I still think Apple and Google will merge.
I hope not.
Nothing against Google. They're obviously masters of their core competency - Internet search engines. And I can see how that competency could be leveraged in supporting the true goal - lucrative and sustainable online advertising.
But how internet search engine and online advertising expertise translates into designing and building computer hardware, cellphones (note Android is an OS platform and not a hardware platform), PMPs, and productivity software admittedly escapes me.
Honestly, Apple should have bought YouTube and not Google. Apple already has the agreements in place with many media corporations who could have leveraged YouTube to distribute content to iPhones, iPod Touches and
tvs.
ComedyCentral could post
The Daily Show and
The Colbert Report, for example, and keep the national ads in (and even sell more national ads to replace the slots dedicated to local market ads).
And lower-res versions of the QuickTime movie trailers could also be shown via YouTube on the same devices.
Apple could also have hosted contests to get individuals to post their own content and have advertising tie-ins based on the topic.