By Greg Mills
When a company becomes as big as Apple is today, acquisitions become a way to grow quickly and increase synergy towards major corporate goals. Apple long ago stated its
target of living room convergence with video, computer and music, all interactive with the Mac. AppleTV is the first element of that convergence. Steve Jobs has publicly stated that he admires Sony. Apple and Sony go way back in minor collaborations. My first laptop was a PowerBook 100, an Apple Mac manufactured by Sony.
Sony represents some great building blocks to make the transformation of Apple Computer into Apple, the electronics company. Owning Sony would combine the strengths of two great companies into a conglomerate that might blow the competition away. Sony has recently lost its way and needs focus to regain its former glory. Its value is down enough to make it a takeover target in the right situation. Look at the intersections of interest between the companies.
Sony of course, owns PlayStation, which would give Apple the game franchise it lacks. Apple could use that block in building the electronic living room of the future. How would you like to run PlayStation games on a Mac or in HDTV format on your Sony theater HD video display? How about a Sony HDTV camcorder with a built-in hard drive built in that records video in a format that would allow your Mac to use that video directly in the camera and then burn to a Blu-Ray disk, without ever transferring the video into the computer. Electronic devices are commonly “close but no cigar” to doing the cool things that are so “Apple.” Sony needs that extra “cool factor” that they have lost sight of over the years, that instinct to know what customers really want is what Apple has in spades.
Blu-ray is another Sony property that Apple can help Sony build on. Apple is one of the early adopters of the Blu-ray high definition video format and we will see Blu-ray disk drives in Macs very soon. The “Apple falling on the Blu-ray side of the fence” will help stop HD-DVD (Toshiba) and make Blu-ray the standard HD disk format. Apple is far and away the innovation leader in computer technology and Apple controlling Blu-Ray technology would send a powerful message; and don’t forget the revenue stream from licensing Blu-ray.
Sony TV sets are some of the best video displays in the market place. Like Apple, Sony tends to be the quality leader in it’s products. Apple could help Sony focus its R&D, spell that “Steve Jobs,” Mr. focus himself. The world class product design of Apple combined with Sony could create an entirely new design engine that might revolutionize our living rooms in 5 years time. Sony has been losing ground on it’s market share of big screen TV sets, perhaps Apple can help them design wise, especially with user interface and connect-ability.
Sony holds a lot of patents (over 25,000 US Patents) that combined with Apple technology would be a powerful collaboration of synergy. Intellectual property alone, makes the collaboration interesting, let alone the market and manufacturing implications. The international aspect of Sony and Apple would wear out Steve’s old jet, and allow him to buy a nicer brand new one. (Steve, you deserve it) This combination might help Apple sell Macs and iPods in Japan. Remember the halo effect.
Sony pictures and music is an additional property that Steve might find useful, since he’s Disney’s largets individual shareholder anyway. With the entire Disney and Sony film library in the iTunes store, you have instant content, to make the lagging Apple TV device succeed. Content, content content! Sony’s music portfolios and recording companies in addition to the extensive movie library are very valuable to Apple for exclusive sale though the iTunes store. Why negotiate a deal when you can just own them?
Some Sony products that are lagging could be discontinued such as Sony’s lackluster music players in favor of iPods sold through Sony distribution. Keep in mind the Sony distribution channels are well established and have valuable marketing aspects Apple might well use to its advantage. Sony has a repair system in place to help with electronic repairs across the board. Some Sony assets could be sold off to help pay for the purchase.
Apple has a big fat bank account, a virtual mountain of cash and perhaps it is time to spend some of it to control Sony. There are a lot of creative ways to do it and I wonder if the thought has crossed the mind of Mr. Jobs. I am thinking Wall Street would like the idea. And Sony might even favor a merger as well. As a die hard Mac fan I can only hope that as Apple grows, it never ceases to be the “Apple” that us Mac fans know and love!
Greg Mills is a die-hard Macintosh user, MacDailyNews reader, and faux art painter who works in the Kansas City area.
does Apple really need the woes of Sony right now? How does this suite Apple? Apple makes better products in the mainstram market than Sony does, what’s the gain? When is enough cash, enough cash? Getting greedy isn’t going to help Apple.
Pi
Only if the first thing they did was gut the company down to its skeleton. Apple may be able to purchase Sony, but Sony is a way-the-hell bigger company, with countless departments and divisions. If you don’t get rid of the deadwood, Apple will have no more success running Sony than its current management. (Plus there’s the danger that the “purchased” company could end up running the show, like what happened when AOL “bought” Time-Warner.)
——RM
I agree ApplePi. Apple doesn’t need Sony right now. They’re extremely focused and doing extremely well. There is no need to mess with a winning formula.
Nah…
Apple should buy Disney
Should Apple buy Sony?
No.
…still waiting for Apple to buy Microsoft…the final revenge.
nah, way too much overlap….
Err…no.
Apple shoudn’t buy Adobe, or Disney or HP or any of the other names mentioned in the past few years.
“I skate to where the puck is going, not to where it’s been.” –Wayne Gretzky, as quoted by Steve Jobs in January
Sony et al are where the puck has been.
MW = “enough”
No! Buy Pioneer. Elite, the best TV.
Absolutely not! Don’t buy problems.
There may be small companies with good ideas that Apple could benefit from. Buying Sony make no more sense than buying Kodak or General Motors
Good one Fatty. Sony is where the puck has been. Apple and Google are the puck these days. Together they should buy broadcast frequency rights for a wireless network. That is where the puck will be.
Steve has come this far by focusing on getting a few things perfectly right. That is both an achievement in focusing on what is important but also in getting rid with what is not. Apple will benefit more from staying focused instead of getting more than a handful products in its lap they would need to “reinvent”.
Ten years ago, Apple would be tempted (if they had todays’ money), but now they stand better on their own two feet (four feet) and Sony would only mean too much work.
If there is anything Sony does or has that intrigues Apple, Steve will reinvent it and refine it and offer it with an Apple logo.
Despite Sony’s problems, it’s still a great company.
I say buy it and fix what’s broken.
Sony would give Apple an entry into a lot of product fields.
I agree with all the above. Buy companies that offer new tech. The only interesting part of Sony is its media content.
Buying Sony would be stupid. Many parts of the company are doing poorly and are in areas that probably need shutting down. They are a company of the 70s and 80s and require real genius to hope to get on track again.
If Apple moves into other Sony like areas, they are better served by doing it on their own with their own wisdom. Much better than buying something that doesn’t work from a failing company.
My vote is for Nintendo!
Apple should buy the makers of the Wii they would make a great complement to the overall home entertainment strategy.
From a purely business standpoint, this actually makes some sense. Forget about the so-called problems of Sony for the moment. Look at the benefits:
1) Control over a globally recognized brand that way back when was the Apple of its day in terms of innovation. True that may not be the case now but based on the name, Apple would be able to turn it around easily with current innovation.
2) As stated in the article, it instantly expands Apple’s offerings in consumer electronics. Flat screen TVs and audio equipment would be an excellent addition. Sell off the clock radio divisions, but keep the most important and relevant product lines.
3) imagine this – take the VAIO line and give THOSE users to the ability to run OS X on those machines. Limit OS X to VAIOs only – no other brand – and you may be able to kick MS in the balls by taking out one of the bigger players in the PC/Windows market. Not too far fetched, huh?
4) Jonathan Ive could act as a consultant to them to reinvigorate them. Talk about innovation!
5) Finally mkt cap on the combined companies would be significant. A big step forward.
But would Apple want to go into debt for this? how would the transaction be structured? Couldn’t all be cash – would have to have a debt component or stock swap.
Think about the possibilities. Think different. Maybe.
And doc,
Can’t wait for that moment. Ballmer’s fat ass and butt ugly tongue-hanging-from-mouth face getting canned is my biggest wish.
Interesting concept.. But totaly wrong…
Basically Sony need to clean up there act very quickly…
Sony TV are NOT the best… There audio is NOT the best… And except for the A Reader Division that is doing everything correct. They are just on these days.
Basicaly Sony’s acting like Microsoft. Arrogant and thinking they control everything but dont! Sony’s doing fair but add in the game division that went totaly the wrong way. Its a sinking company.
Doing this would be like Apple after Jobs left… A mess..
Bad idea. Terrible idea. Horrible idea.
Apple is growing at an incredible pace – growth is not a problem.
Apple is increasing stock price at an incredible pace.
Buying Sony would be an enormous distraction to Apple, Inc.
Apple is executing about as well as a company can – don’t fix what isn’t broken.
Most acquisitions are a colossal waste of money (except for Wall Street which makes lots and lots of money).
Doing some this stupid would be the beginning of the end for Apple.
Here is the deal. Sony is part of Japan, Inc.
Japan, Inc. does not sell prestige brands to American companies. It is called “Losing Face”. It won’t happen.
Apple doesn’t need Sony for anything except maybe their music. All else can be duplicated. Even the music business can be duplicated – only better.
What a huge mistake this would be. Adding to other poster’s comments, Apple would be forced to bet on Sony’s technology, such as Blue Ray and its TV offerings, instead of just choosing the best technology and business suitability amongst all of the vendor’s products to integrate into Apple’s product line.
And who the hell needs Sony’s sinking brand name? Apple’s is the best.
This is one of those ideas that looks good on paper, but actually makes no sense as others have pointed out.
One thing not mentioned is the gigantic cultural and linguistic gap between the two companies. Sure Mr. Ive is a great designer, but Sony has their own designers that have worked together for twenty years or more. These are mostly Japanese guys who grew up in a Japanese culture. Can you imagine Ive or Jobs even being able to *communicate* effectively with a factory filled with thousands of Japanese-speaking workers?
Also, the one market on the whole planet where Apple products sell very *poorly* is Japan. There is no “synergy” with Sony just because North Americans who buy Apple products also like to buy Sony stuff. The average Japanese consumer doesn’t really even like Apple products. Synergy has to work both ways.
I think Greg Mills is saying take out Sony while he is weak. May be he is just rubbing salt on Sony’s face. If Steve Jobs able to take over sony or try, he is a genius.
Apple’s worst competitor is not M$, Dell, HP, Intel but is Sony. I firmly believe Sony will got back up to the top. Sony is forming alliance with Toshiba, IBM and movies studio that has the potential to break the American’s dominance in IT. Sony is leader in Hollywood. It has long history of success and innovation.
Mr Jobs sell his product on life style and look, Sony sell cutting edge technologies. Everything Apple can do, Sony can do better but not other way around. Can apple create OLED screen, BluRay and make cellchip?
Apple’s biggest problem is Steve Job. Today’s success is tomorrow poison. Apple is so depend on this guy, what happen if he retired. Sony don’t have that problem at least.
I suppose they could buy Sony for the patents, movies and music and sell off the rest, but this seems like it could be a giant distraction.
Apple is the future.
Sony is the past.
Marge them and what do you have?
Today.
Bad idea.
Ya…. No. Apple is doing just fine on it’s own making the transition from a computer to consumer electronics company. It doesn’t need the hassle of resuscitating a failed console (PS3), and continuing a rather lackluster and “who cares, just pick one” format war.
Sorry, not what the stockholders want. Would never happen. Also, it’s a corporate “would never happen”. Like Honda or Toyota buying one of the failing US auto brands…
HOW TIMES HAVCE CHANGED.
Check this article from Wired in Sept 2003, Suggesting that Sony should save Apple.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/start.html?pg=2
@smoothn00dle,
“Today’s success is tomorrow poison.”
Tell that to Sony twenty years ago.
Bingo.
Yea, while the idea sounds good, you have real problems like the size of the company, its japanese backgrounds, and corporate thinkology which can kill a buy out.
If Sony were moving in the right direction, I would think that a colaberation would be great, but I think they are moving in the Microsoft direction. Out in left field with a left handed hitter.
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en
This would be a total debacle for Apple. At this time the only thing I would like for them to acquire is Super Duper. This is one of the best applications ever for the Mac, and one I will continue to use, with or without Time Machine.
People keep tossing out these companies that Apple should buy. Most of the time, they concentrate on how great the buy-out would be for the company that gets acquired, and ignore the question of what’s in it for Apple?
There’s nothing that Sony has that Apple can’t get for far less than fifty billion dollars.
-jcr
I totally disagree with buying Sony. But that doesn’t mean Sony can’t be “owned” by Apple:
Steve Jobs has immense sway at Disney, but Apple doesn’t own Disney. And this model works perfectly. Apple does not bear any of Disney’s woes, but can collaborate and benefit from Disney’s resources in a way that only owners can. If Steve Jobs were to be the majority share-holder at Sony, Apple might have a similar advantage, with possible access to media content, distribution channels, and the only consumer electronic product that matters at Sony (HDTV sets). Apple will not need to manage Sony’s miseries.
@Mocham4n: Totally agree. Nintendo is the only company I can see Apple owning with ease, and losing nothing in the process. It’s a forward thinking, innovating company that is rather specialized (with only a few departments to manage) and a keen interest in finding what consumers want.
WTF?…you have to be out of your mind! Sony is such a mess. One one the main points is, that they sell to many products. The products that they do sell, such as a TV, they have twenty or so of them that most people do not know the the different between them. They just overlap on specs, and the price is to high for what you get. Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sharp..etc has caught up with them. They need to cut back on how many products they make and lower there prices about 15-20% across the board.
Sony TVs, cameras, camcorders and PS are terrific products.
Whether they’re enough for a takeover, I leave to Steve.
Sony is way too big to be taken down and gutted and Apple is still too small to acquire everything that Sony produces.
If anything, Apple could acquire Sony’s computer business. Sony really doesn’t need to be making computers.
Should Apple buy Sony?? … NO!
Should Apple AND Google buy Philips?? … YES
Philips is one of the best R&D;there is but with a poor, poor marketing.
NO..NO..NO.. Forget Sony, their only worthy asset is media. Nintendo, now that makes sense, I am so sick of gamer-fanboys slagging my platform.
Personally I think Apple needs to start a music label, without the artist raping that is the current model. Call it iTunes Direct, the infrastructure is there. Look at the acts startins to finally rebel, NIN, Radiohead, ETC, releasing their music without the labels. Bands do not need $100K today to record an album given current technology. This would be so easy for Apple to do and promote, I can see the commercials now. lets do away with all this disposable over-hyped garbage on the radio. Fans get reasonably priced music and the artists get the rewardf for their hard work instead of the pennies on the dollar they get now.
Apple merging with Sony would help strengthen the position of Blu-ray in the marketplace, it would gain access to premium content, and it would gain access to it’s line of broadcast equipment. Sony has excellent broadcast gear, namely its cinealta lineup, which would help further cement Apple’s market share with it’s Final Cut suite, and Apple would probably drastically cut the prices on Sony’s professional gear to get more market penetration. The downside is that Apple would risk further alienating itself from the other record labels.
Everything negative pointed out by the commenters above, are the very things they said about Apple of the Nineties and why Sony shouldn’t buy Apple!
Oh my, how things have changed.
Sony lost their vision and in doing so, allowed so many things to fall into disrepair. Things have become so complicated and thinly spread, only someone given complete autonomy over the company’s infrastructure could fix it and Jobs has better things to do with his time now. Let’s face it, Jobs could phone in his solutions.
Steve Jobs’ only concern right now is ensuring Apple Inc. continued success for the next 100 years and rather than getting his hands dirty with the day to day operations he should be focusing on long-term solutions and strategies, lining up his progeny, and enjoying the fruits of his labor.
Apple doesn’t have to buy Sony in order to develop a symbiotic relationship with them, or to take advantage of their properties, they need only share the minds and time of key people.
Perhaps Sony should invite Steve Jobs to sit on its board of directors. That would be a start anyway.
The fallacy here is that Apple is a leader, but not always a dominator. You say Blu-ray, I say Firewire, Quicktime, and Mac OS X. Just because Apple digs it, just because it’s the best, doesn’t mean Apple will conquer.
I went to the Developers Conference in 2004 and visited with then iPod lead guy Jon Rubenstein. One topic he spoke about was their analysis of business opportunities.
The first of their three step evaluation was defining a market in a state of chaos (not a company, but an entire market).
The second was to determine the market had no dominant leader and those in the market compared unfavorably financially against Apple.
The third was to determine if taking control of the market would yield the required return for a reasonably period of time.
A Sony acquisition peg doesn’t fit their holes.
From a technology acquisition perspective, Apple typically spends small for key technologies rather than spending big to buy an established brand. For example, Apple paid for Logic, Microsoft paid for Facebook.
From my perspective, a merger with Sony would be about both brand and technology. The brand side is contrary to Apple’s historic tendencies. The technology side is likely to demand a premium due to the significance of Sony’s brand value.
I remember a Jobs interview where he spoke about the discipline required to say no to 99 good ideas to focus absolutely on the great one. The iPhone shows this mindset in execution. Sony better learn to swim.
Apple buying Sony would be like someone intentionally going out and contracting an STD.
No thanks.
To SmoothNoodle:
“Apple’s biggest problem is Steve Job. Today’s success is tomorrow poison. Apple is so depend on this guy, what happen if he retired. Sony don’t have that problem at least.”
YES,THEY HAVE: it is called Akio Morita! This genius was the SteveJobs of SONY! Sony is no longer what it used to be since he passed away few years ago!
Yes Apple should buy Sony in the TV set area,because we really some apple dvd players,Apple Higth-def TVs and Apple should also begun to make some printers and scanners like in the old days.
Imagine saying this ten years ago! How times have changed indeed. As a Apple fan I’m estatic that Apple is so big and successful that Mac fans are actually contemplating on buying Sony!
Today is a good day to be a Apple lover.
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Joe
info@steamteam.ca
While this might be an interesting idea I think there are a few significant problems.
First Sony and Apple have totally different approaches to the business they are in and the overlap in key areas is too great. Apple would be reluctant to take over a business that competed on too many fronts as the end result could only be compromise in order to keep the stock holders happy.
Second there are better targets that would expand Apples range and aid in penetrating markets where Apple is not too strong. I am thinking of Sun. They are major server and data centre backbone manufacturers, hold significant IP, are well within Apple’s price range and would instantly gain Apple significant corporate client base. There may even be some synergies to a possible merger of OSX and Solaris as server operating systems. Both are Unix, both are powerful, both have features the other doesn’t. To me it makes sense.
What do you guys reckon?
Cheers
NO WAY is this a good idea.
A key to Apple’s strategy over the past decade has been avoiding “commodity” markets where the players live and die on price, and creating parallel or totally new “lifestyle” markets where products win on the basis of user experience (including how it fits into the user’s lifestyle).
With the possible exception of the PS3, which has has its own set of problems, almost none of Sony’s consumer electronics products play in these markets, much less succeed there. TVs and stereos is the LAST thing Apple wants to get into, because guess what that whole market is about? One giant price war. Let Dell or someone else bleed cash in these markets so they can pretend they’re “growing” or “diversifying”; Apple doesn’t need it.
Sny? No. Buying Sony BMG would be a coup for iTunes content and marketing clout, but that’s not part of the Sony package AFAIK. The only thing buying Sony would do for Apple is give them a chance at the market in Japan; something Apple is desperately trying to improve. However these type of moves are always fraught with folly as the loyal brand consumer ultimately knows when their favourite company has been sold out. Would a loyal Ford fan buy one if GM bought them out?
WND word: Larger – as in larger isn’t always better. Apple is better off to grow themselves and let Sony wallow.
Terrible idea. There are too many things Sony has as products that would have to be sold off to make this work, and then, what would be the point?
Number one is their PC business. Unless Apple were to retail that, and I don’t see why, as it would be the same company, they would have to have OS X run on them.
The second would be the music and movie businesses. Despite what some people think, Apple can’t be a reseller of all content while owning some of the bigger companies producing it. Other companies look askance at that.
There are quite a few other products that simply don’t fit within Apple’s purview. Do we want Apple producing alarm clocks?
the iPod has replaced the Walkman
i prefer the WII to the playstation
i prefer MacBooks to Sony Vaio’s
Apple has replaced Sony, why would they buy them ?
Why not buy TIVO, probably a lot cheaper. It would also help force the major studios to come back to bargain with Apple. Tivo’s agreement with Amazon using movie Unbox via their remote control is a perfect fit for couch potatoes who would rather not be at a desktop. ITunes is the ideal store front for online users. All movie user’s would then have a choice in download sources and Apple the profits much to the embarrassment of motion picture studios desparately trying to find a different vendor who they can control at the expensive of consumers.
TiVo isn’t a good idea either. It conflicts with what Apple is trying to do in content, and would rile the studio’s, who don’t like TiVo.
Bad idea. In addition to the many reasons already mentioned, one of the things that has made Apple so successful over the past few years is its tight supply chain, relatively few employees for a company its size, and its well-defined product line. Buying Sony would compromise all of these things, throwing the near-term to mid-term investment view of Apple into turmoil.
Apple has the brainpower and financial resources to enter the gaming world in its own way if it wants to. It does not need to inherit Sony’s problems to do this.
Just because Apple has billions in the bank does not mean it has to spend it on every half-assed opportunity that might present itself. Yet, there are many people out there who think they know–better than Steve Jobs does–what’s best for Apple, and how Apple should spend its money. My guess is that Apple spends enough time deciding on the best way to spend its money, and that they pay very little attention to the various business writers out there who think they have the next great idea on how Apple should spend its money.
Apple doesn’t need to buy Sony, nor does it need to buy Adobe, or any other company. Apple came back from the verge of oblivion about a decade ago through strong leadership, a grand vision, and shrewd planning and spending. The last thing they need to do now is to spend wantonly and recklessly.
This is a fanboy site, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they publish an article by a fanboy about a fanboy’s fantasy.
We should be able to move on from here.
I think Apple should buy Nintendo and TIVO. Then it should make the Apple TV what it is + a TV recorder with a better GUI + a game machine + You can connect to iTunes from it to buy not only music, videos, ringtones, but rent or buy Nintendo Games. That would be cool!!!!
emphatic NO.
the cultures, shareholders, and visions of the 2 companies are not possible to integrate. to try would be a disaster for apple. they can enter the markets occupied by sony at will. example is ipod and iphone. if you are a company that flourishes by doing things differently, why would you even want to shackle yourself. apple today defines markets and best in the world products. even in countires that they are not sold.
sony has nothing to offer to apple except grief and a lot of hard work to fix what they have broken. apple’s shareholders should revolt at this suggestion. why do sony’s shareholders a favor just because you have become incredibly stupid?
the only worthwhile option might be to offer a devalued 50% equity price and sell off the company, expecting to make a profit on the fire sale. put an apple sticker on the ps3 and integrate it into the itunes ecosystem.
apple has always been a leader, except in the 90’s when it tried to be a follower. to much of the purchase of sony falls into the trap of that kind of thinking to grab low hanging fruit for the bottom line. WAS A HUGE MISTAKE THEN, IS A HUGE MISTAKE NOW.
Buying Sony Apple fixes some areas where it lacks, example:
1.- Apple needs right now a content subsidiary for itunes, day by day big record companies don’t want to negotiate with Apple, so Sony will provides Apple movies and music.
2.- Apple doesn’t have a clear plan for bringing games to the mac, with Sony Apple immediately eliminates those problems, the Playstation franchise in the hands of Steve Jobs will blows everybody away.
3.- Apple has not presence in the HDTV arena, Sony can help on that too, this is the area where Sony really shines, has lost some tractions these days but can return to its base.
“…a powerful collaboration of synergy…” — this is an exceptionally redundant phrase. Nothing like combining a little corporate buzzword action with a little redundancy action.
Oh, and Sony+Apple = bad idea. Apple is doing great on its own and does not need a Sony-sized bag of ballast slowing it down.
Spare me. This is a terrible idea. If Apple should buy anyone, it’s TiVO, and take over the living room. That video-on-demand and DVR experience would change the world.
Just back from NYC last week. Was walking around Midtown late afternoon. The constrast between the larger but almost empty Sony store (part of a larger Sony Building complex) vs. the smaller but completely packed Apple store, is stunning. I still remember not too long ago it was actually cool to visit the Sony building to see new products. Sony must find a way to return to those days. Even Apple needs some healthy competition!
Sony = mediocre hardware, software and service. And that’s being generous.
Sony has become a jack of all trades and master of none. It’s certainly ripe for a Jobs-style take over and rebuild, but I can’t see Apple doing it.
Just buy Sony’s film library. The rest is Ka-Ka.
– Never buy a company who has lost its way – just burry them – kick them while they are down.
– Never buy a company that comes from a culture different than your own (Chrysler/Diamler anyone?)…
@Mocham4n…
YouÊ»re right. Nintendo would be an awesome complement. I wanted them to buy them before the Wii came out. Still possible…
Sony got some major overhead.
AAPL should buy RIMM (blackberry guys). and get into the enterprise that way… buy Nintendo for home hub…
This is a terrible idea. Sony is a huge lumbering company filled to the brim with dead weight. Much like Microsoft, they can no longer innovate.
The only good reason to buy Sony, is to break it up and resell the parts. Perhaps they could matter again.
Apple should acquire SUN Microsystems which would become the Apple Business Unit with Apple remaining the comsumer division. There is a lot in common with the two OSes and the “cultures” ot the two companies.
That is the way to take on Microsoft and WIN!
No.
Please, enough of these “should Apple buy…” speculations already. It’s not Apple’s style to spend hundreds of millions of dollars buying up bloated dinosaurs.
But <ahref=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Manning_(fictitious_writer)”>David Manning</a> has reviewed this idea and said it was a great idea, you know, one to watch.
Apple should start it’s own record company, that’s it’s next big realistic and helpful step.
Apple is small compared to Sony…wouldn’t be able to afford it…and besides Sony makes a huge range of products from computers to electrical appliances. It is a big player in a big pond while Apple is one of the smallest players…and only makes over priced computers and pussy pods…what a stupid and irrational proposal by a mac freak and zealous mac geeks.If anything Sony should buy Apple, get rid of its hardware and only sell the software…as that is where its real future will be…everyone using macware!
Apple shouldn’t buy Sony for the same reason it shouldn’t buy Palm: It can already do what they do, but better.
As an Apple shareholder since 1997, I have to say this is the most asinine suggestion I’ve ever heard after Michael Dell’s famous suggestion from years back.
Sony is a big, bloated, bureaucratic, capital-wasting mess. I don’t want my money spent buying crap. The only component that might mesh with AAPL is the music/video label, and even that’s a stretch when AAPL could more easily start their own label without legacy agreements attached to it.
Sony is old news. Full of problems and sinking. Why buy it?
Adobe on the other hand might make sense. Get control of the pro design apps and eliminate the Windows versions. Change the direction of that puck altogether. Besides Adobe is cheap as chips right now.
In console war, Sony fight M$ to an stand still for seven years. Even M$ has to behave differently in console area. If BluRay become Standard, Sony would past everybody. DVD is an 50 billion market. The profit from license bluray tech to hardware maker would be worth 10 billion per year.
Disney! have u guys read “Disney War”? Iger CEO of Disney, he can stand up to Jobs if he survived M. Eisner. Steve Jobs is a showsman at best but he is no strategist because his bully nature. He and Apple don’t work well with others.
The world is too big for one single company to rule. Alliance is the key to victory. A team of companies work well together will beat a single company anytime. That is my bet unless Jobs take over Sony now.
NO!!!
it’s not worth buying sony!!!as sony will die soon?haha
Remember the secret on-going negotiations between Microsoft and Adobe someone just leaked? I don’t either. And I don’t want to find out about it when it’s too late.
Sony…no. Adobe…yes.
The truth is Sony can do everything Apple does and then some. They can make PCs, Music players, Walkman phones, TVs, Playstations, Robots They also develop and produce most of the components in house (patents). They DO NOT need Apple. Apple cannot do ANYTHING Sony does. Apple outsources all their manufacturing to outside contract suppliers and relies on TOSHIBA and SAMSUNG technology.
One mistep on one of Apples FEW products and Apple is toast.
As someone who lived in Japan for over a decade and saw the fear, furor and bad feelings created when a non-Japanese company bought Sansui, I have a hard time believing that Apple or any other foreign company would be allowed to buy Sony.
@ Jon1 and Jeremy I agree with both of your points gentlemen, remember Japan Inc of the 80’s and “A Japan that can say no” in the 90’s. Apple is a large company with an incredibly thin management structure that allows it to think and react like a small progressive company. Sony is still old school Japan Inc. consensus multi-layer management and Keiretsu style business relationships and accounting practices. Apple’s only approach would be to buy outright Sony’s music division and buy blueray sets from Sony in some long term arrangement (5 years max in this horizon) and partner with the Video content division to get access. The only time Japan Inc will let one of their own be bought is when the company failing are beyond what their own system can remedy.
Apple should make an arrangement with Sony to provide a version of OS X for the PS3 system. Say, $60 for Leopard for PS3 that would give Front Row, email, browsing, etc.
If they try we will outbid them and plow the place under!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
@Eric, Sony turned down M$’s offer of the same thing because cellchip has big plan. Sony, Linux and IBM Alliance is heading in collusion course with Intel, Apple and M$. I couldn’t be surprise Sony is working on it own OS system right now.
Right now,Apple is at the high of its game. The media love it. Apple products are selling well. But it is so depend on the “Cool” image and easy to use, which is easy to copy. When the “Cool” image fade, Ipod will be just another one of hundred mp3 player out there.
Sony will be the first company bring OLED screen to the market next year. OLED is the next gen LCD screen only need a fraction of power, better color, high resolution and is really thin. You can bet Sony will integrate OLED in every Sony portable device first. When Sony Walkman outlast Ipod battery three times, display better and much lighter, it will be hard to argue from the value point of view which player is better*v*
Greg Mills is a MORON. This guy doesn’t have a clue what he is talking about. Apple is a big company but it’s no where near the size of Sony. Apple end their fiscal year with 24 billions in sales, Sony had $75 billions march 31/07. Sony sales increased 12% in the last quarter and expected to reach $82 billions march 31/08.
Sony are expected to have a Net income of $3.8 billions ending march 31/08, that’s about 5% margin profits.
Apple made more money and has a bigger market value than Sony but it’s not bigger than sony. With 160 thousands employees from Sony VS the 22 thousands from Apple.
Sony is an incredible company with great history innovations. Walkman, Trinitron TV, PlayStation, electronic LCD paper and Bravia LCD TV. Sony Bravia LCD TV are still the best TV money can buy.
The author have no idea what he’s talking about. Apple can’t just buy Sony because they can. That’s not how it works. The Sony Board of directors and shareholders has to AGREE on the takeover. Second and perhaps the most important part is the Japanese government, will they allow it or NOT. Chance are both the Shareholders and the government will say NO.
Try to know some facts before you write GREG.
Well said “TheSonyGuy”….Mills is a moron as is most of the asinine comments from the Mac fanatics…also, ironically it was only a short time ago that Apple’s existence was due to Microsoft’s support and now due to some pod sales some people here think Apple is now a big player….yet when you look at its percentage of market share it’s still a noboody…the biggest mistake Apple has ever made and is still making, but Gates didn’t, is that its the software that really matters…if Jobs and co had understood this from the beginning Microsoft wouldn’t have survived and every computer would be using Macware….so much for the lack of vision!+
Actually guys, Apple’s market valuation has been bigger than Sony’s for a while now. And market share means nothing if you can’t turn a profit, as Dell is now discovering.
@Macbook
Market share is nothing that is rarely true. Market valuation is not a solid indication on how well the company will do in five to six years time. Enron is a good example.
@kintama
To be fair, Apple percentage of market share in music download is around 80 percent. That is really good. iTune is the key of Apple success. I give Jobs that.
Steve Jobs is a bully and showsman at best. He doesn’t play well with others. This is the era of alliances, companies need to form teams to achieve strategic victory. Sony, IBM, Nvidia, Linux, Toshiba and Toyota are doing exactly that. Apple still alone.
Apple TV flopped. Media overlook this significant development. This company is so depend on media’s projection that would change from year to year base, if not months. I call Apple a high risk stock.
Sony is about the worst company of all time (excluding MS). Why would Apple want to taint themselves. I personally refuse to buy Sony if I can help it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony#Controversies
They have no moral compass, over-charge, issue dangerously faulty products, attempt to force the market to use their proprietary systems (when better systems are already available), and the list goes on.
Apple doesn’t need Sony. Sony needs to die. Die Sony. Die.
Apple needs to grow on its own, buying Sony would only confuse things.
What Sony needs to do, is to get its act together. Samsung is their biggest threat and the only way to beat them, is to take huge leap ahead. The best way to do it, is to reinvent the living room.
no
no
no no no no no
oh, no
No.
This has been another episode of Simple Answers to Stupid Questions.
(and as a double no-sh*t indicator, MW=simple)
Mills is talking s**t. He obviously does not know anything about business strategy.
Sony Corporation should buy Apple.
no
Apple doesn’t function like MS.
Apple is so focused on better things… and competition is always welcomed. So, Apple can upstage who ever wishes to play.
no need to buy out anyone
move on
Apple should buy Servoy (http://www.servoy.com/) to extend the Xserve and Filemaker offerings. Apple lacks a good RAD and application server in order to compete with Microsoft .NET.
To the guy that said sony tvs are not the best.
Ummm…okay.
I guess consumer report, cnet, etc only rate them best in audio, visuals, and quality because they are not the best.
Had you said they were overpriced i would have agreed with you.
But not the best…wo do you work for? Pioneer, Panosonic, Toshiba…who?
I hate to tell the guy who said sony tvs are not the best that they are,
Read consumer report or cnet reviews. They rate first in visuals and quality (bravia lcd’s) and usually in the top three in audio.
Forget Sony, Steve. I’ll sell you my remaining 8% of Microsoft cheap. Oh, and I’ll throw in Steve Ballmer as a sweetener. Plus a brown Zune just to seal the deal.
will this kind of product succeed in the Philippines?why or why not?
Nice! I’ve bookmarked it http://www.searchallinone.com/Other/MacDailyNews_-_Apple_should_buy_Sony/ 😀