Re: IBM
I think we're all forgetting the one damning aspect of an Apple/IBM merger. IBM coproprate structure is among the most rigid in the world. While it has laxed a bit in recent years, it is still FAR too formalized to ever allow a smooth integration with a relatively freewheeling company like Apple. While this would be an ideal marraige from a product standpoint (excellent OS+excellent hardware design=rockin' machine) it would be a total disaster from an integration standpoint. Even if IBM were to hold Apple as a wholly owned subsidiary the management issues would be disasterous.
That said...we're talking fiction here so I'm all for IBM. 😀