Cringely Posits Adobe's Purchase by Apple

An anonymous reader writes to mention another Robert Cringely piece discussing Apple's future. In his latest article, he lays out some goals for Apple on its quest to desktop dominance. An important link in this chain is Apple's purchase of Adobe Systems. From the article: "Adobe has already made one feint away from Mac development that required personal pressure from Steve Jobs on John Warnock to reverse. If Apple kinda-sorta embraces Windows enough for Adobe to question whether continued development for the native OS X platform is still warranted, well, then Apple WILL just become another Dell, which isn't what Steve Jobs wants. Steve wants Windows applications to run like crazy on his hybrid platform but to look like crap. In his heart of hearts, he'd still like to beat Microsoft on the merits, not just by leveraging some clever loophole. So he needs the top ISVs who are currently writing for OS X to continue writing for OS X, and that especially means Adobe."

The Cringe of Embracing Windows

[digitaldc]

Steve wants Windows applications to run like crazy on his hybrid platform but to look like crap.

I have seen it and, well at least it does run like crazy... [microsoft.com]

So the logic here is

[noewun]

That Adobe will just walk away from ~$400 million/yr in software sales. From a quick persual of Adobe's most recent annual report and 10-K filings, I figure that's about how much Adobe makes a year from Mac software. This leads me to a question:

What do call a CEO who makes the decision to chop $400 million off his company's profits?

Unemployed.

Gates Obliges Jobs

[Illbay]

Steve wants Windows applications to run like crazy on his hybrid platform but to look like crap.

Well, it's up to Jobs to make sure of the former, but MS has already done what it can to accomplish that latter.

Re:Mod article '-1, Troll'

[Illbay]

Every article by Cringely, Dvorak, and the like needs to be instantly moderated '-1...

Yeah, 'cuz, you know, like, they work for Infoworld and PC Magazine and stuff an' they're all corporate shills an' stuff an'...

Hey Cringely

[everphilski]

When you and Dvorak are snuggled up in bed at night thinking up these crazy ideas how do you decide who gets which idea to write about the next day?

-Curious on Slashdot

Re:Oh please!

[Anonymous Coward]

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Unless you're Bill Clinton, then it has, um, other uses.

The merged company name will be . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Taking the "A" from Adobe and the "pple" from Apple.

Re:Hey Cringely

[Winterblink]

The same way they decide who gets to be the giver: coin toss.

John C. Dvorak acquired by Robert X. Cringley

[drix]

"News of a potential merger between these two rumor-mongering blowhards has been bouncing around San Jose for some time," said a source close to the deal. "After exhausting the n(n-1) array of potential merger rumors between companies as diverse as Google, Microsoft, General Motors, and ElectroPeru, the state-owned energy monopoly of Peru, both realized the only remaining avenue for generating baseless headlines and crucial name recognition was to themselves merge." Industry analysts speculated the new entity would assume the name Jobert K. Cringvorak, and continue publishing factually-inaccurate, worthless gossip headlines twice weekly in IT trade magazines.

Morons. Why does this shit get posted here every week, clogging up my screen real estate. I want to read about motherboards.

It's all starting to make sense!

[jkabbe]

I am starting to see how the plan goes. Witness:

Apple buys Adobe.
Apple implements Windows API in Leopard.
Apple kills off OS X versions of Adobe products.
Apple fires OS X developers from Adobe (they can hang with the Aperture team).
Profit!

Is it just me, or is Cringley starting to enter Dvorak territory?

Re:software developers

[everett]

If it was targetted to a "Virtual Machine" that ran under these three operating systems, then it wouldn't necessarily incur any additional cost to develop...

Someone should really build something like that...

Starting Rumors

[N_Piper]

No let's start the most outragous rumor posible. Like oh I don't know.... Steve is trying to disrupt the strangle hold Microsoft has on web standards (through Explorer)by buying Adobe and geting his hands on PDF and Flash and that also he is, in fact, planning on replacing the ActionScript language with AppleScript. But you know some people might actually buy that line of Sh** so lets not use it

Re:So the logic here is

[vertinox]

What do call a CEO who makes the decision to chop $400 million off his company's profits?

Carly Fiorina [wikipedia.org]

Well... And unemployed.

Re:Wow.

[Ohreally_factor]

I totally agree!

Oh, wait. You said he's onto something.

I first read that as he was on something.

Nevermind.

I Think He's Got Something There

[Bacon Bits]

The overpriced hardware vendor buys the overpriced software vendor! Brilliant!

Re:Mod article '-1, Troll'

[F34nor]

Wait! Every post posted by Zonk needs an enema. -5 Vapor