ironROD,
A simple thought experiment should suffice here.
What if Microsoft had not made this deal? Well, Apple would have been forced elsewhere, almost certainly to Microsoft's competitors. The Apple installed base is somewhere around 10% of the desktop systems (although their current market share is less than that); hence this is certainly not a trivial consideration.
There are a number of ongoing de facto standards battles which, although it is in a good position, Microsoft could still lose, through some combination of bad fortune and/or competitor's ability.
By the simple act of making an ally of Apple and becoming a source of both cash and [Microsoft] technology, Microsoft prevents strengthening of its opponents' arsenals, and instead adds to its own. [Microsoft can benefit further from some Apple technology, again to the detriment of its opponents.]
In fact, raw logistics aside, the public/business perception deriving from the act is likely to have further accelerated the adoption of NT, which by itself would pay back the investment many times over.
The Marshall Plan was greatly beneficial to the U.S. The Gates Plan will be greatly beneficial to Microsoft.
IMHO
Best regards,
Arno
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