Microsoft wants to buy Yahoo?

by on January 3, 2006

Mary Jo Foley is reporting speculation that Microsoft wants to buy Yahoo.

Well, I did tell BillG to buy Flickr…

Anyone else got some speculation to get out? Dang, next you’ll tell me that Google’s making a PC (oh, wait, that one is already getting denied) or something like that and Apple’s making a Media Center. ;-)

Oh, it’s going to be a fun week. The rumors always get wild right before CES and MacWorld.

Seriously, I don’t know about any Yahoo purchase and if I did I’d probably be taped to a tree here in Redmond with an extra roll around my mouth. :-)

  • Whatever Bill has to say it better be better than those underwhelming SPOT watches being everywhere last year.
  • /pd
    that the wrong statement. Yahoo and MSFT are working out an Ad deal !!
  • Tom
    You mean google isn't buying Yahoo? It is probably better this way as Yahoo might be considering buying Opera. Seriously though, there have been way too many rumors going around lately. I for one am not going to believe any of it until these companies start making public announcements.
  • Matt Sherman
    A much better partner would be Amazon. Yahoo is a media company, run by a media guy. It's not a software company, although their software is quite good.

    What Yahoo has is user information and eyeballs, more than just about anyone. Google is in the same business, to a point, but they are not doing "professional" media (music, video) in a serious way as Yahoo is.

    Amazon is a great, highly regarded media sales channel. They could jump-start their way into online music with Yahoo. There's the synergy.
  • Mujibur
    Another HORRIBLE Microsoft response to security:

    http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060103-5...

    "For consumer products, security updates will be available through the end of the mainstream phase. For Windows XP Home Edition, there will be no security updates after 12/31/06." Regarding paid support for problems unrelated to security patches, I was told that "Users who want to continue to receive support after the Microsoft assisted and paid support offerings have ended may visit the Retired Product Support Options Web site."
  • I thought Apple was making a Tablet?

    I kind of wish they would so Applers will quit dissing the platform. Just like they dissed all the portable video players until Apple made one.

    "No one wants to watch video on a portable device" should replace the fictional "Who needs more than 640k?"
  • Christopher Coulter
    I'd heard $60 billion, and then $80 billion, both rejected, then limited-merger slash partnership talks. After losing the AOL deal, I guess Yahoo, next best. Even at $40 that would sap the stockpile, and leave them in a near fatal position, per the next long upgrade cycle. Ozzie behind this? Looks company killing to me. I'd stick with making software, and get out of decades long 'investments' in Google-copycatting search tech, Content (bye bye MSNBC), Mobile, Cable ventures and off-shoot stuff like Xbox.
  • Because clearly Chris has business acumen beyond anyone at Microsoft :rolleyes:
  • Anona
    Sounds so inevitable, doesn't it? Poor Microsoft having once again failed to lead a market and beat by a more imaginative rival (Google), tries to compete on merits, fails and buys a competitor. How many times have we seen this movie?
  • aaa
    tt
  • blah
    "Because clearly Chris has business acumen beyond anyone at Microsoft :rolleyes:"

    He certainly sounds less arrogant than you, which is an achievement...congratulations!
  • Christopher Coulter
    Ahhh, funny, my "plan" seems to mirror half of Mini-Microsoft. Which is a far far more interesting blog with real substance, over this dancing-bear personality-ego blog. :)
  • Microsoft needs to concentrate on being more secure in it's next attempt at an os. Yahoo??? It is just a webpage - a waste
  • Tetra
    Yahoo would be a great buy for any company, including Microsoft. Though its not my search engine of choice (I can't think of the last time I've been to Yahoo.com), its been making some real smart acquisitions.

    Unfortunately, Yahoo would cost an arm and a leg, and I agree that the price may even be too much for Microsoft to swallow in a relatively cooled-down market. Also, would this be any kind of anti-trust problem? If any of the 'big three' engines (Google, Yahoo, Microsoft) merged, it would pretty much shut the loser and any serious competition out of the loop.

    Still, who knows? Stranger things have happened (Adobe? Macromedia? I didn't see that coming)!
  • Tetra
    "Well, I did tell BillG to buy Flickr…"

    You're a smart man, Scoble. Flickr is easily my favorite service to come out the whole Web 2.0 pot. While I was hoping Google would pick it up (if only for Picasa integration), I have to give Yahoo credit for such a smart move.
  • solomonrex
    Scoble, I think they'd just yank your blog away like that Chinese guy.

    Ooooh, BURN!
  • Paul Speranza
    Bob,

    They'll tape yer fingers too so ya can't type!
  • Carl
  • solomonrex: Damn, they are gonna buy WordPress too? ;-)
  • Thomas
    What IF Yahoo is Buying Microsoft ??

    who's Own Netscape.com ? (netscape.net before netscape.com) Does Anyone's Like it or uses it ??
  • sfenerule
    I heard Microsoft was buying Gazprom.
  • Yeah... my bet is that MS and Yahoo are going to do an ad network to compete against adsense.
  • And you still don't know anything? :-)
  • If MSFT is buying YHOO for $50B, they' ll be left with nothing much and this could be the end of YHOO and MSFT. Who wins then GOOG? Then how about GOOG buying MSFT for $1B? hee hee....
  • Now it really happens, MNS bids 50 Billion to buy Yahoo.
  • If Microsoft bought Yahoo, the online market would be more competitive between Microsoft and Google.

    I think it would be more better for customers.
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