Apple and Others Considering Bids for Yahoo?

[MacRumors]

One reports lists Apple amongst possible companies that are considering rival offers for Yahoo after Microsoft issued a public bid of $44.6 billion for the company last week. Part of the hesitation is reportedly Yahoo CEO, Jerry Yang, being reluctant to join Microsoft.

It is believed [Yang] would be particularly open to a rescue bid from Steve Jobs' Apple Corp, having openly expressed his admiration for the firm in the past. Yang last year invited Jobs to Yahoo's headquarters in Sunnyvale to give a motivational talk to staff.

While Apple does have $16 billion in the bank, representatives from other companies have already expressed reluctance to place a bid for Yahoo against Microsoft, who could easily top their bids. Meanwhile, it appears Google has been playing an active role in trying to hinder this move. Google CEO Eric Schmidt personally phoned Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang to offer assistance in fending off a Microsoft acquisision.

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[paddy]

Anything would be preferential to microsoft i spose...

[mmccaskill]

No Apple. Please keep your $16 billion in the bank. Let Google settle this one.

[elppa]

This might be an attempt to force up the price MS will eventually have to pay.

I think the Yahoo/Apple cultures would work better together, as they have already collaborated. What it would mean for the Apple/Google special relationship is unclear.

[cgc]

Although I really like Yahoo, I wouldn't want Apple to buy them. I always thought Google and Apple would be the best match due to innovation, attention to details, etc.

[Southernboy]

what a waste of money

[nomar383]

Microsoft just seems to have money to burn. I feel like there was a board meeting and someone was like "Hey, we should try and do a hostile takeover of something this week." And someone else was like "For sure." Then they took out a newspaper and threw a dart at the stock page landing on YHOO. "Done deal, take her down." lol

[Eduardo1971]

As someone with both a .mac subscription and paid subscription to Yahoo! email I too would welcome Yahoo! being bought by anyone else (well except to the Chinese company being mentioned in the article). I'm weary of Microsoft radically making Yahoo! less Apple friendly.

[Avicdar]

Apple deplete its cash reserves (and go into debt) to acquire Yahoo?

lol!

[Small White Car]

Ha...Yahoo would LIKE Apple to buy them instead of Microsoft.

This makes Apple a possible buyer?

I thought Apple had to actually care for them to be possible buyers.

[Papajohn56]

If google bought Yahoo there'd be antitrust lawyers going crazy

[danielwsmithee]

I don't think it would require Apple to purchase Yahoo it could just be a merger and Apple could keep a large portion of what they have in the Bank. Apple is worth about 3X what Yahoo is. Microsoft couldn't afford a takeover of both Apple and Yahoo. That being said I don't see what real advantage that would provide Apple other then keeping Microsoft from gaining a dominating position on the web. Google on the other hand will gain a lot from keeping MS from taking over Yahoo.

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by danielwsmithee

Google on the other hand will gain a lot from keeping MS from taking over Yahoo.

Why? Seems to me that watching their 2 biggest competitors f--- everything up and shoot themselves in the foot would be a really GOOD thing for Google!

[MarlboroLite]

NO!!!!!

Apple should not buy this for the same reasons that Microsoft should not buy it. A total waste of money on a dying brand that will never be able to take on Google. And what does Apple gain by going toe to toe against Google, a company that Apple cooperates with for some great stuff?

Google is not going down for a long time, and Yahoo doesn't have what it takes, no matter who is in change.

[elgruga]

I hope Microsoft do buy Yahoo.
They will f*** up Yahoo and their percent of the search business will drop.

Reality is that M$ should not be allowed to buy Yahoo - it makes the 'net less open and competitive.
Something tells me that this story is far from finished.

Apple will NOT buy Yahoo - there is no upside for them.

[ppc_michael]

Why are there positive ratings? The article with Microsoft buying Yahoo was all negatives, with everyone going "ew Yahoo" and now that Apple and Yahoo are mentioned in the same sentence, everyone's happy?

[crees!]

You all know, Yahoo can say no.

[riversky]

Haha, I don't think Apple would want Yahoo because they are not in the search business.

But if they did buy Yahoo I would love to see them rebrand it .Mac!!!

[nomar383]

Originally Posted by danielwsmithee

That being said I don't see what real advantage that would provide Apple other then keeping Microsoft from gaining a dominating position on the web.

What does Apple do Web-wise? I mean besides iWeb and .Mac? They don't have a search engine or anything and MS already owns most of the Computers running the any search engine anyways. Who cares if MS takes Yahoo? (minus the Yahoo users lol)

[evilyankeefan]

Please stay away Apple and let the dinosaurs have each other.

[nomar383]

Originally Posted by crees!

You all know, Yahoo can say no.

I think "hostile" means they can't lol

[Unspeaked]

Originally Posted by riversky

Haha, I don't think Apple would want Yahoo because they are not in the search business.

But if they did buy Yahoo I would love to see them rebrand it .Mac!!!

It would probably go the other way around. The Yahoo! brand is a lot more valuable than .Mac, which most non-Apple users have never heard of (and even a lot of Apple users haven't heard of!)...

[Mac-Addict]

It would be great to have Flickr built into OS X but i just dont think its a thing Apple would do. Not forgetting Google Maps and Youtube are on the iPhone/iPod Touch so it seems Apple already has relationships with Google.

[gphoto]

Originally Posted by nomar383

Microsoft just seems to have money to burn. I feel like there was a board meeting and someone was like "Hey, we should try and do a hostile takeover of something this week." And someone else was like "For sure." Then they took out a newspaper and threw a dart at the stock page landing on YHOO. "Done deal, take her down." lol

That's really funny. "For sure"

[fivepoint]

Originally Posted by crees!

You all know, Yahoo can say no.

Not true. This is a move towards a hostile takeover. All microsoft (or whoever decides to buy) has to prove is that the stockholders of Yahoo! would be better off if it were purchased. Yahoo! and it's board may not have a choice.

This has happened many times in the past. Wikipedia it.