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

[lucky3killer]

It used to before Safari went cross platform and became a threat to internet exploder. Doesn't work the best with Firefox either. Imagine that.

It work so ok for firefox on mine since I'm using beta version of firefox 3.

 

[pagansoul]

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

This is my big fear. I was upset when Yahoo took over flickr and had to drop my sign-on. I don't know what MS will do with my email account. Thank the Goddess my main email account is via Netzero, has been for 15 years.

 

[Bonte]

Yea Microsoft has about $30bn just in cash right now.

According to Google invest, MS Total Current Assets is 37 billion, Apple has 18 billion in Cash & Short Term Investments and 26 billion total assets.

Is Microsoft really losing that much windows/office profit on other activities? 😕

 

[Evangelion]

What services do those mobile phones use though?

AT&T, Orange, O2 and Deutche Telekom. Should they merge with Apple?

Hmm let me think.... oh yes Google.

In some places. Just because iPhone has a Google Maps-client is not a compelling reason to merge the two companies. "Let's do a HUGE merger, because we really like that Google Maps-client!"

Which company are Apple in a business alliance with? Hmmm let me think... oh yes Google.

And Audible, and Intel, and music-labels, and movie-studios, Yahoo, AT&T.... Should Apple merge with all of those?

Which CEO (apart from Intels) made an appearance at Mac World? I'll save the sarcasm, Googles. Need I go on?

CEO of Sony once appeared at Stevenote. Clearly Sony and Apple should merge! CEO of Fox appeared on stage at Macworld, clearly Fox and Apple should merge!

Need I go on?

 

[gifford]

Oh NO! Poor Yahoo. I have never voted before but felt obliged this time. This is the worst news the tech industry has dealt with in years. It's like the princess Diana crash for nerds.

 

[justflie]

LOL! And this will help M$ convince the world/government that they're not a monopoly how? 🙄

 

[pcorajr]

This sucks... please do not screw around with Flickr It is the only and favorite service i use in yahoo.

 

[furcalchick]

i wonder what it's going to do with the sports section of the site, especially fantasy sports? dump it, or will ms force it elsewhere?

and i hope they don't dump y! messenger in place for msn. yahoo is the best im service out there, and msn's is just awful.

 

[ziwi]

One more reason why I'll continue to Google

That is precise reason that they made this move - to compete more directly with google. They can pump funds into yahoo and fight what is their real arch enemy - google - Apple is not there yet as the % of market for OS and browser are not really seen as a threat, but MSFT has been seeing google as a problem for a while.

 

[tcoleman]

if this happens yahoo will begin a long downhill slide into oblivion. monkey boy has no idea how to run a company. 😀

Maybe you haven't been paying attention, but Yahoo! is already on that slide. This buyout is actually a GOOD THING for YHOO investors. Yada yada ... Microsoft sucks, etc.

 

[lshaner]

“Our lives, our businesses, and even our society have been progressively transformed by the Web, and Yahoo! has played a pioneering role by building compelling, high-scale services and infrastructure,” said Ray Ozzie, chief software architect at Microsoft. “The combination of these two great teams would enable us to jointly deliver a broad range of new experiences to our customers that neither of us would have achieved on our own.”

So Microsoft loves the innovative work that Yahoo has done with highly specialized linux to achieve those "high-scale" services?

Does anyone think that the creative geniuses who have invested their blood sweat and tears into perfecting that infrastructure are going to stick around to see Microsoft impose their own technology...ergo destroy what Yahoo has created?

Sad day... :-( Similar to when Microsoft bought Visio. Similar to when EMC bought VMware. :-(

 

[petvas]

Microsoft is playing the big boss again. By acquiring Yahoo they will eliminate one of the major competitors and use Yahoo technology to make their products better. It's as simple as that...

 

[Queso]

That is precise reason that they made this move - to compete more directly with google. They can pump funds into yahoo and fight what is their real arch enemy - google - Apple is not there yet as the % of market for OS and browser are not really seen as a threat, but MSFT has been seeing google as a problem for a while.

Exactly. Google stuff is pretty much platform agnostic. They make it possible for people to leave Windows behind. Add in that 90% of Mozilla's income comes from Google and they are the biggest thorn in Microsoft's side by a long way.

Apple have had their own victories. For instance Cupertino has completely destroyed Redmond's plan for DRM domination, and now it looks as if their smartphone strategy will go the same way. However, a lot of Apple's success can be traced back to Google's re-enabling of the platform-agnostic Internet.

 

[hob]

Gah. Hands off my Flickr, Microshaft!

Why can't they just concentrate on making Windows good? Stop getting above their station. Leave the internet to Google, who clearly do it best, and make their product half decent?!

 

[MacGeek7]

I still say the future will be Apple and Google.

And if they merged we could call it Apple-Goo...remember the iPhone keynote when the CEO of Google gave us that wonderful name

 

[Blue Velvet]

Exactly. Google stuff is pretty much platform agnostic. They make it possible for people to leave Windows behind. Add in that 90% of Mozilla's income comes from Google and they are the biggest thorn in Microsoft's side by a long way.

Microsoft are going to have tough time competing directly with Google without slaughtering their cash cows: Windows and Office. They're in a bind; they never really grasped the web at the right time, and now they're paying... oh dear, never mind.

 

[Cromulent]

AT&T, Orange, O2 and Deutche Telekom. Should they merge with Apple?

In some places. Just because iPhone has a Google Maps-client is not a compelling reason to merge the two companies. "Let's do a HUGE merger, because we really like that Google Maps-client!"

And Audible, and Intel, and music-labels, and movie-studios, Yahoo, AT&T.... Should Apple merge with all of those?

CEO of Sony once appeared at Stevenote. Clearly Sony and Apple should merge! CEO of Fox appeared on stage at Macworld, clearly Fox and Apple should merge!

Need I go on?

I think your missing the point somewhat. Google offers services and Apple offers devices. Seems a perfect match to me, especially when you consider the way the mobile phone / PDA market is headed.

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.

 

[elppa]

Apple announce record profits, margins. Analyst predict market share doubling
– stocks tank.

Microsoft (failing web services provider) buy another web services provider (also failing, but not by so much) for stupid-o-money
- stocks rise.

I think I beginning to understand how the stock market works.

On another note, it's how much you spend, it's how you spend it that counts? This is a poor investment. No one wants or needs Windows Live!. Most people I know still call it “MSN”, a throwback to another failed attempt by Microsoft to rule the internet.

 

[hob]

I think your missing the point somewhat. Google offers services and Apple offers devices. Seems a perfect match to me, especially when you consider the way the mobile phone / PDA market is headed.

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.

I think the point is that just because all of these companies make excellent products, does not mean that they should merge. Companies can always collaborate together (such as Google Maps on iPhone) without needing to merge.

 

[Spanners]

Microsoft is playing the big boss again. By acquiring Yahoo they will eliminate one of the major competitors and use Yahoo technology to make their products better. It's as simple as that...

Here here!

You know what they say, If you can't beat them..buy them.

Thank <insert your deity here> they don't have enough cash to take over...I mean..."merge" with Google

 

[applefan69]

I have always been unable to stand yahoo. Something about the way they design their sites annoys me.

The way everything is set up annoys me

seriously i cant explain it, but there has NEVER been anything about yahoo i liked.. maybe google brainwashed me with Gmail?


idk what it is, all i know is this just gives me another reason to NEVER wanna use yahoo. I literally avoid anything on the internet that yahoo has anything to do with.

Another thing is, I've never liked windows live much either... i'll admit I've never used it much, mainly because by time windows live search came out, google was already at it's peek. But i've used Hotmail enough to have a fair opinion on it.. and I can honestly say I can't imagine why anyone WOULD use hotmail. (OR yahoo mail for that matter) When Gmail, beats BOTH of them in so many ways.

I cant see this helping neither microsoft nor Yahoo!.... I dont see this going over well, and that is ALOT of money microsoft is investing... if microsoft only has 30Billion does this mean it'll put microsoft in debt?.... Why is microsoft making such a dumb move.

With Apple gaining speed, microsoft is soon gonna have to start worrying about apple.

With Google (at the moment) beating Yahoo horribly.

This seems like an extremely bad move on microsofts part... but then again why should I care?

 

[diamond.g]

Microsoft are going to have tough time competing directly with Google without slaughtering their cash cows: Windows and Office. They're in a bind; they never really grasped the web at the right time, and now they're paying... oh dear, never mind.

I seem to recall seeing an article that talked about how microsoft want's to move office/windows to an online (read:subscription) based model. I forgot where I saw this, I'll post the link if I run into it again. But that would be a scary day (the subscription bit). They are part of the way there with the activation stuff...

 

[Manatee]

If the deal happens, they should call the combined company Yahoo!, and purge all reference to the Microsoft name. Yahoo! is young, cool, and nice. Microsoft it a greedy, bloodthirsty, capitalism machine. 😉

 

[Eidorian]

Sounds like a bid from Microsoft to buy a small sliver of innovation and kill off a competitor. While not as news breaking as Google, Yahoo! has managed to maintain and acquire (I'm looking at you My Yahoo!, Yahoo! Mail, del.icio.us, and flickr) its own small realm decent services.

Microsoft is just tossing money to try to get some sort of vital signs.

 

[elppa]

Why is microsoft making such a dumb move.

With Apple gaining speed, microsoft is soon gonna have to start worrying about apple.

Microsoft make a lot of dumb moves, it's just not talked about much.

And although they'll never admit it publicly, Microsoft is terrified of Apple. A lot big markets Microsoft wants to get into (or areas they have tried to get into and failed) Apple is already in and competing hard in with better, more innovative products.

Not that any of this will matter too much whilst they still have their Office and Windows cash cows. They just won't be able to grow their business.