History
Be was founded by former Apple Computer executive Jean-Louis Gassée in 1990 with Steve Sakoman after being ousted by Apple CEO John Sculley. Be aimed to create a modern computer operating system written in C++ on a proprietary hardware platform. In 1995, the BeBox personal computer was released by Be, with its distinctive strips of lights up the front that indicated the load of each CPU, and the combined analogue/digital, 37-pin GeekPort has made it a highly desirable item for collectors. In addition to BeOS and BeBox, Be also produced BeIA, an ill-fated OS for internet appliances. It was however used commercially by Sony (with the eVilla) and DT Research, amongst others, during its short lifespan.
In 1996, Apple was searching for a new operating system to replace the Mac OS, the two final options were BeOS and NeXTSTEP. The deal swung towards NeXT due to the persuasive influence of Steve Jobs and the incomplete state of the BeOS product, criticized at the time for lacking such features as printing capability.
Ultimately the assets of the corporation were bought by Palm, Inc., where Gassée served on the board of directors, for US$11 million in 2001, at which point the company entered dissolution. The company then initiated litigation against Microsoft for anti-competitive business practices, specifically the prohibition of OEMs to allow dual-boot systems containing both Microsoft and non-Microsoft operating systems. The suit was settled in September 2003 with a US$23.25 million payout to Be, Inc.
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