Who's buying Apple stock? IBM?

[chicagdan]

Check out the report on Think Secret about an unnamed technology company accumulating Apple stock through brokers. As a former IBM employee, I can tell you this is exactly the way Big Blue behaves when it wants to buy a company.

It makes perfect sense -- IBM will be making the Apple processors, it gets a desktop product to compliment it's Power-4 servers. It kills off its money losing PC business, but gets to remain a player in the field while taking on Microsoft head to head.

IBM gives Apple 100% product development autonomy and something it's never had before -- a sales channel into the Fortune 500. OS X computers in a corporate office is a tough sell, but link them up to IBM mainframes and UNIX servers and suddenly you have a compelling, cost effective, secure alternative to Wintel anarchy.

 

[vniow]

Now that's interesting, especially since Think Secret's been right with the last few rumors.

 

[peterjhill]

I think that Apple is a good deal now, at what, less than $15 per share. I need to open up an online trading account. I already have a 403b through work. It makes sense for a company to look at Apple and think it might be a good investment.

How about this... What if it is Pixar? Apple has bought all of these Digital cinema editing software companies. Pixar started out in that field. They must have some money with their Disney deal. Would that be insider trading? What if Apple and Pixar merge? Pixar sure could use a deal on XServe's for their render farms. Apple could be its own best market.

Just an idea.

 

[chicagdan]

It's unlikely to be a non-computer company. The synergy mergers of the 90s have been such an unmitigated disaster that companies no longer merge to get big, they merge to get small ... i.e., IBM buying Apple so it can stop making PCs, letting a more skilled company take up the slack.

 

[rice_web]

Sounds reasonable enough, I wouldn't doubt you.

IBM could easily be buying out Apple, especially with the news of the G5 on the horizon, as well as a 750FX with Altivec.

 

[Mr Jobs]

hahahahahahahah hah hahahahah hahahahah hahahaha hahahah hahahaha hahahahhah hah ha ah ha ha hahahah haahah haha...IBM BUYING APPLE.....hahahahha ahahah aha ah haahahah haah hahahaha

 

[i_am_a_cow]

cool

That would be cool! Maybe IBM is trying to get back at all of those "IBM-Compatible" companies

interesting . . .

 

[Mr. Anderson]

ha, don't think its a buy out, maybe they are investing in their future, knowing that the power4 is going to be coming out soon and they want to capitalize on the lower price Apple is at right now.

Insider trading? I don't know. But for IBM to own Apple? I can't see that as being a good thing, right now.

 

[chicagdan]

I agree that it's highly unlikely that IBM would buy controlling interest of Apple ... but it is certainly in IBM's best interest to sell as many consumer level G5s that they can ... so they take an equity interest in Apple and (most importantly) start moving the product through their sales channel.

That isn't to say Apple becomes the primary desktop option for IBM sales, but it becomes part of the mix that includes ThinkPads and Linux desktops. Apple integrated into Big Blue ... laugh all you want, it would be a good move for both companies.

 

[Shrek]

I agree. That would definitely be a good thing for both companies and a good thing for the industry, too! I think Apple would do great with IBM marketing their products and IBM will have a new profitable market for itself. The industry will benefit with Apple's incredible products at possibly much lower prices!

I sure hope the U.S. Government doesn't block the move. I don't think they'd do that, though, considering Apple's small size and IBM's failing PC market.

C'mon Apple and IBM! If you read this, just do it! Neither of you will regret it.

P.S. IBM made the PC platform very popular. Perhaps it could the same for the Mac!

 

[vniow]

Originally posted by Shrek


I sure hope the U.S. Government doesn't block the move. I don't think they'd do that, though, considering Apple's small size and IBM's failing PC market.

Why would the government block the move?

 

[Shrek]

Originally posted by edvniow
Why would the government block the move?

I don't know, just a thought.

 

[FattyMembrane]

just as dukestreet said, it's probably not likely that ibm would buyout apple, although it's no where near impossible. it would be the most ironic buyout in computer history (make that, would have been in '84). if ibm did buy out apple and decide to take ms on head to head, its the only way we would see apple dominate the market within our lifetime. i dont think ibm is buying/merging with apple, although the possibility wil become far less remote in say, 10 years. what makes the purchaces interesting is that they come at an apparent lull in apple's product launching (not counting 10.2), which is obviously in preparation for something big to which we lowly consumers are oblivious - keep in mind that i've been a professor in economics for well over 90 years and know exactly what i'm talking about.

 

[Faeylyn]

Originally posted by Shrek
I sure hope the U.S. Government doesn't block the move. I don't think they'd do that, though, considering Apple's small size and IBM's failing PC market.

When the government blocks sales like this it is because they think it would reduce competition in the industry. If IBM were to buy Apple, it would almost definately increase competition in the PC industry.