Editing Macintosh clone (section)

==Licensed clones==
[[File:PowerComputing PowerCenter Pro 210.jpg|thumb|200px|A PowerCenter Pro 210, a Macintosh clone manufactured by [[Power Computing Corporation]]]]
In 1992, ''[[Macworld]]'' published an editorial stating that Apple clones were coming, and that the company should license its technology to others so it would benefit as the overall Macintosh market grew.<ref name="borrell199205">{{Cite magazine |last=Borrell |first=Jerry |date=May 1992 |title=Opening Pandora's Box |url=https://archive.org/stream/MacWorld_9205_May_1992#page/n21/mode/2up |magazine=Macworld |pages=21–22}}</ref>

[[File:UMAX SuperMac S900.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A [[UMAX SuperMac]] S900, a Macintosh clone manufactured by [[UMAX Technologies]]]]
By 1995, Apple Macintosh computers accounted for around 7% of the worldwide desktop computer market. Apple executives decided to launch an official clone program in order to expand Macintosh [[market share|market penetration]].  Apple's [[System 7|Mac OS 7]] licensing program entailed the [[license|licensing]] of the Macintosh ROMs and system software to other manufacturers, each of which agreed to pay a flat fee for a license, and a [[Royalties|royalty]] (initially {{US$|50|1995}}) for each clone computer they sold. This generated quick revenues for Apple during a time of financial crisis.<ref name="apconf" />

From early 1995 through mid-1997, it was possible to buy [[PowerPC]]-based clone computers running Mac OS, most notably from [[Power Computing]] and [[UMAX Technologies|UMAX]]. However, by 1996 Apple executives were worried that high-end clones were cannibalizing sales of their own high-end computers, where profit margins were highest.<ref name="apconf">{{cite book|title=Apple Confidential 2.0: The Definitive History of the World's Most Colorful Company|first=Owen W.|last=Linzmayer|isbn=1-59327-010-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mXnw5tM8QRwC&pg=PA254|pages=254–256|date=2004-01-01|publisher=No Starch Press }}</ref>

A total of 75 distinct Macintosh clone models are known to have been introduced during the licensee era.<ref>{{cite book
| url = https://archive.org/details/macworldmacsecre00pogu/page/452
| title = MacWorld Mac Secrets, 5th Edition
| page = [https://archive.org/details/macworldmacsecre00pogu/page/452 453]
| publisher = [[IDG Books]]
| date = 1999
| first1 = David
| last1 = Pogue
| first2 = Joseph
| last2 = Schorr
| isbn = 0-7645-4040-8
}}</ref>

The following companies produced licensed Mac clones:
{| class="wikitable"
!Company
!Products
|-
|Akia
|MicroBook Power
|-
|APS Technology
|M*Power
|-
|[[Bandai]]
|Atmark, @World (Apple Pippin)
|-
|Centralen Norrland
|Reid
|-
|Centro HL
|MacOS Clones
|-
|ComJet
|PowerCity
|-
|Computer Warehouse
|B-Machine, Boston, Cannes, Harvard, Hollywood,  Manhattan, Nashville, New York, Paris, Rome, Stanford
|-
|[[DayStar Digital]]
|Genesis, MP-Card "nPower", Millenium
|-
|DynaTec Memory Systems GmbH
|Junior, 5/300, 10/300
|-
|Gravis Computervertriebsgesellschaft mbH
|MT, TT, TT Pro, Gravision Four
|-
|International Computer
|IC 3, IC 4
|-
|Katz Media
|KMP 2000 (Apple Pippin)
|-
|Mactell
|Twister, Typhoon, XB, XB-Pro, PowerJolt Upgrade,  PowerJolt OverDrive Upgrade
|-
|MacWay
|Starway
|-
|MacWorks
|Millenium, Millenium G3
|-
|Marathon Computer, Inc.
|Rack Mac
|-
|[[MaxxBoxx|Maxxboxx Datasystems]]
|MaxxBoxx 730/200, 790/Tanzania, 860/nitro,  930/mocca, 960/tsunami
|-
|[[Motorola|Motorola Computer Group]]
|[[Motorola StarMax|StarMax 3000, 4000, 5000]]
|-
|[[Pioneer Corporation]]
|MPC-GX1, MPC-LX200
|-
|PIOS Computer AG
|Keenya, Magna, Maxxtrem, Magna Card Upgrade, Joecard Upgrade
|-
|PotzBits
|PotzBits 975, 985
|-
|Power Dome
|Alternate 4200, 4233, 4250
|-
|[[Power Computing Corporation]]
|Power, PowerBase, PowerCenter/Pro, PowerCurve,  PowerTower/Pro, PowerWave
|-
|PowerEx
|StepMAC
|-
|PowerTools
|Infinity, X-Factor, X-Force
|-
|[[Radius (hardware company)|Radius]]
|System 100, System 81/110
|-
|RedBox
|Expression 604e
|-
|Shaye
|Shaye 200, Shaye 200/II
|-
|Storm
|Challenger, Mercury, Surge, G3 Upgrade-Cards
|-
|[[Tatung Company]]
|TPC
|-
|[[UMAX Technologies]]
|[[UMAX SuperMac|SuperMac]] series: C500, C600, J700, J710, S900, S910, Aegis, Apus, Centauri, Pulsar
|-
|Vertegri
|QuickTower, ImediaEngine
|-
|VisionPower
|PowerExpress, PowerExtreme, PowerMax Pro
|}

A number of major PC clone manufacturers, including [[Gateway 2000]] and [[Acer Inc.|Acer]], along with a number of Taiwanese clone vendors, had sought to license Mac OS and produce Mac clones but had been rebuffed by Apple. Such decisions were interpreted as Apple not wishing to relinquish its position of control over the Macintosh market and being unable to support existing licensees.<ref name="computerworld19950911_apple">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_computerworld_1995-09-11_29_37/page/n13/mode/1up | title=Clone problems still daunt Apple | magazine=Computerworld | last1=Picarille | first1=Lisa | date=11 September 1995 | access-date=16 February 2025 | pages=12 }}</ref> Licensing agreements with other companies remained unannounced during September 1995, these involving [[Acorn Computers]], [[Olivetti]] and [[GoldStar]], ostensibly due to supply issues around certain components used in Mac systems. Reports in MacWeek had also suggested that [[Dell]] and [[Compaq]] had been "seriously considering" the production of [[Common Hardware Reference Platform]] (CHRP) systems.<ref name="unigramx19950911_apple">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/UnigramX1995519-570/page/10/mode/1up | title=Parts Dearth: Apple Nixes Mac OS Deals | work=Unigram/X | date=11 September 1995 | access-date=16 February 2025 | pages=2 }}</ref> Systems conforming to the CHRP standard were anticipated to reduce the support burden on Apple, allowing clone manufacturers to more readily deviate from Apple's own designs.<ref name="computerworld19950911_apple"/>

===Jobs ends the official program===
In early 1997 Apple indicated that it wanted much higher license revenue from clonemakers, and other conditions. In June it and Power Computing tentatively agreed to new terms. The deal was not finalized before the July 9 departure of Apple CEO [[Gil Amelio]]. After [[Steve Jobs]] became ''de facto'' CEO,{{r|beale199711}} he personally tried to renegotiate licensing deals more favorable to Apple five times over the course of three weeks; each time, in his own words, Jobs was "basically told to pound sand".<ref>October 1997 Seybold Seminar</ref> This response caused him to halt negotiations of upcoming licensing deals with OS licensees that Apple executives complained were still financially unfavorable.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Galen|last=Gruman|title=Why Apple Pulled the Plug|magazine=Macworld|volume=14|pages=31–36|date=November 1997|issue=11}}</ref>

Because the clone makers' licenses were valid only for Apple's System 7 operating system, Apple's release of Mac OS 8 left the clone manufacturers without the ability to ship a current Mac OS version and effectively ended the cloning program.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Steven|last=Beale|title=Mac OS 8 Ships with No License Deal|magazine=Macworld|volume=14|pages=34–36|date=October 1997|issue=10}}</ref> Apple bought Power Computing's Mac clone business for {{US$|100000000|1997}} and gave their users free Mac OS 8 upgrade disks, ending the clone era.<ref name="beale199711">{{Cite magazine |last=Beale |first=Steven |date=November 1997 |title=Apple Eliminates the Top Clone Vendor |url=https://archive.org/stream/MacWorld_9711_November_1997#page/n33/mode/2up |magazine=Macworld |pages=30–31 |volume=14 |issue=11}}</ref> Only UMAX ever obtained a license to ship Mac OS 8 and get Mac OS 8 upgrade disks, which expired in July 1998 (Power Computing also got Mac OS 8 disks by their acquisition by Apple).<ref name="apconf" />

All other manufacturers had their Macintosh clone contract terminated by late 1997 and either continued their brands as [[PC clones]] or discontinued them altogether. Some of the clone manufacturers even went out of business. Reportedly, a heated telephone conversation between Jobs and Motorola CEO Christopher Galvin resulted in the contentious termination of Motorola's clone contract, and the long-favored Apple being demoted to "just another customer" mainly for PowerPC CPUs.<ref name="Jobs Makes Headway">{{cite news|url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB892507589126559000| url-status=live | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20150426152356/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB892507589126559000 | archivedate=April 26, 2015 | title = Jobs Makes Headway at Apple, But Not Without Much Turmoil|date = April 14, 1998|accessdate=March 16, 2019 |newspaper = Wall Street Journal |last = Carlton|first = Jim}}</ref>

In 1999, Jobs had discussions with [[Ben Rosen]], chairman and interim CEO of [[Compaq]] at the time, for the world's then-largest Wintel PC manufacturer to license Mac OS, which would have been a coup for Apple. However no agreement was reached, as Apple had second thoughts about licensing its "crown jewel", while Compaq did not want to offend Microsoft, which it had partnered with since its founding in 1982. By 2007, five years after Compaq merged with [[Hewlett-Packard|HP]], Rosen told Jobs he had switched to being a Mac user.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20124402-37/jobs-reportedly-wanted-compaq-to-license-mac-os/ |title=Jobs reportedly wanted Compaq to license Mac OS |website=[[CNET]]|author=Musil, Steven|date=2011-10-23}}</ref>

In 2001, Jobs reportedly had a meeting with Sony executives, saying he was "willing to make an exception" for [[Sony VAIO]] to run [[macOS|Mac OS X]], although the negotiations later fell through.<ref>{{cite web|title=Steve Jobs wanted Sony VAIOs to run OS X|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/2/5/5380832/sony-vaio-apple-os-x-steve-jobs-meeting-report|website=The Verge|accessdate=2014-07-08|date=2014-02-05|author=Souppouris, Aaron }}</ref>

Since Apple [[Mac transition to Intel processors|transitioned]] the Macintosh to an [[x86|Intel platform]] in 2006, and subsequent to a major increase in visibility and a gain in computer market share for Apple with the success of the [[iPod]], large computer system manufacturers such as [[Dell]] have expressed renewed interest in creating Macintosh clones.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dell: We Would License Mac OS|date=16 June 2005 |url=http://www.betanews.com/article/Dell-We-Would-License-Mac-OS-X/1118955105|publisher=betanews.com|accessdate=2010-11-16}}</ref> While various industry executives, notably [[Michael Dell]], have stated publicly that they would like to sell Macintosh-compatible computers, Apple VP [[Phil Schiller]] said the company does not plan to let people run Mac OS X (macOS) on other computer makers' hardware. "We will not allow running Mac OS X on anything other than an Apple Mac," he said.<ref>{{cite web|title=Apple throws the switch, aligns with Intel|url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1014_3-5733756.html|website=CNET|accessdate=2005-06-06}}</ref>