here's an Apple vs MS thing at slashdot.org, which i might want to read, but then again it could be all the same old rubbish over and over again. (some comments do look interesting, "August 6, 1997, Microsoft agreed to purchase $150 million in non-voting Apple preferred stock" plus the comment directly below, which states that it was because MS ripped off Apple code). //here's the article they refer to at NY Times but you don't have to sign up.