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Buy Dell? What a waste of money!

Oct 21, 08 - 08:46 pm Comment from: bobchr

Ha-Ha

Amusing, but of course there is no upside for Apple in buying Dell. Dell has nothing of value for Apple. In fact, Dell has nothing of value for anyone, except maybe Microsoft which could benefit from a captive hardware brand.

Oct 21, 08 - 08:50 pm Comment from: 84 Mac Guy

Buying Dell -- talk about flushing your money down the toilet!

Sounds like something Ballmer would do.

Do they have enough money to buy Adobe outright?

Why spend a load of cash on a load of shit?

Dell is rotting away at the industry bottom very nicely. No need to interfere with things.

Oct 21, 08 - 08:54 pm Comment from: Spark

Michael would probably like to be bought out about now!

Sounds like something Ballmer would do.

Don't give Fat Fscking Fester any ideas!!!

Although it'd be fun to watch.

If I was Steve Jobs, I will buy Dell and pimp out Mikey and all his shareholders too. And then I would laugh in there face and ask who the bitch now

To R2... Yes we do. Stay tuned.

"Do they have enough money to buy Adobe outright?"

At close today $14.635B.

Yes.

There are some upsides to Apple buying Adobe. There are also downsides. It would be a very big acquisition that would take years to complete in terms of bringing the companies cultures together and melding and updating the product lines.

Oct 21, 08 - 09:01 pm Comment from: ken1w

That is actually quite amusing.

Microsoft should buy Dell. It would be consistent. The Zune competes against Microsoft's "partners" in the music player business. There's talk of MS buying RIM, and they'd be competing against partners in the mobile phone business. And Dell would complete the picture, with Microsoft-branded PCs.

Funny how Dell's market cap is going down at a very steady rate. If you graph it, it should reach zero in about nine months.

Come on, folks, MDN is not seriously talking about Apple buying Dell... it's an illustration to drive home a point.

BTW, you gotta love MDN's elephantesque memory, pulling this one from 1996

Just for giggles.

Apple:
Today's close $91.49
45% of 52 week high.
108% of 52 week low.

Dell:
Today's close $12.58
41% of 52 week high.
103% of 52 week low.

Abode:
Today's close $27.59
57% of 52 week high.
113% of 52 week low.

Everyone's stock is being hammered. This has made Apple's cash in hand, which many analysts deride as a waste of resources, much more valuable.

I dont know if they'll buy dell, but SJ did say himself, these current crisis is a great time to have cash to have a little spending room

Adobe mkt cap: US$14.65B, currently hovering around $28 / share.

A better takeover would be Autodesk which currently has a mkt cap of US$5.48B and is trading at about $24 / share ...

Apple could essentially corner the Architectural / Engineering CAD market overnight.

MaWo: 'respect'. lol

Apple doesn't need to buy Dell or Adobe...what's the point? I think they should buy Blizzard Entertainment and start doing for online gaming what they've done for online music. If Apple can move significantly into the consumer-gaming arena, they'd have music, phones, computers, gaming. Rock and roll.... hehehe :D

@Nutcracker,

That's an interesting idea. Less cash up front and a smaller product line makes it easier to digest. AutoCAD would require a complete rewrite, but it's in desperate need of that already. For their cash Apple would get Maya, the AutoCAD brand, and remove a company very hostile to Apple. Add in another billion to get an interim OS X release working and write a true cross-platform version. I imagine after a year or two both Maya and AutoCAD would be spun off as wholly owned subsidiaries a la FileMaker.

Interesting.

Maybe Adobe is not a wise buy. But I have to admit, I am kinda itching for Apple to buy something big and shake things up a little.

Oct 21, 08 - 09:32 pm Comment from: MacintoshSoftwareList.com

I don't see Dell making more than a few years. There products are crap and they will go the way of Gateway. Notice how Windows based systems manufacturers always end up going south. Anyway, Apple isn't going to buy anything big, they will save their money. Dell will go out of business on their own. No one is going to pay high prices for Windows PC's and that means low margin for Dell.

Actually, for all those that think this would be a terrible idea, think about this.

Apple could basically buy the brand. While Dell has a poor brand in the consumer market, they are still pretty strong in business. Apple could buy Dell and focus the company primary on business. Maybe even fork OS X into consumer and business models? But that is just crazy.

The lint in my pockets would bring more than what Dell is worth.

I really hate Dell. I really, really, really do.

And Lenovo too. Both brands are cheap turds.

@doc e,

What Apple did for online music was provide the marketplace. They don't need to buy a gaming house to promote games on the Mac. There is a lot they can do ancillary to game production to make the Mac an attractive platform for game developers, including, as some have suggested, subsidizing one or two houses.

@Passerby. Precisely; and they also did it with the App store for the iPhone. In essence, they provided an infrastructure that didn't exist before. Blizzard has the best online gaming infrastructure in the business. If Apple were to acquire that along with the games and talent at Blizz, they could make that online infrastructure the gaming version of the iTunes store or the iApp store.

Imagine gaming developers not having to spend time and money developing the online infrastructure the way they do now, but just develop a game that can be plugged into an existing one. Like developers not having to develop a distribution infrastructure for their iPhone apps; just put it on the iApp store.

Apple could dramatically improve the game scene for Macs with a move like this; more games, better games...faster....just like with applications on the iPhone.

Just an idea...

Oct 21, 08 - 09:54 pm Comment from: qka

Buy Adobe & Autodesk. Apple is very aware of the power of a good brand, and for better or worse, these two companies have strong brands in their respective fields.

Then phase out Windows versions, or better yet, have the Windows versions lag Mac by several years. Or make the Windows product a dog in performance.

Apple's world domination will follow shortly. And they would still have about $5 billion (and growing) left over.

"Apple could basically buy Dell outright and, oh, what the heck, shut it down and keep the money since they'd be the only shareholders."

Ummm, that doesn't make sense.

Bosco,

Which is probably why MDN wrote, "Of course, that'd be the kind of horribly-conceived deal only Steve Ballmer would pursue."

@doc e,

That's an excellent point. I hadn't thought of Blizzard's online gaming infrastructure as the major asset, but it is as you say the best in the business. Apple could buy Blizzard, spin the development division off again, keep the online infrastructure, tweak it in-house, and offer it to everyone.

As you say, it would be very appealing to development houses not to have to develop and maintain all that back end themselves.

Oct 21, 08 - 10:10 pm Comment from: minime

Come on,

Dell, as a sub-prime computer manufacturer deserves Govt protection. All in favor say "I'm... a socialist"

If Apple bought Autocad how many copies would they have to sell to get their monies worth and at how much. Not worth the effort!

@MikeH,

Ah, but how many Mac Pros and Cinema Displays would they sell to engineering and architectural firms?

Oct 21, 08 - 11:09 pm Comment from: NickBob

If only Jack Miller was still around to crow about this in As the Aplle Turns. Please come back to us Jack!

Oct 21, 08 - 11:18 pm Comment from: CYxodus

@Steve...(if you really are him)...Please buy Adobe.

Pretty strong? Its probably pretty close to 9 out of 10 systems you will find in most data centers are Dell PowerEdge servers. Where Dell sucks on the comsumer PC side they really have great stuff on the server side and it shows in corporate and internet data centers.

Oct 21, 08 - 11:45 pm Comment from: chaz

The autocad / engineering play would mesh nicely with the niche OSX has in science.

Oct 21, 08 - 11:49 pm Comment from: chaz

@MikeH,

The real value is the recurring licensing fee every year. Can you say "ORACLE"? They will give it away to get that yearly maintenance fee. Once trapped, it's hard to extract yourself.

Oct 22, 08 - 12:13 am Comment from: DLMeyer

Blizzard already offers all it's top products for Windows and Macs on the same optical media, at the same time, at the same quality. You want to buy it to make use of its server farms?
Electronic Arts has a large and varied portfolio of less stellar game franchises that frequently are NOT offered on the Mac. Or, if they are, are not offered on the same media, or at the same time, if even by them. Apple has the server farms! Buy EA and upgrade their better products to more resemble the Blizzard offerings - expand the Sims franchise into something more like 2nd Life, for example. Mercenaries as a full-fledged multi-theater war game.
AutoCAD? Oh yeaahhh! That would be sweet!
Dell? Don't DO it. PLEASE!

I would buy Bose...what a perceived quality name brand...and keep the name.
I would turn iTunes into an independent record company for discovery of fresh, new, undiscovered musical talent and eat the lunch of the record companies who have controlled the musical world and robbed all the artists.
I would invest in even more efficient quality customer service and add 6 months to each one year warranty for each product.
I would add iSight Zoom to the Apple TV with PIP type videoconferencing/voip calls.
I would offer a discount on Apple Store merchandise with purchase of any laptop.
I would put the iSight into the iPod touch with iChat voip to stimulate Touch sales when they level off, then later the iPhone.
I would eventually build up to 500 Apple stores in quality areas.
I would work hard on bluetooth headphones and an iSight video watch/pod.
I would improve the speaker volume on Macbooks

Oct 22, 08 - 12:19 am Comment from: DLMeyer

BTW: if you DO buy AutoCAD, none of this favored-marketing *stuff*. Yes, get the latest version out for Macs. FIRST. Yes, lower the price on seat licenses - and use the model seen with OSX Server (Family Packs hardly make sense, do they?) But keep the Windows side "available", and reasonably priced. Maybe, MAYBE, allow purchasers to switch Windows -> Mac for free, seat for seat.
My opinion.

Oct 22, 08 - 02:32 am Comment from: UltraVisitor

I think it would be hilarious. Apple could start selling low end consumer machines under the Dell name, but still run OS X. The Dell brand name would be good for getting the average consumer who doesn't really know any better.

SONY SONY SONY.
That's the best buy out there. You buy SONY, you get a decent foothold in Electronics, gain excellent library of movies and music, gain a movie studio, eliminate one hostile music cartel (3 to go), gain instant access to Japan as well as Asia, Europe, Africa wherever in the world there's a SONY logo, with that acquire a brand name, Camera Camera Camera (I know it's part of electronics but Cameras, especially video HD is in Apple's direct future iCrossSight, remember the Pioneer HD camera mentioned by Jobs earlier), and yeah - Games games games on the PS3 revolution - in one move gone will be the 'bag full of hurt' to gain up on another market against M$ indeed. PSP extends out the iPhone platform and oh, the SONY bookreader whatever it's called - pitting against the pathetic Kindle.
Yeah, I know, first Jobs will do is consolidate SONY into focussed target products and not a maker of everything from Toasters to Satellite grade lights.

Buying SONY makes so much more sense also, you take out special pricing from Amazon, lala etc. Integrate AppleTV with Bravia and I am sure there are plenty of other benefits I'm missing right now.
I'm just hoping that SONY doesn't have any outrageous debts on their hand right now.

Meanwhile, with the rest, Adobe's a bloatware. EA already supports Mac, why stifle innovation when the R&D;isn't costing you anything and you benefit without acquiring. I'd buy Yahoo though, just to get into the Social thing and it's a good company. Keep Google on it's toes, you tread in my territory I'll tread in yours and no one is safe when Apple innovates.

Finally, AutoCad. Haven't used it in over a decade. It was already a bloatware and was losing businesses to other competing products. Not sure about Architecture, but in Aerospace we use a lot Dassault System's CATIA and mostly SolidWorks. There are a few other options, but Aerospace Industries have moved on from AutoCad in droves a long time ago. I'm sure that's also true for most other Mechanical Engineering firms. But hey, if you want to buy AutoCad for all the architects, go ahead.

And buying BOSE will gain another niche product and will sink the company faster in this economy. BOSE follows Apple, Apple doesn't need BOSE.

Meanwhile, I think Apple-Sony marriage will be better than AOL-TW. Not sure about Yahoo, but I like that Young. We grew up together on the net.

Oct 22, 08 - 03:00 am Comment from: Jubei

Apple should buy or invent a way for iPod Touch users to have WiFi access Nationwide. Or some form of cellular net access. IPod T sales would explode.

Why buy old and tired companies? The money should be use for buying and financing the next big thing or things. It has been by staying quick on their feet that Apple has survived and gone on to prosper since it's near death at the hands of a stifling corporate culture. Why would they go back to that? It is likely would happen if they bought another large company.

I think AAPL should wait a few years and buy California. then they could show America and the rest of the world how they could run the country. And they could. Why? Because, unlike every politician in the world, Apple Execs have learned to look the future while travelling through the present.
And America desperately needs good Governance.

Oct 22, 08 - 04:03 am Comment from: Yours Smugly

Buy Adobe. Would love to see Adobe's overpriced, bloated products streamlined the Apple way.

Autodesk also produces Maya and 3Dx Max which are two extremely powerful 3D graphics and animation programs. To see those on a Mac would just make me die happy and go to heaven. Imagine the possibilities of those programs on a Mac. Apple could integrate OpenGL (and OpenCL in Snow Leopard) as well as Core Image and Core Animation, streamlining the complex and steep learning curve associated with Maya & 3Dx.

That my Mac friends would allow more games to be developed just for the Mac and have to be emulated for the PC, instead of the other way around. Say goodbye to DirectX (thank god) in gaming. OpenGL is way more accessible nowadays and it's open source, so developers can alter it to suit the needs of the application using it. (For more on OpenGL and Direct3D, visit the wikipedia on it.)

It would drastically change the face of the industry in many ways that we could probably never know until it happens.

Oct 22, 08 - 06:16 am Comment from: Wingsy

Apple buys Dell. Keeps their product line, for now. Include OSX on every machine, and keep paying the Microsoft Tax to include Windows as well (but every machine boots OSX out of the box). BootCamp will allow users to choose what system they want to run for the day. Eventually you know what will happen. Gradually over time the product line shifts towards genuine Macs, and Windows is phased out. Within 5 years all Dell production is done solely at Apple (i.e. Apple's China factories), and then the Dell name is put to rest once all the crappy machines are no more.

How about that scenario?

Oct 22, 08 - 06:53 am Comment from: British Mac Head

@Wingsy
Apple would never put Mac OS X on a Dell box. Even if they own Dell. It goes against their own EULA and would set precedence for other companies to argue in court about how they want to run OS X on their machines as well. I bet Apple would lose that case. And only because they put OS X on a Dell.

Now if Apple bought Dell and shut it down. It would mean that Microsoft has lost one of their most important partners.

Dell may be doing shite but they can ship it. Tons of it. Can HP or any of the other companies more than double their output over night?

Think how many 'doze licences would have to be put on hold!

Now if Apple made a Mac just for business [cubicle jockeys, secretaries and number crunchers etc.] that had OS X on it but was missing FireWire (don't start!) and any other fancy bits and bobs a cubicle jockey didn't need. A box that was only sold very reasonably in bulk for example. Designed to be cheap for the enterprise. One that did exactly what you just mentioned. But looked elegant compared to windoze boxes.

Then released this new enterprise Mac and marketed it to these corporations just before Apple killed off Dell. Now that would have impact and would launch Apple into the enterprise quicker than you can say Mikey sucks ass!".

How's that for a scenario dudes?

Apple should take care of the coming OEM crisis before it hits. Lenovo might not make the sexiest machines in the world, but they, a Chinese company no less, sees the the benefits of near-shoring. Lenovo, who makes its own computers, is cutting back on its Chinese manufacturing and has built plants in Poland and Mexico recently. Why? Rising wages in China and the reality that high oil prices will come back in a relatively short time. It is likely that margins could be heavily affected if Apple doesn't diversify its processes.

You kidding? Wasting $ on Dell?! In fact, Apple has enough cash to buy up BOTH Ford and GM and still have enough scratch to snatch up Adobe. Touch screen moonroof on your new Apple Corvette Explorer Hybrid running Photoshop anyone?

Everyone, hold your breath. Apple will wait till Dell nearly sinks in then pounce on it, capture Dell's PC brand name, stuff it with Windows XP (nope, no "V" junk), Linux and above all, OS X (deee best) and what have you got? Complete domination of the PC business. No more PC fanboys telling us how over-priced Apple computers are. Of course, they could still claim it's not a Mac. Oh well. But at least Steve could tell Michael, "Suck it to you!".