Apple and IBM had two working relationships over the years. The 1991 alliance achieved a little more integration of Macs into the corporate world, but the PowerPC chip was its major accomplishment. In 2014, Apple and IBM agreed to create iPad applications for sale by both companies, and some apps were developed. Apple agreed to do the following:
1. Develop PowerPC Chip
Along with Motorola, to develop single-chip version of IBM's Power Architecture. RESULT: The PowerPC was used in Macs, IBM midrange computers and embedded systems. See
PowerPC.
2. Better Mac Integration
To better integrate Macs into IBM enterprise networks. RESULT: A tad more network integration took place. IBM routers could connect to Apple networks, and a Mac Token Ring adapter was developed.
3. Develop PowerOpen OS
PowerOpen was to be a Unix-based operating system that ran AIX and Mac apps on the PowerPC. RESULT: Abandoned. IBM stayed with AIX, and Apple eventually wrote the Unix-based Mac OS X.
See
PowerOpen and
AIX.
4. Form Taligent, Inc.
To develop an object-oriented OS for the PowerPC, Motorola 68xxx and Intel x86 families. RESULT: The OS never came about. Taligent did deliver its CommonPoint application frameworks and development tools and was eventually folded back into IBM.
5. Form Kaleida Labs
To develop multimedia software, tools and scripting languages for computers and consumer electronics. RESULT: Kaleida introduced its ScriptX multimedia technology in 1995. It soon closed its doors and moved into Apple's Multimedia Group.