After discovering that Apple has $15 billion in cash just lying around, Ars Technica decided to take lots of drugs and suggest that Apple could be in the market to quite possibly buy Adobe, TiVo, or Nintendo. This is about as possible as Disney buying Exxon but heck, don’t let our cynical understanding of mergers and acquisitions stop you from imagining the wonderful iTiVmacbookphones that could come out of such an unholy union.
When a company has “$15 billion” it means it has the chance to acquire a few smaller companies to round out its own portfolio. There is no money in buying and running another brand — synergy rarely works and all of the bad management and costs associated with a company bad-off enough to want to be acquired will now be Apple’s problem. Just look for a set of small, unobtrusive companies that make one or two things — think GrandCentral or any one of those Web 2.0 menageries — and then you’ll have an idea where the money is going.
Who should Apple buy? [Ars]