IBM/Apple Deal?

[rainman::|:|]

no one's buying Apple. And IBM isn't buying anything, they're selling. Okay. let's look at it from a different angle:

IBM's PC division, for sale, is a little bomb waiting to change hands. The Thinkpad is the crown of laptop competition. All of the PC companies should have their ears perked up, including Apple... As was said, using cash-on-hand, they could squarely snatch it up, giving them a big chunk of marketshare, corporate mindshare, and although I don't think the division is currently profitable, it could be under Jobs. If Apple really does have any interest in re-entering the business market, which they seem to (xserve), they'll need a jumpstart like this. The timing couldn't be better, with the iPod a roaring success, the divisions could feed off each other. Even being in different markets.

What could Apple do with the division? As was speculated before, they could work some Ives magic on the line, then gradually phase out current software with specially-ported Apple software, lastly making the jump from the Windows to OS X... In a matter of five years, Apple could convert a whole (huge) segment of the business market to both their hardware and software, so smoothly the customer would barely notice a difference.

Just wait and see if Apple doesn't make a bid for the division... but i suppose it's wishful thinking.

paul

 

[Steven1621]

IBM won't buy Apple - IBM and Apple will form a stronger partnership, though. That's my gut feeling on this matter.

Agreed, and I hope that is the case. Something about a giant like IBM in control of Apples gives me an odd feeling.

 

[Edot]

Reading too much?

Could this simply be an announcement that Apple is joining the PowerPC consortium. I think people read into small rumors way too much. Who knows though it could be something bigger!?

 

[GregA]

What could Apple do with the division? As was speculated before, they could work some Ives magic on the line, then gradually phase out current software with specially-ported Apple software, lastly making the jump from the Windows to OS X... In a matter of five years, Apple could convert a whole (huge) segment of the business market to both their hardware and software, so smoothly the customer would barely notice a difference.

hehe

While I can see that Apple could sell PCs, bundled with Windows, iTunes, Appleworks, Quicktime - then customised with Apple screensavers & backgrounds - and lastly maybe several other pieces of Apple software (Safari, Mail, iCal, etc) - I don't really see what's in it for Apple. They could pursue that now if they wanted to.

And as for IBM - getting rid of it's PC business so that Apple, the company who buys most of their PPC970 chips, gets a food into Intel's camp.... seems unlikely

 

[Doctor Q]

IBM would not buy Apple for its software. Apple itself doesn't make a living selling software. They produce software (and the iTunes Music Store, for that matter) to sell their hardware.

 

[devman]

WTF!

IBM is selling off it's PC business so they can turn around and buy Apple!

No way. You guys must be smoking dope.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Apple is not for sale

In fact Apple has job postings that includes working on new acquisitions.

This "partnership" strikes more for IBM to port its tools and services that run on AIX to OS X Server.

It also strikes more as a mult-tier relationship that plugs Apple in certain tiers and IBM in other tiers, using PPC architecture as the baseline to compete against SUN or HP or Microsoft.

If you think Steve will sell any company he has stake in or owns to IBM or anyone else than you've never met the man let alone worked at one of his companies. Having worked at NeXT and Apple I'm only interested in what IBM would like to do in the way of partnering within the Enterprise markets and VAR channels that could see IBM pushing Apple laptops to replace ThinkPads in conjunction with their AIX PowerPC Servers, that will have tools designed to seemlessly interoperate.

It either is a win/win or just a writer bored in need of a deadline to pay the bills.

 

[Arcady]

So yeah this silly story has ben here all day. What ever happened to a new story every day? The damn poll is older than some children.

If you are giving up, just say so.

 

[Cochrane]

He says that this deal will add more credibility to Mac OS X. Just the way it did with OS/2? A cooperation with IBM is not necessarily anything good, it can be but it does not have to.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

In fact Apple has job postings that includes working on new acquisitions.

This "partnership" strikes more for IBM to port its tools and services that run on AIX to OS X Server.

It also strikes more as a mult-tier relationship that plugs Apple in certain tiers and IBM in other tiers, using PPC architecture as the baseline to compete against SUN or HP or Microsoft.

If you think Steve will sell any company he has stake in or owns to IBM or anyone else than you've never met the man let alone worked at one of his companies. Having worked at NeXT and Apple I'm only interested in what IBM would like to do in the way of partnering within the Enterprise markets and VAR channels that could see IBM pushing Apple laptops to replace ThinkPads in conjunction with their AIX PowerPC Servers, that will have tools designed to seemlessly interoperate.

It either is a win/win or just a writer bored in need of a deadline to pay the bills.

Couldn't agree more there. That makes sense, and seems like the logical thing to do given the circumstances surrounding both companies.

 

[AmigoMac]

So yeah this silly story has ben here all day. What ever happened to a new story every day?

Like the "iTMS canada to be released soon"

This time of the year is not really the best for big news everyday, X-mas season doesn'T give a lot of info in the apple/mac arena until 2 weeks before MWSF, just wait a bit and you may get crazy and posting "WTH" at the rumors before the keynote in january, be patient... about the polls, I wonder if nobody has sent good ideas or just no sent, I personally have sent just one idea for the poll and got released, sad is that I can't remember what was that about, but I will try again and push to refresh the poll...

back to topic:

We will be seeing a big partnership between the "big blue" and the "big fruit", any kind of approach of the linux crowd to the PPC site of the world and therefore more software developers for the mac side, I can see new ads from IBM advertising new PPC based products, as already said, for the big fishes out-there, the average joe is not a target for IBM anymore, that's pretty clear. I can see steve with a black jean and a blue turtle-neck T-shirt. as for U2... Red shoes if he wants.

 

[sunilraman]

Talking about credibility. Apple's AWFUL, AWFUL supply mechanism hurts it terribly. They promise delivery dates, and don't deliver on time. They make people wait months for product.

How can you rely on Apple ? You've got to be crazy to do so. Apple has hurt my business by lying about delivery times. They can't reliably deliver. They need help. And were they able to deliver, I bet they Apple market would expand. IBM can do that for them.

hernick, working as a graphic designer for the past few years, and also spending a few days trying my hand as a sales assistant at an apple authorised dealer, i know what you mean... i love apple to death but like a maverick family member, they can f*** up your life if you let it

especially the supply and manufacturing side... you know, i guess this year that's how they kept the shareholders and wall street happy and have been rewarded by the tripling in their stock price... by running things so tight and down to the wire.

 

[sunilraman]

dave's not here, man

What could Apple do with the division? As was speculated before, they could work some Ives magic on the line, then gradually phase out current software with specially-ported Apple software, lastly making the jump from the Windows to OS X... In a matter of five years, Apple could convert a whole (huge) segment of the business market to both their hardware and software, so smoothly the customer would barely notice a difference.

Just wait and see if Apple doesn't make a bid for the division... but i suppose it's wishful thinking.

paul

paul, sorry to mention, but this sounds more crazy than ibm buying apple to get into the pc/personal music market

 

[prewwii]

G3's

I didn't think the clone makers ever brought out G3-based systems???

My memory is not perfect on this. Here is what I remember Motorola was first, followed by Power Computing then Apple to market a G3. Performance reviews had Apple third on the speed charts. That I am pretty sure of. I don't think Umax ever brought out the G3 before Apple pulled its manufacturing contracts.

 

[grimmace]

IBM Games

I just want to see all games for a PC now run on a Apple computer. That is the true reason that PC's were selling to home buyers. This would make the Macintosh even better in the market.

 

[pimentoLoaf]

...How can you rely on Apple ? You've got to be crazy to do so. Apple has hurt my business by lying about delivery times. They can't reliably deliver. They need help. And were they able to deliver, I bet they Apple market would expand. IBM can do that for them. ...

The figures Apple is quoting is an ESTIMATED SHIP for a Base Unit (one without customizations); a product enhanced in any way (even if it's only RAM) will take more time.

Plus, take into account the time of year, an increased demand unforseen by Apple at time of purchase, etc. etc. etc. and the availability of IBM chips used in the unit.

If IBM ran the show, the delivery times might be quoted in many weeks, rather than just days.

 

[wdlove]

paul, sorry to mention, but this sounds more crazy than ibm buying apple to get into the pc/personal music market

Take heart Paul, I think that your plan makes sense. Apple needs a way to get in business, this sounds like just right road. But with anything about Apple we will have to wait and see what Steve does.

 

[biederman]

It could happen - but probably not IBM

Hate to tell you, but ANY publicly-held company is "for sale" if the buyer has enough cash. Also, there have been much larger acquisitions than Apple (think HP and Compaq). So, it could happen.
But IBM? Doesn't make much sense... they're so focused on the business market (especially services) that it's hard to see how a consumer-focused company like Apple would be a good fit.
A much more likely suitor is Hewlett-Packard. They have the consumer focus, especially in "lifestyle" applications like digital photography, and they're already partnered with Apple on digital music (the HP iPod). Also, HP has the cash and they're "local," with lots of inbreeding between the two companies. I give this a 50% probability in the next 2 years, especially since Carly likes acquisitions.
Another suitor might be Sony. Apple is gaining market share in consumer electronics at the expense of Sony, and Sony has plenty of content (think music and movies) that could be distributed via iTunes. Kind of a longhsot but it does make sense.

 

[IJ Reilly]

My memory is not perfect on this. Here is what I remember Motorola was first, followed by Power Computing then Apple to market a G3. Performance reviews had Apple third on the speed charts. That I am pretty sure of. I don't think Umax ever brought out the G3 before Apple pulled its manufacturing contracts.

Both Motorola and PowerComputing developed G3-based Macs in mid-1997 but neither one saw the light of day, presumably because Apple wanted to be the first to release a G3 Mac, which they did a couple of months afterwards.

 

[jaromski]

Hate to tell you, but ANY publicly-held company is "for sale" if the buyer has enough cash. Also, there have been much larger acquisitions than Apple (think HP and Compaq). So, it could happen.
But IBM? Doesn't make much sense... they're so focused on the business market (especially services) that it's hard to see how a consumer-focused company like Apple would be a good fit.
A much more likely suitor is Hewlett-Packard. They have the consumer focus, especially in "lifestyle" applications like digital photography, and they're already partnered with Apple on digital music (the HP iPod). Also, HP has the cash and they're "local," with lots of inbreeding between the two companies. I give this a 50% probability in the next 2 years, especially since Carly likes acquisitions.
Another suitor might be Sony. Apple is gaining market share in consumer electronics at the expense of Sony, and Sony has plenty of content (think music and movies) that could be distributed via iTunes. Kind of a longhsot but it does make sense.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/07/ibm_lenovo_update/

i concur, the whole apple/ibm thing is bogus. at least as far as buyouts. ibm just sold their pc division to lenovo for a 5% take of the company. ibm is exiting the commodity hardware biz. but strategic alliances, for purposes of apple getting into the upcoming ibm/sony "cell" architecture is another story. that would suite apple just fine thank you. high-end, massively-parrallel processor architecture on the cheap? now through on mac osx? who wouldn't want one of those in the home/office!

i think you are right that it makes more sense strategically to join hp or even sony than ibm. hp is really trying to push that "hip image" that apple has in spades. you know all the cheese-bomber commercials with the 80's music in the background and all the groovy people taking pictures and printing on their hp ****. hp is trying to capitalize on apple's "cool" with the hp branded ipod, etc. hp is really trying hard to differentiate its product offerings from dell because it just can't compete on price. so it has to compete on merit. and that is what apple competes on, imo. there is a coolness/elitist factor that apple has perfected that all the pc companies are desperately trying to clone. and if apple got snatched up by a big company i for one thing the cool factor of apple would go down the tubes. there is something great about feeling different, even though none of us really are that different from pc users.

but it sure is a nice feeling they sell ya.

jaromski

 

[SeaFox]

Both Motorola and PowerComputing developed G3-based Macs in mid-1997 but neither one saw the light of day, presumably because Apple wanted to be the first to release a G3 Mac, which they did a couple of months afterwards.

Perhaps the reason the Motorola and Power Computing machines never saw the light of day is clone licensing was killed off in 1997.

 

[Yvan256]

I would hope it would be a collab and that IBM wouldn't simply own Apple. But it would be huge for them to work together. Anyone remember when Apple called IBM "Big Brother"? My, how times do change.

It's still "Big Brother". He just isn't mean to his little brother anymore. ;-)

An IBM box that would run OS X really would be a nice move to leave Microsoft, HP, Dell and others in the dust.

Make it have OS X, maybe with a less flashy desktop, iLife must be purchased separatly from Apple, etc. But still 100% OS X.

IBMac.

 

[Rantipole]

This Cormac guy is an idiot. He knows nothing about why businesses buy "PC" computers over Apple now. Why? Add-ins. You can't use all the add-ins I use at work everyday on Mac version of Office. Therefore, big corporations will not switch.

Is it literally impossible to develop the same programs for the Mac OS? Of course not. But this Cormac guy doesn't get to that level. He is ignorant.

 

[Yvan256]

No one is going to be buying Apple at the current peak sharemarket valuation - and why would IBM want to take on the uphill struggle of trying to persuade corporate drones to switch to OS X and some mutant IBM G5 or PowerMac when they have just got clear of the far easier task of selling them PC's??

Perhaps a case can be made for them flogging off OSX server on their big iron somehow, and trying to throw in some Macs as an all in one no virus/no spyware secure corporate package solution, but if that's the deal, it will hardly require a major joint effort or buyout.

What about IBM not having to wrestle with Microsoft anymore? What about IBM not having to do tons of customer support for viruses, trojans, worms?

I do hope it's a partnership and not a merger of some kind (if anything happens at all).

 

[rickag]

I doubt IBM will be buying Apple, extremely remote. But here's a minor tidbit to fan the flames of Apple optimism.
Oracle foresees a rosy future for Apple

Oracle is using the Xserve RAID in its own technology department to store email, voice mail and calendar information.
Oracle is using the Xserve RAID for a task once reserved for pricier Fibre Channel-based disk arrays. The software giant noted in a white paper that the Apple approach was about three times lower on a cost-per-megabyte basis.
"Its performance is excellent," Oracle said in the document. Apple said Oracle plans to use 50 to 100TB of Apple storage. Apple itself has been shifting much of its data storage capacity from EMC and IBM systems onto Xserve RAID.