WriteNow's checkered past

1983 MacWrite for as-yet unannounced Macintosh is late. Steve Jobs contracts with Solaster of Seattle to write another word processor as backup.

1984 Apple finishes MacWrite and announces Macintosh. Apple has right to bundle WriteNow as possible advanced MacWrite.

1985 Apple decides it doesn't want WriteNow. Solaster continues to develop it as independent product.

Steve Jobs leaves Apple and founds NeXT.

Jobs buys Solaster and hires programmers to finish WriteNow for Macintosh and NeXT.

1986 NeXT sells marketing rights for Mac and PC versions to T/Maker.

T/Maker releases WriteNow 1.0 for Mac.

1988 NeXTcube announced with WriteNow 1.0 bundled.

T/Maker releases WriteNow 2.0.

1989 T/Maker acquires development rights to Mac version.

NeXT ships NeXTstep 2.0 with WriteNow 2.0 bundled.

1990 T/Maker releases WriteNow 2.2.

1991 (October) WriteNow unbundled from NeXT system, shipped as shrink-wrapped product.