BREAKING: Microsoft Proposes Yahoo! Takeover at $31 per Share (44 Billion $ Takeover)

[robanga]

One of the things I love about capitalism is that it motivates companies and individuals to do their best. I'm not sure who said " the Tech world was supposed to be controlled by bright ideas and innovation" , but in my viewpoint, it all comes down to economics.

MS will either spend their shareholder's funds wisely and realize a return, or not.

I also agree with the poster above that said Google needs an opposing force. Search engine and contextual marketing is what works these days. Having all of that in the hands of Google is not good for business. They need healthy competition.

 

[itcheroni]

Not exactly. They use Google sitemaps technology for indexing but the rest is proprietary. At one point Yahoo! considered licensing Google's search engine but decided against it (having their own allows them to keep all the search ad revenue but you'd have to say that didn't work out too well so far...100% of 0 is still 0 and it's heading in that direction). The thing is, Yahoo! has tons of things that Google does not like a hugely popular Sports site that competes very well with ESPN and all kinds of original content. But, they have not been very good at leveraging that into ad dollars.

Yeah, I just looked it up. I knew at one time they did but that ended four years ago! Things change so fast it's hard to keep up.

 

[snipersix]

More: Microsoft Makes $44.6 Billion Bid for Yahoo after Yahoo Rejects Partnerships, Merger

Interesting. I would imagine that Google will be a bit worried about this.

Apple - Google merger anyone?[/QUOTE]


I was just thinking of the samething when I saw the news, Apple and Google should merge, it would be awsome

 

[MacFly123]

I just hope that they don't mess with flickr. I could careless that they are aquiring Yahoo; just leave flickr as it is.

Ok, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude, but I am sooo sick of people saying that expression wrong. It is NOT "I COULD CARE LESS", it is "I COULDN'T CARE LESS"! Think about it. If you COULD care less, then it means you do care. Anyway, sorry. I'm just over annoyed by people saying things like that all the time. Kind of like FERMILIAR instead of FAMILIAR lol...

 

[MacFly123]

Anyone think this would mean one Chat client instead of MSN and Yahoo?

 

[robanga]

Anyone think this would mean one Chat client instead of MSN and Yahoo?

I'm guessing they would keep both going for a long time, both have a brand following. I know so many people that use MSN just because its the "one that comes with windows". I'm betting they would quickly make them interoperable in almost every way though.

 

[eric55lv]

Apple>Google>Yahoo>Dell>Microshaft
Thas how it is bascically

 

[Scottgfx]

Ok, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude, but I am sooo sick of people saying that expression wrong. It is NOT "I COULD CARE LESS", it is "I COULDN'T CARE LESS"! Think about it. If you COULD care less, then it means you do care. Anyway, sorry. I'm just over annoyed by people saying things like that all the time. Kind of like FERMILIAR instead of FAMILIAR lol...

Thankfully, I'm not the person your ire is being directed at. In all seriousness, I actually appreciate these notes from time-to-time. I actually think the internet has made me a better writer and a better speller because people point out common mistakes. Never stop learning!

 

[hulugu]

That may or may not happen. IBM is actually doing quite well for itself. Have they had to change for the times? Yes, but they've been able to adapt and do quite well for themselves (take a look a their stock). IBM is one of the few information technology companies with a continuos history dating back to the 19th Century. They are currently the largest technology employer in the world and the most profitable. Just because you don't see their name plastered everywhere, don't be fooled, they're there.

Let's take a quick look at the modern game consoles:
Xbox 360 contains IBM's Xenon tri-core processor
Sony's PlayStation 3 contains IBM's Cell BE microprocessor
Nintendo Wii contains IBM's chip called Broadway

Open up a computer made in the last 27 years and you will find a dozen or more IBM patterns. In fact for the last couple of years IBM has won awards for the most patterns which will be used in future technology.

SoI wouldn't call them a ghost.

The same is true with Microsoft. I'm no Microsoft fan boy (hey I'm reading a Mac forum), but they create stuff, which will be used for years to come.

Now a company like Google, who's stock took a huge hit today, dropped below $516 makes most of it's money from Advertising. A business which could move to another company very quickly. You have to remember that Google doesn't make a lot of money (if any) from Gmail, YouTube, beyond what it makes from Ads. And some companies, such as DIGG decided to go with Microsoft because they offered a better service at a better price than Google (at least that's what Kevin Rose said last year).

So I wouldn't be so quick to count Microsoft out.

As far as people saying that MS is not innovative, why should they reinvent the wheel, when they can just buy one?

I'm not saying that IBM isn't doing well, but rather there was one point where IBM was utterly dominant in the PC industry and few could imagine another company taking its place—especially as fast as Microsoft did in the early-80s. IBM is a large, well-funded company, but they were once at a position to control the software and hardware of every single computer. Their patent portfolio is impressive, but they're not "Big Blue."
Microsoft isn't faced with a single company, but rather a multitude chewing away at the company while internal problems make it easier. Right now, Microsoft is nearly completely dependent on Office and Windows and Vista has proven that the strongest core of Microsoft isn't guaranteed.

 

[BTW]

One more reason why I'll continue to Google

I'll switch from Yahoo and Hotmail to Google now. I love Yahoo's sight for entertainment and shopping but if M$ buys them I'll be looking more into using Google offerings. I just don't want to deal with the confusion of the merger of the two web mail products. Now is a good time to bail then ever before.

Google is invading Microsoft's turf, just about any computer related tech sector, so Microsoft is all-in. This will make or break Microsoft. I'm hoping they'll succeed only because my career is based on their products.

 

[gifford]

I dunno why but every time I am on these forms MS is the huge guys that ruin everything, are we forgetting back in 1997 when a company that seemed in the gutter was saved by MS?

MS didnt "save" Apple, I hate it when people say this.

$150,000000 investment did not touch the sides, to put it in perspective apple lost nearly a $740,000000 million $ in a single quarter. And I think they had 4 billion in cash lying around (this is from memory, I'm sure someone will correct me with more accurate numbers?).
Not only that, its also a question of who exactly was saving who. MS had a small monopoly problem and without a healthy Apple, MS would have been a complete and undeniable monopoly.
Also there was a costly long standing legal issue with MS stealing various technologies from apple, the 1997 deal wiped the slate clean, and allowed MS off the hook, in exchange MS agreed to continue development for Mac for another 5 years.

 

[stealthman1]

Sad day really. Yahoo really can't pass up the offer, it's stupid money. The last of the original search engines with any following will perish. MS/Yahoo won't last 5 years. This hasn't worked well for anyone yet to my knowledge. Infoseek bought by Disney...to become Go.com.... AOL/Time Warner, uggh. I'll never forget the day YHOO IPO'd. It is sad.
MSFT trying to catch a falling knife. That is funny!

 

[ijimk]

this could be intresting, google & apple goopple?

 

[Syrus28]

For all those calling for the downfall of Microsoft, think again.



"Microsoft (MSFT) on Thursday reported record quarterly revenue — and a 79% pop in profits"

"For its fiscal second quarter, Microsoft reported revenue of $16.4 billion, a quarterly record, and net income of $4.7 billion, or 50 cents a share. That's up from revenue of $12.5 billion and net income of $2.6 billion, or 26 cents, the same period a year earlier"

"It sold more than 100 million Vista licenses. Revenue in its entertainment unit, which includes Xbox, Windows Mobile and Zune, rose 3%."

Anyone who is bringing in nearly $5 billion dollars in PROFIT every quarter (3 months!!!) is not going anywhere anytime soon.

This also reassures the market share Windows has. Correct me if in wrong, but hasn't Vista captured more marketshare in 1 year than Mac OSX in total has (which came out 7 years ago?). (Don't give me that license crap, its the same with Mac. Most people buy new computers, and have no choice whether they want Leopard/Tiger or Vista/XP.)


And I don't think this Yahoo thing is so bad. I hardly doubt Microsoft is spending $44 billion on a search engine. Its the advertising revenue. Yahoo brought some $7 billion compared to Microsoft's $2.8 billion. And not to mention that both Yahoo and MSN are among the top 5 most visited sites in the WORLD ; so it could work out.

 

[MacFly123]

Thankfully, I'm not the person your ire is being directed at. In all seriousness, I actually appreciate these notes from time-to-time. I actually think the internet has made me a better writer and a better speller because people point out common mistakes. Never stop learning!

True. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. Obviously I make a lot of mistakes too. But it's those common misconceptions that get under my skin sometimes lol. I think you are correct about bettering our grammar skills etc. But, I think the rising generations really have been stunted in communication skills as far as the english language. Which is really quite ironic given the communication technology these days. I LOVE to hear the old eloquent english that said so much in so few words. It was powerful, and I fear all that is dying fast. I'm just speaking in general, not at anyone in here.

 

[MacFly123]

I'm guessing they would keep both going for a long time, both have a brand following. I know so many people that use MSN just because its the "one that comes with windows". I'm betting they would quickly make them interoperable in almost every way though.

I can agree with that. It would be so nice if iChat would be compatible with both of them too!

 

[ImperialX]

this could be intresting, google & apple goopple?

It's actually Applegoo.

 

[sachxn]

news

Wired News heading is appropriate when it says that "Two Losers do not make a Winner"

Microsoft (Loser) + Yahoo(Loser) =X Google (Winner)

Sachin

 

[LizKat]

I'll switch from Yahoo and Hotmail to Google now. I love Yahoo's sight for entertainment and shopping but if M$ buys them I'll be looking more into using Google offerings. I just don't want to deal with the confusion of the merger of the two web mail products. Now is a good time to bail then ever before.

Google is invading Microsoft's turf, just about any computer related tech sector, so Microsoft is all-in. This will make or break Microsoft. I'm hoping they'll succeed only because my career is based on their products.

If I worked at M$ or Yahoo right now I'd probably be bailng out of more than hotmail and/or yahoo mail. You get that feeling inside when you suspect that no one in your company is actually driving the bus. Or knows how to design a bus. Or a road. Time to go!

Microsoft should have branched out into middleware from OS / browser and the hotmail thing. Now Oracle has not only created decent middleware but gone and scarfed up just about everything that contributes to or competes with their offerings to enterprise solutions.

I guess M$ bought up Yahoo for the customer base among other things or maybe even primarily for that. I dunno. Microsoft will have to have something to sell them, or some way to make them buy advertisers' offerings. Jerry had that base but look what has happened, it kept sliding until now the shareholders want this buyout.

Leopard and Linux are popular OS contenders now. Google is way out there on search and presentation of results. Apple is so innovative, good at figuring the next thing and pegging something pretty close just a little ahead of the curve. And then there's always Amazon, hammer-down on volume sales of everything under the sun except iTunes-drm'd tracks. It's hard to see how Microsoft fits in there somewhere, as more than an OS provider. Well and a Zune provider. The newer ones look like improvements.

Oracle's Larry Ellison is probably not done playing hardball even if he has bought up the middleware venue. Maybe he will be the tail that wags the M$ dog. I don't know why he'd want to take on Microsoft or with what kind of money from where, but hey, he likes challenges and doing hostile takeovers!

 

[Evangelion]

I think your missing the point somewhat.

And I think you are missing my point and some basic logic.

Google offers services and Apple offers devices. Seems a perfect match to me

Um, no it doesn't. There are other companies besides Apple who offer devices, there are other companies that offer services. Why would Google want to tie itself to one single device-provider? Why should Apple want to tie itself to one single service-provider?

This is the same issue that crops up whenever someone suggests that Apple should buy one of the music-labels. If they do that, they start competing with their previous partners (the other labels), and that would harm them.

The difference between Google and the other companies that you list is that in terms of company ethos and innovation the two are more a like than just their products may suggest.

And that's STILL not a good reason to merge companies. Where exactly is the benefit for either of them? They are doing well by working together (like lots of companies do). But there's ZERO reason to merge the two companies.

It seems to me that your rationale is something like "Microsoft is Apple's primary competitor. Yahoo competes with Google. Both Google and Apple are cool companies. Therefore Apple and Google should merge".

 

[silverdreamer]

And this all impacts on The Apple Mac community because..............?

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

Wired News heading is appropriate when it says that "Two Losers do not make a Winner"

Microsoft (Loser) + Yahoo(Loser) =X Google (Winner)

Sachin

Let's not be bloody idiots here. As much as I love Apple's products and the company in general, the consumers (that would be us) really bug me sometimes. Their rampant fanboyism and Microsoft bashing is not only pathetic, it's misplaced.

Apple's profit last quarter: $1.58 billion
Microsoft's profit last quarter: $4.71 billion

If Microsoft is a loser, Apple must be bankrupt.

 

[Evangelion]

M$ is a failing company - buying Yahoo will only hasten their demise.

Yep, I also remember when people used to say Apple was irrelevant compared to MS...including its market cap, which will surpass MS's in less that 5 years...they are losing ground everywhere, even they still think they are doing ok...XBox is a drain, Vista sucks big time (a failure hidden only by OEM sales) and all other new ventures by MS can't even touch Google's or Apple's domination of digital media/phone/search businesses.

I guess this is a new definition of "failing company"?

"Microsoft Corp. today announced second quarter records for revenue, operating income and diluted earnings per share of $16.37 billion, $6.48 billion and $0.50, respectively. Compared to the year ago period, these figures represent growth of 30%, 87% and 92% for revenue, operating income and diluted earnings per share, respectively."

In short: Apple increased their revenue by 35%, while MS increased theirs by 30%. Apple increased their profits by 58%, MS increased theirs by 87%.

Oh yes, they are obviously failing. Just few more years and Microsoft will be utterly in ruins... Nevermind the fact that they increased their profits more than Apple did....

Seriously: WTF! Both MS and Apple are growing more or less at same pace. MS increased their profits MORE than Apple did! Hell, MS's quarterly PROFIT is comparable to Apple's quarterly REVENUE! And we still have some fanatics claiming that MS teeters on the verge of annihilation, while Apple is heading for undisputed world-domination! Helllooo!!

BRLawyer and some of the other Apple-jihadists need to remember three letters: I, B and M. Back in the eighties people were saying that IBM is history. 20 years have passed, where is IBM? Is it that massive multi-billion dollar corporation? Why, I think it is! Do they still utterly dominate the industry? No. But they are a HUGE player in the market, and no-one takes them lightly. Not even Microsoft.

And BR: Xbox-division is actually making profit.

 

[Lord Sam]

What a shame.

I have to look for a new email account now

Same. If the takeover occurs, I am never going to yahoo.com again.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

Same. If the takeover occurs, I am never going to yahoo.com again.

Why? This blanket reasoning is ridiculous. Read my post above.