Microsoft and Apple, two of America’s most well-known names in computers, recently signed a contract promising to extend Microsoft Office software availability for Macs for five more years.

The contract is a renewal of an already existing agreement between the two big-time computer companies.

“The agreement is for both companies to continue making compatible versions of certain software to work on both PCs with Windows software and Apple computers,” Jon Smith, a junior in communication, said.

The contract ensures that Microsoft software such as Microsoft Office, which includes widely used programs like PowerPoint, Word and Excel, will be available in platforms that are compatible on Apple computers.

Without the partnership, professors who own Apple computers would have a difficult time uploading documents to students working on a computer running on Windows.

“Since Microsoft Office is so popular, Apple users almost need to have some form of Microsoft Office on their computer so they can send and receive documents easily to people with PCs run by Windows,” Smith said.

Apple not only receives software programs from Microsoft, it creates two different platforms for several of its programs including QuickTime and iTunes.

This is good news for students who have iPods.

“If Apple did not make iTunes compatible with PCs running on Windows, then iPod users with PCs would be out of luck,” Smith said. “They would have to find another program that would allow them to load songs onto their iPods.”

Students say they like the ease of which they can load songs onto their iPods.

“Loading songs on an iPod is pretty simple with iTunes, Apple has made it real easy to rip a CD, download music and convert it so you can put it on your iPod,” Adam Hawdon, a senior in business, said.

Bill Coker, ITD site licensing specialist, said he has recognized that iPods have increased in popularity.

“iPods are very popular, but I don’t believe it has increased the popularity of the Apple computer, but rather it has increased the popularity of the Apple company,” Coker said. “Apple just makes ‘cool stuff,’ something the PC manufactures just haven’t mastered yet.”

Since Microsoft and Apple are a part of a competitive business climate, both prompting computer users to buy their brand, it might seem strange that a partnership exists between the two companies.

“Questions have been raised as to why Apple might be making a partnership with the ‘other side,'” Everett Allen, Macintosh support specialist, said.

Coker said he doesn’t think it is strange that a partnership exists.

“Both companies benefit from this partnership because Microsoft benefits from the increased market share, and Apple users benefit from having a wider range of products available to them,” Coker said.

Apple also recently began putting Intel processors in its computers.

Now that Apple is using the processors, cross capabilities between the two companies will be moving forward because Windows machines have been using Intel chips for years.

“Considering Intel has the lion’s share of the market, it makes sense that Apple, who attempts to always be on the cutting edge, adopts a processor that tends to be there as well,” Coker said.

Although there are debates over which system, Apple or Microsoft, is better, both are said to have their advantages.

“You can’t look at it as one operating system competing against another,” Sam Averitt, vice provost for information technology, said.

Averitt said he has used both programs before.

“My current University laptop runs Windows XP, but Apple has capabilities that are very attractive,” Averitt said. “They are both useful for different things.”

Everette Allen, Macintosh support specialist, said Apple has about four percent of the market share, 95 percent are Windows users and the remaining one percent use some other software.

“More Americans use Windows simply because there are more PCs. The PC market is so large that most games and applications are written to that platform,” Coker said.

Coker is a Windows user who said he has not had much experience using an Apple.

“It’s what I know and what I am comfortable with,” Coker said.

Students say they enjoy using technology and sometimes do not know the story behind the equipment.

“I didn’t know that Microsoft had a partnership with Apple, but it would make sense since Bill Gates owns part of Apple,” Hawdon said. “I think it’s great that Microsoft has made Windows compatible with iTunes and the iPod because I would not want to own an Apple computer.”