Jean-Louis Gassée
Jean-Louis Gassée | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 24, 1944 Paris, France |
| Occupation(s) | Business executive, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Known for | Role at Apple Computer (1981–1990), founder of Be Inc., Chairman of PalmSource, Inc. |
Jean-Louis Gassée (born 24 March 1944) is a prominent business leader recognized primarily for his role at Apple Computer from 1981 until 1990. Subsequently, he established Be Inc., the company behind the BeOS operating system, and in November 2004, assumed the position of Chairman at PalmSource, Inc..
Career
Gassée entered the world in Paris on 24 March 1944.
1980s: Apple Computer
Between 1968 and 1974, Gassée was employed at Hewlett-Packard, where he managed the introduction of its inaugural desktop scientific computer and developed its French sales division before advancing to Sales Manager for Europe based in Geneva. From 1974 to 1981, he acted as CEO for the French branches of Data General and Exxon Office Systems.
Joining Apple in 1981 as Director of European Operations, Gassée played a pivotal role in the company’s European expansion. In 1985, he warned the board about Steve Jobs’s intention to remove CEO John Sculley, a move that ultimately resulted in Jobs's exit. Following this, Sculley appointed Gassée to lead the development of the Macintosh, where he oversaw products such as the Macintosh Portable and Macintosh IIfx. Gassée became known for his casual image, often sporting a leather jacket and a diamond-studded earring.
He firmly resisted proposals to license the Mac OS to third parties despite interest from companies like AT&T, contending that Macintosh’s superior design warranted exclusive control. Additionally, he initiated a secretive project that eventually became the Newton MessagePad.
In 1987, while Sculley distributed his memoir Odyssey internally, Gassée encouraged developers to read Fred Brooks' The Mythical Man-Month to foster better project management practices.
By 1988, Gassée was overseeing Apple's advanced product development and global marketing efforts. Speculation grew about his potential succession of Sculley as CEO. In 1990, employees demonstrated their backing for him amid leadership uncertainties within Apple.
In 1989, he discontinued Claris's 'Drama' initiative aimed at creating an entry-level Macintosh line, maintaining that customers favored the high-end Macintosh experience.
Despite his achievements, dissatisfaction with his product delivery led to Gassée’s departure in 1990. He was succeeded by Michael Spindler as Apple's chief executive.
1991–2002: Be Incorporated
In 1991, Gassée launched Be Inc. with the goal of developing a novel computing platform encompassing both hardware and software. A number of former Apple colleagues joined him, including Steve Sakoman, known for his work on the Apple Newton. Be created the Be Operating System (BeOS), designed specifically for multiprocessor and multithreaded environments.
Initially, BeOS operated on Be’s dual-processor BeBox hardware; subsequent versions were adapted for Macintosh systems. Hardware manufacturers such as Power Computing and Motorola intended to bundle BeOS with their machines. As a result, Be ceased production of the BeBox after approximately 2,000 units sold to concentrate efforts on BeOS software development.
Following Apple’s cancellation of the Copland project in 1996, it sought to acquire Be for its advanced operating system technology. Apple proposed $120 million initially and later increased the offer to $200 million; however, Gassée held out for $275 million. Ultimately, Apple chose to acquire NeXT for $429 million instead, facilitating Steve Jobs’ return and using NeXTSTEP as the foundation for Mac OS X.
After Jobs rejoined Apple and Macintosh clone licensing was discontinued, BeOS transitioned towards an x86 port with Intel’s backing. Although it never achieved widespread adoption, BeOS sustained a dedicated user community with thousands of applications available commercially. It was also integrated into multimedia devices produced by Edirol, TEAC, and Level Control Systems. Nevertheless, resistance from OEMs influenced by Microsoft restricted BeOS bundling deals mainly to Hitachi and AST, which Gassée regarded as vital for success.
By late 1999, Be shifted its approach by offering its desktop operating system free of charge while concentrating on developing BeIA, a version targeted at internet appliance devices. This strategic pivot led to staff departures due to disagreements over focusing on appliances. Despite some vendor interest and products like the Sony eVilla, the internet appliance market failed to materialize as expected. In 2001, Be laid off most employees; its assets and engineering team were acquired by Palm, Inc. for $11 million in August. Gassée remained through this transition but departed in January 2002.
2002–present: Post-Be, Inc. Career
Following his departure from Be, Gassée briefly took on the role of president and CEO at Computer Access Technology Corporation (CATC), a company specializing in network protocol analyzers that was later acquired by LeCroy Corporation in 2004. Subsequently, he joined Allegis Capital, a venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, as a general partner, a position he continues to hold.
In November 2004, Gassée assumed the chairmanship of PalmSource, Inc., which included several former Be executives among its staff. PalmSource was working on integrating BeOS technology into Palm OS "Cobalt" (Version 6); however, by early 2006, no significant clients—including Palm, Inc.—had endorsed the Cobalt platform.
During 2006, Gassée briefly maintained a blog in French and from 2009 onwards became a regular contributor to the Monday Note blog, where he discusses developments in media and technology. This content is currently hosted on Medium.