IBM Buyout?

[arn]

JAGfn Rumors (http://library.northernlight.com/FC20020215980000087.html?cb=0&dx=2006&sc=0#doc):

Apple Computer (AAPL) $24.85 - Rumor that (IBM) will make a $45 a share bid for company. Neither company was available for comment.

[Ensign Paris]

I bloodly hope not!

[3G4N]

whoa... (if even in the neighborhood of truth)

[iAryeh]

there have been rumors about apple buying one company or another company buying apple for years. this just doesn't sound right. plus, apple would sell at a lot higher price. i think it is purely a rumor.

[Backtothemac]

There are two chances of this, slim and none, and slim just died. There is no way that IBM would do this, that being a straight buyout of Apple. Apple and IBM working together on Power4 servers yea, that could happen. Why would IBM scrap PC's altogether (except crap we see on TV) and then dive back into the mix through Apple.

Hey, I have some swampland in Southern Iraq if anyone believes this rumor.

[Unregistered]

If this is true, then Big Brother has won. :(

[cplmd]

i'd have an easier time believing that Apple is gonna announce a new hand held:D

[krossfyter]

this rumor is pure ****

[keithcobbett]

Originally posted by cplmd
i'd have an easier time believing that Apple is gonna announce a new hand held:D

They are!!! What planet have you been on. It's called the iWalk. Boy. What is this world coming too???

he he he - just kidding.

If this is true, their could be an argument to make this positive. Here's a shot at that.

IBM created the Gates monster we have grown to hate. IBM was the first company to license DOS. Not because it was better, but because he would sell it to them without it having to be loaded on the peecee's (long story). But, if IBM is currently making G4 chips and they have always been ahead of their time, like Apple, well, maybe they will bring things in house, like they did to Lotus Notes, and make it a more wide spread product with better marketing, cheaper prices and yes I have had too much to smoke. Just don't beat up on me too much here. OK???

[Unregistered]

This would be great...as an AAPL shareholder who bought in @ $16, I would gladly tender my shares for $45 (and then quickly proceed to the nearest Apple seller and by a DualGhz with Cinema Display)

[Unregistered]

This is a pump and dump scam. IBM ain't buying APPL folks.

[Taft]

Originally posted by Unregistered
This would be great...as an AAPL shareholder who bought in @ $16, I would gladly tender my shares for $45 (and then quickly proceed to the nearest Apple seller and by a DualGhz with Cinema Display)

And that, my friend could very well be the last Mac you would ever buy. I don't even want to think of what would happen to Apple if IBM bought them out. My guess is that our *ahem* savior Steve Jobs would probably be out and an Apple without Jobs is, well, an Apple with Gil. And we don't want that to happen.

Matthew

[dricci]

Yup. This is true. Infact, it's a true as Microsoft making a secure operating system.

[Unregistered]

(NO TEXT)

[Timothy]

Is it just me, or is IBM the least creative, in terms of Industrial Design and UI, company on earth? It would be a disaster for Apple to fall under the auspices of this behemoth with no style.

[chicagdan]

Don't be so quick to dismiss this rumor guys. As a former IBMer, let me share a view pieces of recent Big Blue lore:

1) IBM came THIS|CLOSE to buying Dell in the summer of 1999. It would have happened if IBM's stock hadn't hit a plateau while Dell's continued to soar. By October 1999, the Dell strike price that was on the table in May had already been exceeded by 15 percent. IBM briefly considered buying Gateway or Micron PC, but decided they were heavily overvalued.

2) Apple fits the IBM strategy better than Dell. Apple has done something almost no other PC manufacturer has been able to accomplish -- maintain its margins. That's music to IBM's ears.
3) IBM loves UNIX. Within three years, every IBM OS will be UNIX based. They are making massive LINUX investments. OS X is a very nice fit for them.

The final, important part of the puzzle is Apple's share price ... the company is seriously undervalued. It has a ton of cash, loyal customers, great margins ... there's nothing for IBM NOT to love. Plus it's the only serious MS competitor.

The big negative, of course, is culture. These two cultures cannot be reconciled. Apple will need to be left alone ... and IBM is terrible at that. They always talk a good game about leaving Lotus or Tivoli to do their own thing, but when push comes to shove, they're right back to their old monolithic.

In conclusion, this would be a great move for IBM ... but I hope it doesn't happen.

[GPTurismo]

I am scured

[Unregistered]

What can I do to make sure this never, ever happens?

[krossfyter]

REPEAT------ THIS RUMOR IS PURE ****

[Unregistered]

apple should buy ibm!

it will give apple more resources in turms of hardware and software engineers
and become a BIG fret to microsoft
and give ibm some stile......

[Unregistered]

apple should buy ibm!

it will give apple more resources in turms of hardware and software engineers
and become a BIG fret to microsoft
and give ibm some style......

[edenwaith]

Originally posted by Backtothemac

Hey, I have some swampland in Southern Iraq if anyone believes this rumor.

Hey, and I have some costal beachfront property in Switzerland! Want to swap?

I do think this is just a rumor at this point. If I see the same story on the front cover of BusinessWeek, then I'll think differently. In the early 90's when Apple was in trouble, they were looking for a few different buyers, but no one took the bait. Now that Apple has been consistently profitable for the past few years (except for one quarter), I don't see why Apple would even want to be bought out.

But take Compaq which lost millions of dollars during their third quarter. While Apple hasn't been making millions of dollars in profit, they are STILL profitable with a couple billion dollars in the bank for padding.

[chicagdan]

Apple should buy IBM? Sure, and I should buy a Lamborghini. IBM's market cap is, oh, 25 times the size of Apple. AOL could buy Time Warner because of a wildly inflated stock price, Apple is not in the same boat.

It's an odd coincidence that this rumor breaks on a day when IBM stock is getting pounded for accounting irregularities.

[arn]

Of note, IBM has been doing poor in the PC area... except in Laptops, I think....

although I do find Apple a strange way for IBM to go...

now - *IF* ibm does buy Apple... I think that means Mac OS X intel could more easily happen.

arn

[kainjow]

Just think...If IBM bought Apple, then Apple could include ViaVoice into Mac OS X directly, so it would be the first ever OS to have built-in speech dictation. Then, Apple (as being the most perfect company :)) could perfect it, and be even more revolutionary. ViaVoice is an awesome idea, but it needs a lot of work to be more useful.

Then they could make it available for other languages, and then Apple would be the #1 computer company in the world!!!

Muwahahaha

[DakotaGuy]

OMG...THIS CAN'T BE...PLEASE APPLE DO NOT SELL OUT! STEVE DON'T DO IT! OH I AM WIGGIN HERE.....HEEEEEEEEELLLLPPP!

Okay I took a breath. This is probably just a dumb rumor. I am still going to say a prayer. I can see it all now. IBM buys Apple and tells us that nothing is going to change and Apple will be ran as a seperate division...and then one day...in a few years...they decide to slowly merge the line into a Windows product with an Apple logo....NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Unregistered]

Always beware of takeover rumors on option expiration fridays. This is probably a last ditch effort by an investor.

[GIR]

i think if the rumor holds any salt whatsoever, IBM will get a large chunk of apple stock, and some of the following may happen (good for both companies).

-PPC-G5 will move to IBM mfg only
-Apple will liscense OSX for some medium to big iron
-Apple servers with Power4/Power5 (not announced, but, prolly on the way) chips
-IBM will sell apple branded servers to their existing workstation/server customers (with OSX or Linux, this would work wonderfully for both companies, as apple would instantly have a potentially large customer base for servers)
-IBM/Apple cross liscense some tech. This would allow for apple to get some nice server tech(w/o having to negotiate patents and stuff, and IBM gets some nice chunks of OSX)

on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 least like likely....

Total buyout of Apple by ibm... 1
Non-voting share investment...3
tech cross liscensing................4

I still doubt it, but, i can see some silver lining if it does happen in some form.

[Hemingray]

Hm, this would be very interesting indeed. If IBM could leave well enough alone with Apple and let it keep its own identity without neglecting them, this might not really be such a bad thing, people! Think of the PowerPC processor.

This could widen the field for Apple. 5%? Try 25% or more... that would be what we've always wanted, right?

Ford Motor Company owns Volvo, Mazda, Lincoln, Jaguar, Mercury, and Land Rover. But you don't go looking at a Land Rover and say "Oh my God, it's a FORD product!!" They're all unique vehicles. This could very well be the same case... IF... and a very BIG IF... IBM would stay out of Apple's identity and let them continue on like nothing ever happened. So, this may actually be a nice dream... but I doubt it could ever happen like that.

[cryptochrome]

Cut IBM some slack. When it comes to hardware research and development, they're actually one of the best companies out there.

[Unregistered]

Umm.. There IS swampland in Iraq, so I'd take that Swiss coastal property, thx ;)

J

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Unregistered
This is a pump and dump scam. IBM ain't buying APPL folks.

OK, i believe you. Especially since you can't even spell Apple's stock symbol.

[Unregistered]

IBM helped NeXT bring the OS to market with a major financial investment. IBM has had NEXTSTEP and OPENSTEP running on Intel and PowerPC hardware for a long time. This could work.

[chicagdan]

The most ridiculous responses so far have come from those who think IBM would buy Apple, then move them to an Intel platform. IBM makes PPC processors ... why on earth would they want to move Apple to Intel?

Look, if this happens, it's an EXIT STRATEGY for IBM, a way for them to leave the PC business while maintaining a desktop presence. That's why they explored buying Dell. IBM thinks it needs to be in the PC business, but they know how bad they are at it.

[Unregistered]

First Sony now IBM. At least IBM would keep Apple and its talent in America.

Their is great potential for the two companies. IBM and their technical expertise and Apple with their human engineering expertise. IBM actually rolling out high tech PowerPC chips on time and Apple putting them in great enclosures with OSX. Sounds all right to me. IBM giving OSX server ligitamacy with IBM marketing might in the consumer space. IBM would also get more Unix firepower to fight Windows and Intel Itanium in the server space.

Let's face it, Apple is a pretty complete company but needs some shot in the arm to gain market share which STILL continues to erode even with the original iMac and iMac2. 3.5% is survivable but they need to keep that from slipping further and growth would help the R&D on a company that builds hardware and software.

If only IBM left Apple design teams alone.

Chance of buyout- slim to none
Chance of buyout working if it were to happen- slim to none

[Unregistered]

So if this unlikely event happens, Can Apple/IBM dump Motorola and just have IBM make the G5's? IBM makes better chips than Motorola, and the G3 reached 1Ghz before the G4. Yeah, yeah Mhz isn't everything.

[Furball]

Apple is buying IBM at $45 a share. Wow, who would have thought. HeeHeeHee. IBM will have to beat Disney and every other rumor buyer out there. Maybe Bill Gates will buy apple. You know he must feel bad about all the sorry crap he's put out over the past few years. Apple is worth more than $45 per share just based on their cash holdings.

[dantec]

There is no beach in Switzerland...

Okay back to the topic...

As long as this is a PowerPC swap I wouldn't mind. But even if they did buyout 50% of the company, it wouldn't be all that bad. Look guys we have all survived almost 5 years of Microsofts buy-out in Apple. If we can survive that, they we can survive any other company!

[Unregistered]

Think about it: Both companies would benefit enormously.

IBM would finally be out of a decades long abusive relationship with Micro****.
They'd have a powerful new OS X to use with chips that they could make for cheap. And if IBM were smart enough, they'd co-brand the new product IBM/APPLE which would immediatley drive the branding recognition through the roof, and would add that much more of a pedigree to both not to mention becomming a formidible force against Redmond.

Of course, there are a lot of issues that would need to be ironed out between the two, but why the hell not?

[edenwaith]

Originally posted by arn
Of note, IBM has been doing poor in the PC area... except in Laptops, I think....


I read some on-line articles about that how IBM is probably (if they haven't already) shot their desktop line, but their laptops were still doing OK. It's kind of funny how IBM never completely made it in the PC business, yet their name is labeled to a lot of things...not quite as much as 10 years ago, but it is still there. IBM PC compatible disks, for example.

My guess is that they might be concentrating more on the server end of things. While M$ has a huge control over standard office and home PCs, they pretty much bite when it comes to large servers. That would be IBM and Sun's playing field.

[chicagdan]

IBM loses money in the PC business, has for years. They would get out but top management thinks they need to stay on the desktop for PR reasons ... too many people associate computers with PCs, abandoning the desktop could mean a huge loss of mindshare.

But all of this talk is ridiculous ... if the rumor had any credibility, investors would have bid up Apple stock today. The stock fell, no one takes the rumor seriously.

[PyroTurtle]

Ford owens nothing, MOPAR owns Ford and all those companies...

what they need is like IBM to "invest" heavily in Apple and Ati or nVidia. Procesor, HardDrive, Mother Boards, Sound Cards, OS, Graphics Card...is all there, and "sharing" funds....how cool! if they could still remain seperate companies that is...well, kinda like the Mopar setup where they're all owned byt the smae company but still seperat, but share funds and research....

[rice_web]

If IBM purchased Apple, and licensced the OS... what am I talking about? The possibilites are endless if the two join up. Here are a few things on my mind:

1) Motorola's semiconductor business would take another hit, and IBM could easily swallow it up.
2) IBM would likely license Mac OS X to possibly Sony, in an effort to increase exposure of the OS and the hardware (the DVD burning, for example). If a partnership among Sony, Apple, and IBM could be developed, I see nothing that could get in the way. The names themselves bring innovation and high-tech to mind.
3) Apple computers would get the fastest and the best technology as it is released. As it stands, Apple's computers are far behind not only in terms of Intel, but in terms of what Motorola and IBM are producing.
4) Mac OS X could be pushed into stores with IBM and Apple's deep pockets. If Sony would place OS X on their computers (the one's that look cool at Best Buy), Sony's computers would look even cooler. Mac OS X's eye-candy is so appealing, it's just plain fun to work with. With IBM controlling OS X, this could work great in the long run, as they could likely earn near one hundred million dollars per quarter, or more.

I'm just rambling. It's fun. This is a good idea, and it could work. IBM has a lot to gain, and they could make OS X work. Keep Apple's employees, and keep Steve Jobs, and IBM could do well. I only wish it were true.

[britboy]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dantec
[B]There is no beach in Switzerland...



sure there is! I was swimming off one two weekends ago near biel.

It was a tad cold, but fun nonetheless

[ilikeiBook]

Originally posted by Unregistered
apple should buy ibm!

it will give apple more resources in terms of hardware and software engineers
and become a BIG fret to microsoft
and give ibm some style......
Yeah! That's brilliant! Apple should buy IBM and Adobe and become a compeditor to microsoft.

[ilikeiBook]

Originally posted by rice_web
If IBM purchased Apple, and licensced the OS... what am I talking about? The possibilites are endless if the two join up. Here are a few things on my mind:

1) Motorola's semiconductor business would take another hit, and IBM could easily swallow it up.
2) IBM would likely license Mac OS X to possibly Sony, in an effort to increase exposure of the OS and the hardware (the DVD burning, for example). If a partnership among Sony, Apple, and IBM could be developed, I see nothing that could get in the way. The names themselves bring innovation and high-tech to mind.
3) Apple computers would get the fastest and the best technology as it is released. As it stands, Apple's computers are far behind not only in terms of Intel, but in terms of what Motorola and IBM are producing.
4) Mac OS X could be pushed into stores with IBM and Apple's deep pockets. If Sony would place OS X on their computers (the one's that look cool at Best Buy), Sony's computers would look even cooler. Mac OS X's eye-candy is so appealing, it's just plain fun to work with. With IBM controlling OS X, this could work great in the long run, as they could likely earn near one hundred million dollars per quarter, or more.

I'm just rambling. It's fun. This is a good idea, and it could work. IBM has a lot to gain, and they could make OS X work. Keep Apple's employees, and keep Steve Jobs, and IBM could do well. I only wish it were true.

Great idea! the three companies could merge and form a compeditor to Microsoft.

[rice_web]

Originally posted by ilikeiBook


Great idea! the three companies could merge and form a compeditor to Microsoft.

I hope you are being sarcastic about that. While it would be fun, it aint gonna' happen (or atleast, it isn't very likely). However, when AOL decides to purchase Red Hat, things might be interesting.

[Ensign Paris]

Originally posted by britboy
[QUOTE]Originally posted by dantec
[B]There is no beach in Switzerland...



sure there is! I was swimming off one two weekends ago near biel.

It was a tad cold, but fun nonetheless

Biel or Bienne [byen] , city (1990 est. pop. 52,020), Bern canton, NW Switzerland, at the northeast end of the Lake of Biel. A watchmaking center, Biel also manufactures chains and machinery. There is a 16th-century Gothic town hall and a late Gothic church. Both French and German are spoken. The Schwab museum has archaeological relics of lake dwellings found in the Lake of Biel,. or Lake of Bienne (15 sq mi/39 sq km), at the foot of the Jura Mts. The lake is connected with the Lake of Neuchâtel by the Zihl Canal. It contains the Isle of Saint-Pierre (now a peninsula), made famous by J. J. Rousseau.

[mischief]

Originally posted by krossfyter
REPEAT------ THIS RUMOR IS PURE ****

Couldn't have said it better. Not gonna happen. No Apple employees are currently stressing out over "becoming redundant" to IBM staff. Go back to your normal lives.

Move along, nothing to see here. Come on, keep going........Get moving. Why are you still reading this? Go.:rolleyes:

[IndyGopher]

Originally posted by kainjow
Just think...If IBM bought Apple, then Apple could include ViaVoice into Mac OS X directly, so it would be the first ever OS to have built-in speech dictation.
Great idea! So great that IBM thought of it years ago, and made OS/2 the first OS that had voice dictation built in.

[kainjow]

Originally posted by IndyGopher

Great idea! So great that IBM thought of it years ago, and made OS/2 the first OS that had voice dictation built in.

sheesh - sorry that i'm not the OS expert. i'm just making a point...

nesecitas calmete!

[Xapplimatic]

Originally posted by keithcobbett

...But, if IBM is currently making G4 chips and they have always been ahead of their time, like Apple, well, maybe they will bring things in house, like they did to Lotus Notes, and make it a more wide spread product with better marketing, cheaper prices and yes I have had too much to smoke. Just don't beat up on me too much here. OK???

I don't remember that IBM ever made a G4.. I believe AltiVec is a Motorola patented thing..

As for IBM buying out Apple.. BLECK!~~ BAD idea.. First they'd have to redesign the computers to be square and ugly.. secondly, since IBM doesn't make G4s and isn't working on G5s necessarily, they would have to stick their 'flagship' Sahara 750CX G3s in everything.. 1GHz G3 and no AltiVec.. umm.. do you think PowerMac users would be happy with something like that in a case that's say uglier than an old Quadra? EWwwww.. What did you think IBM would buy PowerPC chips from Motorola just to get AltiVec equipped G4s? That's really likely...

[Unregistered]

This actually would be pretty close to a match made in heaven. Apple's ill-fated reliance on Motorola would fade away, the company's brand recognition would just explode, and Apple could take some steps toward putting OS X on a lot more PCs. Apple would gain access to some extremely cool technologies that IBM is blazing ground in, like high speed hard drives, advanced chip and motherboard manufacturing processes, and advanced CPUs. I could see this really succeeding if Apple was allowed to be in charge of the more visible parts of the company, like consumer electronics (iMacs, iBooks, and things like the iPods) and IBM stuck to the IT-pro field (things like servers, where Apple has traditionally been weak anyway) and R&D.
I don't see this as being particularly likely. However, as a person who would love to see some true competition to Microsoft's stranglehold on the desktop and a true Apple lover, I would really welcome this announcement.

[Unregistered]

1984, Big Brother, IBM.... Hmmm... Wasn't Steve Jobs the one that was Born with a hate against IBM.... IBM Buy Apple??? Are you kidding, I dont think Apple would like to be bought and controlled, Steve Jobs would never let that happen. Anyways Apple isn't in any finacial trouble so why would they want to be bought??? Sounds like someone really likes making up rumors. Anyways if they get bought lets take a peek at what will happen to Apple...

The Microsoft-Apple relationship will be destroyed and meaning no more Office V.X for macintosh, YAY! Oh yeah! Thats a GREAT idea! Lets destroy the last bit of market share Apple has in the business world! IBM's POWERFUL processors, Don't get me started... OK they have G3's at 1ghz, And we have G4's at DUAL 1ghz, YAY! Oh yeah! lets put one of those G3 things in my Pro Mac and see it get blown away by a LOW, LOW end P4! YEP! Oh yeah, I can't wait to see the iBMac (IBM/iMac) its HEAVY, Square and BLACK! It was designed while it was being BUILT! YAY! Oh Yeah! Take That John Ives! OK now Apple is going Bankrupt and everything Steve Jobs did from 1997-ToNow is now undone, Apple is forgotten but IBM got MacOS X, Screwed the interface and Made it THEIR OWN! Oh yeah... Just like Lotus!!! If you think that Apple will bring Style to IBM, YOU ARE WRONG. When has IBM listened to Lotus? They SUCK at making PC's and would fail at marketing Macs!

BTW- Apple doesn't NEED TO BE BOUGHT! Its a tough time, We dont need IBM taking over Apple so it can survive off Apple and take a bite out of Apples bank account and just sit there. We need Apple to survive through this tough time with great products and MacOS X! Now if I have to, I will start a petition AGAINST IBM and make it a DotCom and advertise it like crazy and get people to sign at my own expense. Now maybe there is some good of IBM buying Apple but I know it wouldn't turn out right. If you think the way I am right now, And you think there should be a group against IBM doing this, Please E-Mail me at IceTraxXG5@mac.com or IM me on AIM, My screenname is IceTraxX. Please don't think that I am crazy or something but this is my opinion!

[gbojim]

Although I really don't think IBM would "buy" Apple, there could possibly be something happening and this rumor is blowing whatever it is out of proportion.

I got together for a beer with a guy I went to college with - he is working in the IBM systems consulting group right now. We were talking about the big Linux push IBM has these days, and he was telling me that they have been trying really hard to find some way to get "UNIX" onto the desktop in some sort of reliable package. Problem is Linux and X are too hard to maintain.

He did not say anything about considering OS X. However, it would be a perfect fit for IBM with the UNIX base. For Apple to license OS X to IBM but restrict them to corporate sales would make sense for Apple and IBM since IBM has no interest in consumer PCs and Apple has a hard time getting corporate IT folks to consider Macs.

Heck - they could even wrap a beige box around it to make it more warm and fuzzy for the IT guys.

[reyesg4]

Only if IBM cannot make personal computers or laptops. If they can only make servers based on the Mac OS that Apple would provide and apple keeps on doing its consumer thing, it would work. IBM could spend all the money it wants making the Mac OS a viable business platform and give Apple more market share.

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by edenwaith

... Now that Apple has been consistently profitable for the past few years (except for one quarter), I don't see why Apple would even want to be bought out.
...

Unfortunately, if IBM tenders an offer to the Apple board, they must treat it seriously because of legistlation and SEC rules. And IBM can always seek hostile takeover (not as common now, but just look at the ugly battle over the HP/Compaq merger) and if so unless Apple's Board is willing to eat its cash reserves to fight, IBM would likely win.

But frankly, I have to go with the folks who are waiting for some kind of validation from a legitimate business news sources.

[chmorley]

It just doesn't seem to fit. I'm not sure how IBM would profit from such a move, given that they could not maintain the Apple culture, which is such a huge part of what makes Apple what it is. Many of us might be turned off by "our" computer company being owned by "Big Brother."

Which brings me to my second point. I'm not sure IBM is "Big Brother" anymore.

Next to Microsoft, everyone else seems like an underdog. In 1984, it looked as if IBM were this unbeatable behemoth that would eventually own everything. Now it's M$ that's dicatating terms to computer makers. Truthfully, in a knock-down, drag-out between M$ and IBM, who would you be rooting for (besides Apple)?

The only upsides to this rumor (if it were ever to be true), would be that 1) IBM still probably has the ability to produce computers at a rate that could always meet demand, and 2) despite being perceived as "dull", IBM knows how to make a decent OS for PC's. OS/2 has always been better than any Microsoft product. It is more stable and versatile than any M$ piece of crap. However, it still couldn't make a significant dent in the psyches of the masses.

Which brings me to my third point. I just don't see it.

If IBM couldn't "beat" M$ with a superior OS, why would it be able to with a superior computer and OS--one that represents just a sliver of the market (as far as they're concerned)? Seems like they look at it that way, as well.

Just seems really unlikely...and I hope it's as false as it sounds.

Chris

[Common Sense Man]

Common Sense Man Here,

I've heard on my trusty ham radio that mac users worldwide are frightened by rumors about an IBM aquisition. Ladies and gentlemen allow me to use my super powers to bestow upon you a little light.

So remember kids, uhhh .. OMG APPLE IS SELLING OUT???? IT WAS ALL A LIE??? ALL THAT BS ABOUT DIGITAL CRAP??? STEVE IS JUST PUMPING UP THE STOCK TO GET A GOOD BID????

ohh wait, this rumor started at SpyMac, false alarm, put the cyanide caplets down. It's going to be fine. All of Spymac's junk is off. They forecast apple decisions as well as Job's covers up that he's half android. Every one knows SM is lying.

CSM

[Unregistered]

Common Sense Man...you are mis-named.

The rumor started at www.jagnotes.com. This is a subscription service, but was widely reported on Northern Light. I would bet a fair number of people read about it at macsurfer (not exactly a rumor site, no?). And I wouldn't say people are panicing here, either. Seems like a good debate is going on.

Do a little research first...

[Mr PowerPC]

It would be one big PowerPC compagny -> no Os X for intel -> :)

[ibjoshua]

it surprises me. there's a lot of people here seem to think apple has some sort of say in this. if i'm not mistaken a company 25 times as big as apple would be capable of a hostile takeover.

i'm not saying they'd want to but if they did who's gonna stop em?

[Nipsy]

Originally posted by Timothy
Is it just me, or is IBM the least creative, in terms of Industrial Design and UI, company on earth? It would be a disaster for Apple to fall under the auspices of this behemoth with no style.

Ummm...check out the IBM T220 display. That thing eats Cinema Displays for breakfast. IBM creates very monlithic, simple, WELL-DESIGNED hardware in its high end offerings.

Sure, its lacks excitement, but to call them the least creative is way off.

[moyashi]

hehe flame material.

an IBM/Apple/SONY alliance I could see happening. Anybody ever notice how similar Apple / Sony products are? Besides all the sony parts in all my macs :rolleyes:

Jobs is the question. He's proved his point ... that he can kick some butt ... nice to rub it in somebody's face after being fired. Why else would he do it all for a $1 ... to copy Iaoccoa? nahh ... :cool:

Is Jobs done? Nope .... look to Sony to see where both companies are going ... digital hub ... hmmm .... I've had that for a bit ... 2 years ago when I bought my Sony stereo system .... iLink (Firewire) ... Wega 32" and DVD theater system, clie ... cool stuff too bad they don't Apple very well.

Does Apple care for any or you or even me? nahhh ... he's gonna complete the circle first ... introduce all that he's thought of in the past what ??? 10 years bring Apple to a peak and bail with a golden parachuet full of gold that his private jet couldn't afford.

Come on the guy doesn't care about you ... or your culture ... or me; he cares about his "image" and his "theatrics" (... throwing a DVcam across a stage ... sheessh).

I've been an Apple user since nearly 84' ... apple ][ e and bought my own IIc :D

So if this where true .... I think I'd be happy ... urinate on the M$ world think mentality (actually not M$ itself ... hmmm ... sure M$ bits and what not ... but it's all the folks who buy a M$ cuz their neighbor/friend said it was the way to go ... but who in turn ask me for help ... (answer $100 for the headache) ... dang my family betrayed me and bought cheap machines cuz printers/scanners/cameras came with the machine as rebates.

Look at Apple for what it is folks .... Yes, I love my mac but I use it cuz it does what I need it to do quickly, easily and efficently. But, I do realize that Apple will do what it wants for it's own reasons at it's own time.

hmmm .... cheaper better machines would be nice though.

[Mr PowerPC]

Sony/Apple/IBM, not bad

Sony : digital lifestyle things
Apple : The desktops
IBM : the servers

=> Micro$oft will go down and OS X rulez ( on a PowerPC chip) :d

[Macmaniac]

Not Possible, NO WAY!

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Unregistered
apple should buy ibm!

it will give apple more resources in turms of hardware and software engineers
and become a BIG fret to microsoft
and give ibm some style......

ibm shut down their retail computer operations in 2000, now all big blue needs to do is lose 95 percent of its total valuation and then maybe apple could buy ibm

[moyashi]

hehe .. there it is .... why would IBM buy apple if they just canned their retail line?

hmmmm ..... IBM buying Motorolla .... now that would be smart :D

[Unregistered]

Bill Gates bought a lot of shares in Apple a few years ago when Apple was on its deathbed so Apple could continue.
Why would it be so bad if IBM bought shares in Apple? I think both Apple and IBM would benefit from it. Advantages always comes from cooperation.

[-=AsukA=-]

AHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! YOU PEOPLE ARE FOOLS TO THINK APPLE WOULD SELLOUT SO SOON! OR EVEN AT ALL! APPLE AND IMB MERG? AHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHH! :eek:

[jabber]

Originally posted by Unregistered
IBM helped NeXT bring the OS to market with a major financial investment. IBM has had NEXTSTEP and OPENSTEP running on Intel and PowerPC hardware for a long time. This could work.

IBM locked NEXTSTEP 0.9 away which was running on their RS6000 systems. Great help that was...

[AJW]

Years ago, there was giong to be an Apple/IBM merger. It was called off for some reason (like, the CEO's got into an argument) just as the papers were about to be signed. Personally, I don't think it sounds likely (Steve would never let it happen), but you just can't be sure...

[chesterdad]

If Apple has 4 billion in cash, the value of the cash is only $11.31/share or less. Apple has a PE of over 40 (a bit rich for a company in a flat to declining business). So let's not suggest Apple is worth more just for the cash.

[Unregistered]

Ok guys,

I am a current IBMer. Let me add a few comments. First, IBM isn't the same company that most compare it to. It has changed significantly in the past 10 years. Second, I have been a Mac loyalist for 14 years. So... the next question is naturally why am I at IBM? Because I am in a division called Global Services that provides innovative services to it's customers. We are creative! We create sites like the Grammy's, USOpen, Macy's and REI. We have created the interfaces and backend technologies for hundreds of well known sites.

Do I think Apple is a good "fit" for IBM. No way, not from a culture point of view. Is Apple a good fit financially and strategically? Absolutely, without question. Can IBM afford to buy Apple, yes... it's pennies to IBM.

The bigger question, does anyone at IBM have the brilliance to leave Apple alone? It's what has made Apple great for years and it's why I work for the most technologically advanced company in the world and choose to bring my Titanium in tow...yes, even at IBM.

Somethings just need to be left the way they are. For better or for worse.

[Unregistered]

Ok guys,

I am a current IBMer. Let me add a few comments. First, IBM isn't the same company that most compare it to. It has changed significantly in the past 10 years. Second, I have been a Mac loyalist for 14 years. So... the next question is naturally why am I at IBM? Because I am in a division called Global Services that provides innovative services to it's customers. We are creative! We create sites like the Grammy's, USOpen, Macy's and REI. We have created the interfaces and backend technologies for hundreds of well known sites.

Do I think Apple is a good "fit" for IBM. No way, not from a culture point of view. Is Apple a good fit financially and strategically? Absolutely, without question. Can IBM afford to buy Apple, yes... it's pennies to IBM.

The bigger question, does anyone at IBM have the brilliance to leave Apple alone? It's what has made Apple great for years and it's why I work for the most technologically advanced company in the world and choose to bring my Titanium in tow...yes, even at IBM.

Somethings just need to be left the way they are. For better or for worse.

[AJW]

It could be that IBM and Apple are going into a deal where IBM buys Apple stock, and Apple buys IBM processors. Just as, a few years ago, MS bought Apple stock, and Apple made IE the default browser. The current arrangement with MS seems to be working well, and, seeing as Motorola can't crank out enough G4/G5's for Apple, a similar arrangement seems possible, if not likely, between Apple and IBM.

This is where the word "buy" comes in and how the rumor got blown out of proportion. Although IBM may buy Apple stock, if the above were to occur, it wouldn't be IBM buing Apple itself.

[PyroTurtle]

i wonder how motorola feels about all of this...
they've done so much work suposedly on the G5...unless the G5 is really an IBM proc, if so, then this makes all that much more sence! i hope IBM is working on the G5, i like IBM...as a few people have noted, they've changed! they're not big brother, if you watched Pirates of Silicon Valley you'd know it was Microsoft. i think an outright buyout would work, but only if apple was left alone and given lots and lots of money to continue being apple....

[stoid]

they finally realize Apple's genius. They're taking the slogan, if you can't beat join 'em