During Apple’s recent Q4 earnings call it was noted that, with its most successful quarter ever, Apple’s cash stock had increased to over $51 billion. While that amount of cash would provide sizeable divends to Apple investors, Steve Jobs appears to have other plans in mind. Many rumors have been banded about over the past few days suggesting that Apple could purchase huge companies such as Adobe, FaceBook or even Sony.
So what about Intel? Well, Apple’s largest purchase so far has been the NeXT company in 1997 at around $429 million. However, NeXT was founded by Steve Jobs and the purchase brought Jobs back to Apple. An investment in Intel would be on an unimagineable scale for Apple (Intel’s revenue in 2009 amounted to $35 billion). But would it be a smart move?
Looking at all of the purchases or investments that Apple has made, the company tends to focus on acquiring software and component technologies. Could Intel play into this acquisition strategy by providing Apple with the potential to dominate the processor market?
Aside from mobile devices containing A4 chips, Apple has adopted Intel processors in the Mac line of desktop and laptop computers with great success. The A4 chip itself has already made a phenomenal debut in the iPhone and iPad. If Apple were to purchase Intel, how would this impact upon the Windows market with a large chunk of PC’s using Intel processors? The domination of Microsoft by Apple could reach a new level.
Idle speculation perhaps. But an interesting thought nonetheless.
Save your dosh and
