The company's stock shot up on the news. As hardcore Mac fanatics booed their company's saviour, the world saw it as a sign that Apple wasn't going to die after all.
Rumours indicate that the deal settled a patent violation.
Skeptics also point out that by propping up a failing Apple, Microsoft hoped to convince the world that it was at least trying not to be a monopoly. But the investment was so unexpected that it's hard to believe there wasn't another agreement made between the former adversaries. Now, as Apple's new consumer strategy matures under Jobs, it's possible to see how the master of marketing might have convinced Gates to help his lifetime enemy. With its new products, Apple is clearly shooting for the consumer market. The iMac is just the most obvious example.