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Microsoft and Adobe Executives Meet to Discuss Apple, Possible Merger

What will they dream up in this new collaboration?

Will you be able to squirt from your zune into someone's palm? Is that supposed to be the "ipod killer"?

We'll see.
 
Paranoid CEOs ?

"Apple and its control of the mobile phone market . . ."

Come on folks. Apple does not "control" the mobile phone market. Not even the smart phone market. It has a strong influence, which has been beneficial for consumers. Many companies try to imitate Apple's iPhone. But "control"?

Don't these boys read the news? RIM still has a bigger share, and Android devices are now supposed to be outselling iOS devices. So how does Apple "control" the mobile phone market, when it doesn't even control the smart phone segment?
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What would happen if Microsoft bought Adobe? What has happened to the other companies Microsoft bought? I would hope that if this were announced, that the customers and shareholders would kill it. Remember when Microsoft announced it was going to acquire Intuit? Didn't happen and we've been better off with Intuit its own company.

Microsoft is already too big, bloated, and spread-out into everything. If Ballmer were smart, he'd push to divide Microsoft up, much the same way the government was pushing it to divide before the Bush admin backed off the anti-trust case.
 
IMHO, Microsoft and Adobe are very different company culture wise. I don't see them working together well. Sure hope this doesn't happen.

bytethese said:
I got a great name for the new company: Microbe.

"Darn it, I got another virus again. Darn you Microbe!"
Click to expand...
Nice one. :D

hundleton1 said:
i thought flash could get no worse, then you add M$ to the mix:eek:
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Agree. I don't see this as a good thing.

neutrino23 said:
Microsoft + Adobe + Flash and Silverlight = Microbe Flashlight :eek:
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You might want to trademark that. :D
 
This merger doesn't make any sense. Flash is such a small part of Adobe revenue it's pathetic. Betting the company on this tech is moronic beyond belief. And to think that %50 of your profit comes from Apple customers sure is a bit more than cutting your noise off to spite your face.

The talk was more likely to get flash on Windows Mobile 7 Phone, damn that's a mouthful. They're stupid ceos out there, but that would be a dunce move both would never do. Adobe can pull some chicken***t and delay Mac products for a year after MS stuff. Saying that, Apple should have a skunkworks program if Adobe does pulls off the ultimate Darwin Award in Tech prize.
 
I am honestly baffled why Adobe seems to be irrationally betting everything on Flash. It's like they forgot they have an HTML editor. *boggle*
 
MS can't compete with Apple...

Microsoft can compete with Apple so they throw money at the problem.
go:apple:

And... that's the reason why there is/was a Flash-iphone controversy ;)
 
There are only two, no more, no less...

The Master, and his apprentice... oops sorry wrong answer...


These two jockeys have no creative culture between them and are looking a tad desperate...
Adobe would be smothered by an MS acquisition...
 
Apple controls the smart phone market because everyone* wants an iphone. For some its not practical due to cost or provider coverage in their location. But they still want one even if they won't admit it.

Since the iphone launched, other phones have tried to offer iphone substitutes.

Its iphone envy.



* Everyone shopping for an iphone that is. I admit I'd like an iphone but I don't want to pay the service fee for any smart phone.
 
Real merger/acquisition talks would not involve a public, one-hour meeting between the CEO's. If they were serious, there would a ton of low-level contacts and leaks to the media which could not be confirmed on the record. It would go from rumored to confirmed with a press release. The public meeting of the CEO's would be a victory lap after all the hard work was done and the contracts signed.

This meeting was a PR stunt to push back on Apple and its anti-Flash standpoint. I suspect nothing much will come of it.
 
Xian Zhu Xuande said:
Interesting reaction. If it happened the current software would be fine for a fair amount of time to come. Additionally, I expect Microsoft would try to generate revenue from CS, rather than use it as a tool against Apple, inviting legal trouble and angering users. That would buy another product cycle or two before it was (I am theorizing) screwed up. I expect such a move would have Apple scrambling to replace software themselves, but more importantly, the third-party market would hasten to develop or evolve its own solutions to complete and take advantage of the new Mac platform opportunity.
Click to expand...

Apple products/users generate a higher revenue than the market share would suggest, not just for Apple but for all developers including Adobe and MS. Neither would be willing to walk away from that cash stream and risk having it not follow them or open the chance for someone else to grab that revenue.

Not just Apple but every Venture Capitalist in the world will be looking at every start up they have on the books for any or all technologies and skilled staff that could help them fill the massive market void this would leave. Apple already have a lot of the bones of all of these systems but haven't really focused on them that way.

Apple could build a platform like the old OpenDoc project. That was the basic layout and document engine that could then take on other plugins for all sorts of other content. Instead of the full app build a market to encourage the army of developers already making a stack of iOS apps with various Photoshop like and drawing apps. Not to mention Mac platform developers both long time and new comes all with bit and pieces of the puzzle done well.

Adobe and MS have everything to loose not a lot to gain.
 
Newton1666 said:
This merger doesn't make any sense. Flash is such a small part of Adobe revenue it's pathetic. Betting the company on this tech is moronic beyond belief. And to think that %50 of your profit comes from Apple customers sure is a bit more than cutting your noise off to spite your face.

The talk was more likely to get flash on Windows Mobile 7 Phone, damn that's a mouthful. They're stupid ceos out there, but that would be a dunce move both would never do. Adobe can pull some chicken***t and delay Mac products for a year after MS stuff. Saying that, Apple should have a skunkworks program if Adobe does pulls off the ultimate Darwin Award in Tech prize.
Click to expand...

Prove the 50% number. We keep hearing how MAC users are are a lion's share of revenue. Simply prove it. Provide a link from Adobe that states such and is not just conjecture and masturbatory thinking on your part.
 
doboy said:
No really! You must've missed my sarcasm.
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If you're going to be sarcastic, at least make it known a little better through writing. Even though... you know... you weren't. But I digress.


pmasters said:
Prove the 50% number. We keep hearing how MAC users are are a lion's share of revenue. Simply prove it. Provide a link from Adobe that states such and is not just conjecture and masturbatory thinking on your part.
Click to expand...

Good one! :eek:

*waits patiently for Newton1666 to provide said link*
 
pmasters said:
Prove the 50% number.
Click to expand...

Ain't going to happen:

When you look at our overall revenue, or percentage of revenue, we get somewhere between 22% and 25% of our business from Macintosh customers or software that runs on the Mac.

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/Adobes_CEO_Our_Mac_Business_Has_Stayed_Relatively_Strong/
Click to expand...

2004, mind, and that's an overall figure that includes the Acrobat family. It might be a little higher if you broke it down just to the Creative Suite. But I can't imagine that percentage doubling in six years. Face it, Mac peeps, Adobe's overwhelming business interests lie with Windows.
 
RRmalvado said:
If you're going to be sarcastic, at least make it known a little better through writing. Even though... you know... you weren't. But I digress.




Good one! :eek:

*waits patiently for Newton1666 to provide said link*
Click to expand...

That is because some of us are Business Grads that look at the numbers rather than the "cool" factor. :p
 
Nooooooo!

Nooooooooooooo! The last thing I need is to have to use design software made my Microsoft everyday at work (print/design company)!
 
Ok i have bothered to read the first 6 pages of this thread because after that it was just too mundane. :p

Basically the rumours are bogus but if such a merger was to go ahead it would make much more sense for Apple to buy Adobe and not Microsoft.

Think of the implementations.

Ok YES they will kill off flash.... thats a given but it may take a while to completely die.

Incorporate the best bits of Adobes products. Imagine as im sure Uncle Steve did when he first pitched the idea of the Mac, a PC that was the "Artists Choice"

Combine Lightroom with Aperture.
Photoshop can still be a stand alone product, but now its optimised for the mac.
After Effects gets merged with Final Cut.
Encore merges with Logic.
Dreamweaver with iWeb
etc etc

What it means is that the best bits of Adobes suite of products can be merged with the Apple products to create the ultimate creative tools. Leave the office tools to Microsoft.

It would boost Mac sales 10 fold and gain a massive advantage in the market share.
 
Who cares if Microsoft discontinued or made Creative Suite for Mac inferior? Apple makes its majority of money off of iToys.

I still agree the industry as a whole would be better if Apple were to buy Adobe than Microsoft.
 
hmm

Maybe I am wrong it does not make sense for microsoft to buy out adobe. Microsoft has comepting products that get better with every revision while adobes products get worse and more bug ridden with every revision.

I quite like Silverlight and microsofts expression studio.
 
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