So Apple needed a partner, one that could make a stable operating system, preferably one that was UNIX-like and had an object-oriented application layer. There was one company that could obviously supply such software—NeXT—but it would take a while for Apple to focus on it.

　　 所以苹果需要一个合作伙伴提供稳定的操作系统，最好还是像Unix那样的操作系统，具备面向对象的应用程序。当时，有一家公司显然可以提供这样的软件——NeXT——但是还要过一段时间苹果才会关注到这一点。

　　Apple first homed in on a company that had been started by Jean-Louis Gassée, called Be. Gassée began negotiating the sale of Be to Apple, but in August 1996 he overplayed his hand at a meeting with Amelio in Hawaii. He said he wanted to bring his fifty-person team to Apple, and he asked for 15% of the company, worth about $500 million. Amelio was stunned. Apple calculated that Be was worth about $50 million. After a few offers and counteroffers, Gassée refused to budge from demanding at least $275 million. He thought that Apple had no alternatives. It got back to Amelio that Gassée said, “I’ve got them by the balls, and I’m going to squeeze until it hurts.” This did not please Amelio.

　　 苹果先是锁定了一家由让-路易·加西创建的公司Be。加西开始探讨把Be卖给苹果，但是1996年8月在夏威夷跟阿梅里奥开会时，他过于自以为是了。他说他想带50人的团队加入苹果，要公司15%的股杈，价值大约5亿美元。阿梅里奥听罢目瞪口呆。苹果当时对Be的估值只有5000万美元。经过几番讨价还价，加西无法接受低于2.75亿美元的报价。他以为苹果没有其他选择了。加西对别人说，“我拿住了他们的要害，我要一直捏到他们疼为止。”这话传到阿梅里奥耳朵里，那感觉可不太好。

　　Apple’s chief technology officer, Ellen Hancock, argued for going with Sun’s UNIX-based Solaris operating system, even though it did not yet have a friendly user interface. Amelio began to favor using, of all things, Microsoft’s Windows NT, which he felt could be rejiggered on the surface to look and feel just like a Mac while being compatible with the wide range of software available to Windows users. Bill Gates, eager to make a deal, began personally calling Amelio.

　　 苹果的首席技术官埃伦·汉考克（EllenHancock）赞成采用Sun公司基于Unix的Solaris操作系统，尽管它还没有一个友好的用户界面。而阿梅里奥居然开始倾向于使用微软的WindowsNT操作系统，他认为可以做一些外观上的改动，使之看起来感觉就像个Mac，又能跟Windows用户可以使用的大量软件相兼容。比尔·盖茨非常渴望达成这项合作，开始亲自给阿梅里奥打电话。

　　There was, of course, one other option. Two years earlier Macworld magazine columnist (and former Apple software evangelist) Guy Kawasaki had published a parody press release joking that Apple was buying NeXT and making Jobs its CEO. In the spoof Mike Markkula asked Jobs, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling UNIX with a sugarcoating, or change the world?” Jobs responded, “Because I’m now a father, I needed a steadier source of income.” The release noted that “because of his experience at Next, he is expected to bring a newfound sense of humility back to Apple.” It also quoted Bill Gates as saying there would now be more innovations from Jobs that Microsoft could copy. Everything in the press release was meant as a joke, of course. But reality has an odd habit of catching up with satire.

　　 当然，还有另外一个选择。两年前，《Macworld》杂志的专栏作家（前苹果软件布道者）盖伊·川崎（GuyKawasaki）曾经发表了一篇模拟新闻通稿，开玩笑说苹果即将收购NeXT然后让乔布斯担任CEO。文中模仿迈克·马库拉问乔布斯：“你想把下半辈子用来卖裹着层糖衣的Unix，还是用来改变世界？”乔布斯同意这项收购并表示：“我现在是个父亲了，我需要一个稳定的收入来源。”文章评论说“由于他在NeXT的经历，人们期待他会把一种从未有过的谦卑感带回苹果”。文章还拟引了比尔·盖茨的话说，现在会有更多乔布斯的创新可以供微软抄袭了。当时这篇新闻稿里所有的话都是玩笑。但是现实总有一个奇怪的习惯，要追上嘲讽的步伐。