March 8, 1997: Apple renames the forthcoming Mac OS 7.7 update, calling it “Mac OS 8.” It’s more than just a name change, though: It’s a sneaky sucker punch that ultimately knocks out Mac clones.
Unfortunately for Mac users, the updated operating system does not deliver the total top-to-bottom rewrite promised by Apple’s Project Copland. However, the renaming strategy turns out to be a brilliant (if underhanded) way of getting Apple out of terrible licensing deals.
Attack of the Mac clones
Early 1997 wasn’t a good time to be an Apple watcher. Despite the return of Steve Jobs, Apple continued losing money hand over fist, suffering through some of its worst financial quarters of all time.
One big challenge Apple faced at the time was the existence of clone Macs, which the company originally viewed as a way to save itself from Microsoft’s Windows 95 juggernaut. Starting in December 1994, Apple signed a number of licensing deals with companies like Power Computing and Radius to produce Macintosh-compatible computers.
Read more at CultOfMac.com