Never too proud to imitate a competitor's success, Microsoft issued its own browser, the Microsoft Explorer, offered it for free over the Net, made deals to ship it with new computers and versions of America Online and CompuServe, and vowed to build Web-browsing into its Windows operating system and business software. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=199...

Let's not forget that IE was actually a bought product by MS:

> The first iteration of the Internet Explorer platform shipped on August 16, 1995 but was essentially a rehash for an existing product called Spyglass Mosaic which Microsoft had licensed. IE was originally shipped to retail as part of the “Internet Jumpstart Kit” but could also be pre-installed with a new Windows 95 PC. http://www.neowin.net/news/internet-explorer-version-1-10-a-...

Re: How Microsoft beat Apple to buy PowerPoint for $14M

#50

Post by cloudjacker »

coldcode wrote: post #35
raldi wrote: post #15

The deal of the century was when SAIC bought Network Solutions for $4.7M in 1995. Five years later, they sold it to VeriSign for $21B.

Hedge fund bought Skype for around $1B and sold it to MS for $8B

So let this be a lesson in ROI

4.7m to 21B is more impressive

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