In 1990, former Apple government Jean-Louis Gassée co-founded a brand new enterprise with the purpose of shaking up Silicon Valley.
Be Integrated, or because it got here to be recognized, ‘Be’, left an enduring impression on the worldwide know-how sector, regardless of finally slipping into relative obscurity. The objective? To create a brand new operating system utilizing C++ full with complementary {hardware}.
Joining forces with Steve Sakoman, a fellow Apple executive, the duo reportedly started creating a prototype desktop laptop simply in the future after Gassée left the tech big.
Be’s two-pronged strategy to attaining Silicon Valley dominance centered across the BeOS working system and the BeBox laptop.
The previous was launched in 1995, and was surprisingly forward of its time, being constructed primarily as a “media OS”, geared toward with the ability to deal with the anticipated onslaught of digital media in years to return.
This included help for analog and digital audio, with later variations providing customers full 32-bit colour graphics, digital desktops (often called ‘workspaces’) and afterward with browser help.
Initially, the working system was designed to run on PowerPC-based processors, however naturally later shipped with the BeBox gadget.
Under the hood of the BeBox
Released in 1995, the BeBox PC was the company’s flagship product running on BeOS. The short-lived workstation boasted two PowerPC CPUs, in addition to a customized “GeekPort” I/O board.
When first launched, the twin PowerPC CPUs clocked in at a whopping 66 MHz, however have been later upgraded to 133 MHz.
Secure to say, the BeBox didn’t precisely blow competitors out of the water. Precise particulars on gross sales volumes are scarce, however are believed to have been limited. Round 1,000 66 MHz BeBoxes are thought to have been offered, with the later, extra highly effective fashions, recording round 800 gross sales.
Be scrapped manufacturing of the gadget in early 1997.
BeOS continued till after the flip of the millennium, albeit with a restricted consumer base in comparison with others in the marketplace. Whereas the corporate didn’t disclose the variety of customers on the OS, it’s believed to have been operating on as much as 100,000 units globally in 1999.
The OS was, for some, considered as a number one various to the Home windows and Mac working techniques.
Crossing paths
Notably, the launch of Be and its efforts to shake up the hardware industry came around the same time Steve Jobs was on his hiatus from Apple. Indeed, the company’s fate rested on Jobs’ success with his own venture, NeXT.
Shortly after the release of BeOS, Apple scrapped its infamous Copland project, aimed at modernizing the Macintosh operating system.
Naturally, BeOS was in the crosshairs and in 1996 the tech giant made a formal bid of $120 million, which was initially rejected. A later bit of $200 million was also rebuffed, with Gassée intent on holding firm for a $275 million offer.
As a result, Apple turned its attention elsewhere, finding the perfect answer to its OS woes in the form of the NeXTSTEP operating system.
Financial struggles at the company resulted in mass layoffs in 2001, and the company was acquired by Palm for a fee of $11 million. Gassée stayed put during the transition, but left in early 2002, ending his involvement in the company.
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