Clearly the whole reason for the job offer was an attempt to kill off Linux. That was 2000 and Apple was still trying to expand their share of the OS market. It didn't help Apple to have another OS that ran on their competitors computer. Could you run Linux on an Apple? It would have made no sense for him to go from work on OS that had 70% of the market to on with less than 5. The vast majority might have been on the server side but that doesn't make any difference except for presence in the public's eye.