Apple Claims Financial Hardship in Power Buyout
Two sources of information, a press conference yesterday and a purported memo from Steve Jobs to Apple employees, add details to the clone licensing situation. Apple claims that Power Computing’s sales came almost entirely at the expense of Apple’s sales, and that licensing fees didn’t come close to covering the cannibalization. According to Apple, Power wasn’t willing to pay enough, although one wonders how these numbers compare to the renegotiated license fees that Apple and the clone manufacturers agreed upon prior to Gil Amelio’s departure. MacCentral has a lengthy article centering on the press conference and memo.