Report: Apple to Buy Flash Memory Company for $500 Million

[JMcEntegart]

You know how the song goes! "All I want for Christmas is my own flash memory company..."

Report: Apple to Buy Flash Memory Company for $500 Million : Read more

 

[nebun]

apple might be getting a little to big for it's britches....they need to slow down

 

[theconsolegamer]

[citation][nom]nebun[/nom]apple might be getting a little to big for it's britches....they need to slow down[/citation]Put on your seat-belts because Apple is just warming up.

 

[digiex]

Apple... can I have a bite?

 

[batkerson]

"Apple apparently wants to buy the company so it can boost memory and improve memory reliability on its devices" OR Apple doesn't want anyone else to have the technology. Any international patents owned by Anobit, eh?

 

[freggo]

Think about it, all that iSometrhing success, Billions in the Bank... and they are still just a minor player in the Computerworld. Windows and Linux rule; ah yes, and let's not forget that the Mac OS is basically just a Linux port running on PC/Intel Hardware.
As an investor that must make you wonder how long that iBonanza is going to last !
I, for one, have the feeling that in say 5 years from now Apple may easily have fallen back to where they used to be; a provider of design over content for the iCrowd with more money than brains.

Don't get me wrong. This is not Apple bashing. It is simply a statement that Apple is about as over hyped at the moment as the Florida real estate market was a few years ago. Windows is an overblown piece of junk code, but they do have a market share that all the iPads in the world can not topple.

 

[silentbobdc]

Probably a patent grab.

 

[CaedenV]

I agree, it has to be a patent grab. Apple has always been very careful to stay in the software and design realm, and stay away from manufacturing. But then again Jobs is dead, it could be this is something he has always blocked in the past, but that the board wants to do (remember the board/management is what killed apple last time Jobs was away).

 

[molo9000]

[citation][nom]freggo[/nom]Mac OS is basically just a Linux port running on PC/Intel Hardware.[/citation]

Mac OS X and Linux are both unix-like systems (Mac OS X is actually Unix certified), but that's where the relationship ends. They are entirely separate developments.
The Mac OS X kernel (XNU) even predates Linux by 2 years.

 

[jimmy-bee]

[citation][nom]nebun[/nom]apple might be getting a little to big for it's britches....they need to slow down[/citation]
Oh and the convicted monopolist MS isn't.

 

[jimmy-bee]

[citation][nom]molo9000[/nom]Mac OS X and Linux are both unix-like systems (Mac OS X is actually Unix certified), but that's where the relationship ends. They are entirely separate developments.The Mac OS X kernel (XNU) even predates Linux by 2 years.[/citation]
Thank you for correcting the ill informed.

 

[willwayne]

I'm an Apple hater, but with the other recent headline "Samsung Posts Record 45% Share of DRAM Market" I recognize that this would be a good move for them (even though I realize DRAM != NAND Flash memory).

Apple distrusts other companies and hates to partner/rely on them - it will only do so until it has the resources or ability to acquire its partners or (more likely) a smaller competitor. Or some other outcome where Apple has more control over the products' design or manufacture - say, a patent of some sort.

When it was revealed that Apple patented an embedded SIM card capable of connecting with multiple carriers, it was obvious that Apple would either buy a telecom or act as a middle-man between the iPhone users and all other telecoms (which would facilitate an eventual switch to an Apple branded carrier) simply because of Apple's conflicting philosophies with existing cellular carriers (or the regulations that govern them).


It's only a matter of time before Apple is fully vertically integrated. The only question then would be if Apple will be allowed to do this. I'm guessing they would be, as they work hard to keep from capturing too much market share, generally protecting them from Anti-Trust and Monopoly laws. Hopefully I'm wrong about that.

 

[madooo12]

[citation][nom]molo9000[/nom]Mac OS X and Linux are both unix-like systems (Mac OS X is actually Unix certified), but that's where the relationship ends. They are entirely separate developments.The Mac OS X kernel (XNU) even predates Linux by 2 years.[/citation]

mac OSX is based on NeXTSTEP which is partially based on the popular FreeBSD

 

[dgingeri]

Yeah, this is a patent grab. they'll be suing Samsung and other Android phone makers on a whole new slew of grounds now. Apple needs to be shut down. Their misuse of the patent system is totally out of control.

 

[BlackHawk91]

Apple is gonna patent a "How to buy a small company for its patents" patent.

 

[nurgletheunclean]

Here comes proprietary apple flash for the Iprisoners.

 

[sonofliberty08]

apple buy flash memory company to fight samsung in flash memory field ?

 

[Vladislaus]

[citation][nom]molo9000[/nom]Mac OS X and Linux are both unix-like systems (Mac OS X is actually Unix certified), but that's where the relationship ends. They are entirely separate developments.The Mac OS X kernel (XNU) even predates Linux by 2 years.[/citation]
It's true that linux and xnu are completely different kernels. But this doesn't mean that the XNU doesn't use quite a lot of code from other sources. Before NextSTEP was acquired by Apple the XNU had tons of code from the Mach kernel 2.5 and BSD. Now the XNU uses the code from the Mach kernel 3.0 and freebsd.

 

[acerace]

Obviously they want the patent grab. Unless they want to make their own SSD, which I doubt it, although not impossible.

 

[republicano]

this sickens me being a new mac owner from pc, their abuse with the power/patents is wrong and a disservice to humanity, restricting the ability to explore and grow

 

[sykozis]

[citation][nom]dgingeri[/nom]Yeah, this is a patent grab. they'll be suing Samsung and other Android phone makers on a whole new slew of grounds now. Apple needs to be shut down. Their misuse of the patent system is totally out of control.[/citation]
Apple would lose trying to challenge Samsung in court over memory patents. Samsung holds patents of their own....as does Rambus, Micron, Kingston, Hynix...... I'm sure Rambus would love the opportunity to go after Apple for patent infringement.

 

[richboyliang]

I didn't appreciate the crude rip-off of that song.

 

[maddad]

I am amazed at how the "Android sheep" are always so interested in what Apple does!!! Why even bother to read the story. If the headline is about Apple; just move on!

 

[tipoo]

"If the deal goes through, it will join the very small number of hardware companies that Apple has acquired over the year. So far, this list includes just four other companies: NeXT, Raycer Graphics, Intrinsity and P.A. Semi. "

Erm, they acquired NeXT ~16 years ago.

 

[Benihana]

Sweet, some more vertical integration!