Gates Says Apple Could Survive Crisis

Apple Computer Inc. might survive under its new management but it won’t be easy, the leader of rival Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday.

“There’s still a chance for Apple,” Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates told a gathering of business and political leaders. “It’s tough, though.”

Apple, the world’s third-largest personal computer maker, was pushed into the red during the last three months of 1995 as it cut prices to compete with IBM-compatible PCs, run by Microsoft software.

On Friday, Apple ousted Chief Executive Michael Spindler and brought in Gil Amelio.

“There’s still very much an opportunity with new management coming in,” Gates told an audience at the World Economic Forum. “Near-death experiences often reinvigorate companies.”