Analysing the Mac to innovate Windows

Date: January 1994

Synopsis
translation: copy the best features of the Mac into the Windows API. Provide them on both platforms but don't let the Mac version look too nice.

Snippet
From: Steven Sinofsky To: Bill Gates: Subject: Re: Marginal cost for Mac Date: Friday, January 28, 1994 7:23 PM

For all this we should be analysing the Mac system as it evolves and improves and innovating what makes sense. Whenever we do this, we should make sure it gets expressed in both the Mac and Windows through WLM. This sort of makes our Windows APIs on the Mac the union of the features and gives more features to windows. This is very hard and should only be a goal, not a requirement.

..

With Wings, I think, optimistically, there is a real chance to undermine the Mac. Features that are Mac-specific could lose a lot of luster if they don't come from Wings and Wings is the way all the smaller commercial mac programs get writer.

..

From: Bill Gates To: Steven Sinofsky Subject: Re: Marginal cost for Mac Date: Friday, January 28, 1994 4:13 PM

I am still trying to figure out how we can get lots of ISVs to use Wings without actually strengthening Mac against Windows by making it a nice Windows clone and letting people like LOTUS easily attack us.

Full Exhibit
http://boycottnovell.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/px02002.pdf