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Apple's Cash Hoard Triggers Acqusition Rumors: Twitter, Electronic Arts
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exactly! and Apple could improve on Adobe's product lines or integrate their existing offerings
Not to mention Apple could fix Flash player so it's not quite as piggish & runs well on mobile platforms...
I'm just sayin' at least there's room for improvement and a real business strategy in an Adobe acquisition.
1: It doesn't matter if EA wants to sell itself, it's a publicly owned company right? So anyone with the cash like Apple can buy it regardless what they want.
2: Apple developed and launched the Pippin games console but it flunked:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Bandai_Pippin
And personally I think it will be the WORST thing ever if Apple buy EA, don't care about twitter but not EA. The games industry is just fine as it is, Apple should make a better and more desirable AppleTV, NOT a games console or get into games development.
God, with all this talk about Google and Apple sharing directors and now that Apple wants to buy these company's they ARE starting to look just as monopolising as Microsoft and the they will suffer the same fines too.
Apple has already told the European courts to get stuffed after it ruled them to charge less for it's iTunes in Europe!! Perhaps they feel their now arrogant enough to be above any laws?
Lets think about this before you write it off...
EA games for a new upcoming Apple TV (exclusives) and not to mention for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and Twitter can be for the social networking aspect that could be worked into it as well. Then it could eventually be added to the entire ecosystem connecting the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.
Seems plausible to me... Whatever they are doing in Cupertino, it is going to be big.
EA games for a new upcoming Apple TV (exclusives) and not to mention for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and Twitter can be for the social networking aspect that could be worked into it as well. Then it could eventually be added to the entire ecosystem connecting the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.
Seems plausible to me... Whatever they are doing in Cupertino, it is going to be big.
Ahem... *holds out hand*
In all seriousness, move the Apple factories to Germany! Use TI FireWire chipsets! IPS panels! Samsung SSDs! Seagate hard drives!
Yeah... agreed, overall....
People act like Apple's saved up money is burning a hole in THEIR pockets or something! I don't actually hold any Apple stock, but if I did, I'd feel good about them having that much cash saved up. I certainly wouldn't be putting pressure on them to hurry up and spend it buying something pointless like "Twitter".
(Honestly, what does Twitter really accomplish that's very unique or interesting? I can post "status" updates on a Facebook account and browse what my "friends" have said on a Facebook client on my mobile phone or computer. Why duplicate that with ANOTHER client? I don't use MySpace, but pretty sure it has comparable capabilities too, as does LinkedIn.)
If I was in charge of finding something to acquire with Apple's cash reserves though, I'd take a good, hard look at graphics card makers. They've *always* been held back by the "big 2" graphics card makers taking very little interest in designing Mac-compatible graphics boards, and taking forever to finish them when they start on them. Maybe Apple doesn't need/want to buy out ATI or nVidia - but buying capabilities to produce their OWN cards, and recruiting some of their talent to help them with their own graphics boards/chips would seem to be a smart investment.
People act like Apple's saved up money is burning a hole in THEIR pockets or something! I don't actually hold any Apple stock, but if I did, I'd feel good about them having that much cash saved up. I certainly wouldn't be putting pressure on them to hurry up and spend it buying something pointless like "Twitter".
(Honestly, what does Twitter really accomplish that's very unique or interesting? I can post "status" updates on a Facebook account and browse what my "friends" have said on a Facebook client on my mobile phone or computer. Why duplicate that with ANOTHER client? I don't use MySpace, but pretty sure it has comparable capabilities too, as does LinkedIn.)
If I was in charge of finding something to acquire with Apple's cash reserves though, I'd take a good, hard look at graphics card makers. They've *always* been held back by the "big 2" graphics card makers taking very little interest in designing Mac-compatible graphics boards, and taking forever to finish them when they start on them. Maybe Apple doesn't need/want to buy out ATI or nVidia - but buying capabilities to produce their OWN cards, and recruiting some of their talent to help them with their own graphics boards/chips would seem to be a smart investment.
Exactly, it's possible to make money from almost nothing (e.g. google) but twitter is only twitter, it doesn't do things like email, picassa, or other services. I can't see Apple going for something that just doesn't go forward. Now if they changed...
EA though, I'd love an apple game console, like there aren't enough already. Or maybe just some games designed to work perfectly on my mac.
As Bill Gates said to Homer Simpson: "Oh, I didn't get rich by writing a lot of checks."In all seriousness, move the Apple factories to Germany! Use TI FireWire chipsets! IPS panels! Samsung SSDs! Seagate hard drives!
EA games for a new upcoming Apple TV (exclusives) and not to mention for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and Twitter can be for the social networking aspect that could be worked into it as well. Then it could eventually be added to the entire ecosystem connecting the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.
Seems plausible to me... Whatever they are doing in Cupertino, it is going to be big.
neither of these require Apple to buy the companies that run them - just to offer the companies some kind of a deal
what would Apple do with a site/service like Twitter? they have absolutely no need to be in that market - everyone agrees that while Twitter is popular, there's no clear idea of how to make it produce money - so far it's just a money hole
and EA - Apple are not a games company - what would they know about running a games company? I can see them getting EA involved in some exclusive deals perhaps, but not an acquisition
Twitter has been the model in many of Facebook's recent updates, so they obviously see them as a formidable opponent to venture copying them. Look at Facebook's new home screen and Twitter's home screen. Virtually identical now.
Twitter serves as an aggregator for many different mediums - friends/family, news, celebrities (if that matters to you), site feeds, etc. It also serves as a good "iReporting" tool in that news networks can pull up realtime accounts of individuals through a simple keyword search.
Adobe would be the sensible purchase, then dump Photoshop for PC to increase your Mac sales
I agree. Not sure they would dump the PC version, but I could see them adjusting the price to entice people to switch operating systems. Twitter seems like too much of a fad for Apple to be stupid enough to buy it.
As for EA, that's more of a curveball. On one hand, I think Apple's not into videogames (especially Steve), but on the other I can see their eyes widening when they look at the video game sales numbers from the app store. I could also see them pulling a repeat of the "nobody wants to watch videos on the iPod--they're digging in the wrong place" kind of thing with video games and then do something big with it.
EA is a shady company these days though imo. I'm not sure how that factors into the picture, not to mention that Apple might really screw things up there since it's a bit out of their expertise. Also, I'm not sure how mature titles would affect Apple's corporate image, especially with the connections between Apple and Disney. Apple has surprised me before though, and as a shareholder, I'd love to see them put some of that capital to good use.
Apple wants Twitter so that it can replace SMS as the global messaging standard
"Announcing the new iPhone. This device will revolutionize wireless service. How you ask? There is no SMS...at all! Instead, messages will be exchanged using Apple's newly acquired Twitter service..."
"Announcing the new iPhone. This device will revolutionize wireless service. How you ask? There is no SMS...at all! Instead, messages will be exchanged using Apple's newly acquired Twitter service..."
According to sources (Leo Laporte) 60% of people who join twitter stop using the service after 30 days. Personally, I don't get it...
Maybe they should buy a subset of Adobe's products instead of the whole company. Then they could make up a brand name to sell them under. How 'bout... "Macromedia"?
Hummm.... Pippin you say?!
I was unaware of the Pippin... I think at the time I was busy rockin' a Sega Genesis
Anyway, I agree with you. E.A. does a great job with their titles & It'd be a shame to have something (even apple) rock the boat.
Yes, publicly traded companies can be purchased should the majority shareholders relinquish their shares... but what direction would apple be taking in buying a gaming franchise like EA? It really doesn't make any sense for them to do it.
And again to the Twitter thaaaang
PSSHAW!!!
I was unaware of the Pippin... I think at the time I was busy rockin' a Sega Genesis
Anyway, I agree with you. E.A. does a great job with their titles & It'd be a shame to have something (even apple) rock the boat.
Yes, publicly traded companies can be purchased should the majority shareholders relinquish their shares... but what direction would apple be taking in buying a gaming franchise like EA? It really doesn't make any sense for them to do it.
And again to the Twitter thaaaang
PSSHAW!!!
I've networked with a lot of web and graphic designers in my area since joining Twitter, so for me its definitely a plus. That 60% is probably people who hear it via word of mouth on TV, celebrities. It isn't for everyone, but for those who continue to use it can definitely find it useful.
EA games for a new upcoming Apple TV (exclusives) and not to mention for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and Twitter can be for the social networking aspect that could be worked into it as well. Then it could eventually be added to the entire ecosystem connecting the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.
Seems plausible to me... Whatever they are doing in Cupertino, it is going to be big.
Thought about it.. still think it's a bunch of hogwash.
Apple TV does not need games and it will never have games. It's a home media console not a gaming console. Leave the gaming industry be - the world is just fine with Wii, PS3 and Xbox. Apple has nothing to contribute here, outside of half-assed mobile gaming on iPhone/iPod Touch.
Twitter - complete fad and a solution in search of a problem. They only thing they have going for themselves right now is their brand and the buzz. But those things are fleeting, as it was proven time and again with other Internet brands (remember Napster?? MySpace??)
Move along, nothing to see here.
Not to mention that YouTube has some entertainment value that attracts viewership. Would you want to see a six minute YouTube clip of Christian Bale spouting off his worthless 'effen mouth has he berates a FELLOW employee or would you rather read a tweet from a cameraman on the set who has only 140 characters to spout what's happening. What about a car chase on the LA freeway? Video or text? What about a outbreak at the courthouse? Video or text? What about cops beating someone? Video or text?
I rest my case.
Twitter some say is a fad. That I cannot answer, other than to say, I do not tweet, I do not receive tweets and I do not follow tweets of others. Only time will tell.
well actually Apple should've bough Sun if they really have that much money as a cash reserve. Sun's server technologies would've been an awesome addition to the company but that's all gone. As far as tweeter goes there is absolutely nothing that tweeter can offer to Apple. The whole site is build around hype and if recent reports are to be believed most users never visit the site after the initial subscription.
Just a rumor, nothing to see, move along.
Seeing how Apple acquires businesses, they mostly concentrate in those that will add future technologies (i.e.: Fingerworks with Multi Touch) or potential future technologies (PA Semi, new ARM chips for future iPhones?) or software that create future content (Shake) by Content makers (TV or movie studios)
Twitter is in essence messaging, and Apple would only need to build hooks in iChat and other apps to take advantage of it's popularity without having to spend $700 million. By itself it only generates content (when breaking news happen), or idle chatter (most of the other time).
NO, it would not make sense for Apple to buy Twitter as it doesn't add anything to the existing product line.
Buying EA, also, doesn't make sense. EA works with all platforms and Apple would most likely consider a game company that would be exclusive to it.
Seeing how Apple acquires businesses, they mostly concentrate in those that will add future technologies (i.e.: Fingerworks with Multi Touch) or potential future technologies (PA Semi, new ARM chips for future iPhones?) or software that create future content (Shake) by Content makers (TV or movie studios)
Twitter is in essence messaging, and Apple would only need to build hooks in iChat and other apps to take advantage of it's popularity without having to spend $700 million. By itself it only generates content (when breaking news happen), or idle chatter (most of the other time).
NO, it would not make sense for Apple to buy Twitter as it doesn't add anything to the existing product line.
Buying EA, also, doesn't make sense. EA works with all platforms and Apple would most likely consider a game company that would be exclusive to it.
Rest your case? They're different mediums. Text can prove more useful than video in some situations, and video can prove more useful than text. Now that you've mentioned it I'm going to go listen to the Christian Bale Remix again.