BeOS debuted in October 1995, running on the PowerPC architecture that was at the time the basis for Apple Macs (although initially BeOS was designed for systems using AT&T's Hobbit CPUs). Be Inc was formed by Apple alumni Jean-Louis Gassée, who exited the Cupertino, California, based company in 1990.

But although BeOS made a splash, Be Inc's final version of the operating system, BeOS R5, was released in 2000. The company's end came in 2001.