Apple Computer Inc is in process of giving birth to a lusty infant in the software world, a development and marketing company that will begin life with the $30m to $40m annual software sales that the Cupertino company does with its MacWrite, MacDraw and Appleworks programs. The importance Apple attaches to the new company, which will initially be wholly-owned, but within a year is intended to be independent with Apple keeping only a minority stake, is underlined by the fact that it will be run by William Campbell, one of the company’s top five managers, and presently vice-president, US sales and marketing. Initial finance for the firm will come out of Apple’s $700m cash-pile and as well as developing new products, primarily for Apple machines, of its own, it will publish programs developed by companies too small to market them effectively. The new company has been formed to put an end to Apple’s spats with third party software developers.
