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Tech District · VIDEO ESSAY

What Happened to Be Inc.? The Operating System Company Apple Almost Bought Instead of NeXT

What happened to Be Inc., the company Apple almost bought instead of NeXT? Founded by former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée, Be Inc. developed BeOS, a fast and innovative operating system designed for multimedia and multitasking. In 1996, Apple considered acquiring Be to replace its aging Mac OS, but negotiations fell apart. Instead, Apple purchased Steve Jobs' NeXT, changing the future of computing forever. Discover the rise and fall of Be Inc., the technology behind the BeBox and BeOS, its failed Apple deal, its battle for survival against Microsoft, and how it ultimately ended up selling its technology to Palm for just $11 million.

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What happened to Be Inc., the company Apple almost bought instead of NeXT?
Founded by former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée, Be Inc. developed BeOS, a fast and innovative operating system designed for multimedia and multitasking. In 1996, Apple considered acquiring Be to replace its aging Mac OS, but negotiations fell apart. Instead, Apple purchased Steve Jobs' NeXT, changing the future of computing forever.
Discover the rise and fall of Be Inc., the technology behind the BeBox and BeOS, its failed Apple deal, its battle for survival against Microsoft, and how it ultimately ended up selling its technology to Palm for just $11 million.

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