Apple to buy Facebook?

[Eldiablojoe]

TUAW has a fascinating article pondering the completely unsubstantiated concept that Apple, with it's $50 Billion in cash might consider buying Facebook, valued at $25-30 Billion.

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/10/19/does-apple-want-to-buy-facebook/

So, would this be a marriage of juggernauts (I mean there are tons and tons of people - suburban mommies and teenagers- who think "The Internet" means Facebook), or has Facebook "jumped the shark" so to speak?

 

[Intell]

If Apple does this, the anti-Apple fanboys' head will explode. Either from knowing that Apple has all their stuff or because they wouldn't know what part of the Apple world to Like.

 

[SydneyJunkie]

Not going to happen

 

[lbro]

If they would it would be front page news. I hope it doesn't happen and I highly doubt it will.

 

[vong]

Imo I think this will be a bad idea. Facebook is probably one of those phases where it will be cool for a couple of years then slowly die out; just like myspace

 

[Apple OC]

Apple = awesome company making tons of money with no sign of letting up

Apple = has a business model that all companies strive to be

Facebook = Spam and more Spam

Facebook knows something is coming that will make everyone wakeup and say
"I was on Facebook?"

Facebook has already jumped the Shark ... it has no viable business plan to make money other than target marketing (Spam)

 

[RawBert]

They say Facebook is valued at 30 Billion Dollars. If bought, how could it ever earn Apple all the money it cost initially - and then more to turn a profit?

It's not gonna happen.

If the economy were still strong, perhaps Microsoft would buy it... And let it die.

If it's really for sale, Google would be more likely to buy FB than Apple.

 

[Cat-toy]

Facebook will soon sleep...

My word
Remember they are starting to consider printing new money in the US.

 

[sysiphus]

Remember when News Corp. bought Myspace? That sure worked out well...

Can't see this one happening. Apple doesn't need their own social media--they can do just fine delivering platforms to access social networking.

 

[Bonch]

If they buy something big it should be Adobe, not FaceBook.

 

[lsvtecjohn3]

Facebook in the next few years will have a billion users. With that said Apple still won't buy them.

 

[Apple OC]

so you figure the 250 million people that opened a second account to get them to 500 will open another couple of accounts in the next 2 years?

 

[Tyler76]

I would more like to see facebook buy Apple,

 

[Apple OC]

Facebook has no money ... and if they do ... where did they get it? ... maybe they could get a loan from Zynga

 

[Dolorian]

I very much doubt that Apple will buy Facebook. Like MySpace, Hi5 and other sites like it, Facebook is kind of a fad and I don't see how Apple will profit from it in the long term.

 

[netdog]

Facebook is hardly a fad, and Apple would be wise to either buy Facebook or buy a significant share. Hardware and even software is looking to be an industry with ever-diminishing returns. Facebook isn't selling anything to its end-users and their business model definitely works.

I wonder if that's what their dinner was about.

 

[benzslrpee]

there is no way anybody would plop down $25B for a company who just turned a positive free cash flow in 2009 with anywhere from $500M - $800M in revenue depending on what you read.

 

[Bernard SG]

I don't see that happening. FB is "toxic asset" with all the privacy issues they're engulfed in.
And I can't see what strategic integration there would be between Apple and FB.

 

[S.B.G]

I can't see any benefit technologically or financially for Apple to buy FB. Maybe they could get a few things technologically along the lines of integration, but I seriously doubt it would be worth billions of dollars to acquire.

I'm more apt to believe a rumor that Google will buy FB instead.

 

[maflynn]

I saw that article. I'm not sure facebook fits in with apple's core strategy, but who knows. Its not like I'm intimately knowledgable with apple's core strategy.

From the outside looking in, I don't see this having the synergy needed to be successful, perhaps some working relationship, makes more sense then apple buying them outright.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I sure hope not. However, I can see it fitting into some overall data mining scheme by Apple.

 

[roadbloc]

lol



no.

 

[0007776]

I don't see that happening anytime soon if ever it doesn't make sense.

 

[Hakkera]

I very much doubt this would happen. I don't really see a way that facebook could get a lot bigger so where's the real profit in it for Apple. Not worht the 20Bil.

And I think a lot of people would get a little annoyed at this.

 

[rdowns]

Makes no sense what so ever unless you want to keep a competitor from buying.