Sony & Apple partnership/joint venture

[McFly]

...

Or what about Sony? A deal with the Disney of consumer electronics would give Apple access to a distribution network that Jobs and Apple fanatics can only dream about. World domination, or at least a shot at double-digit market share, would be within reach. Sony would gain an edge on its margin-scraping competitors, the fruits of Apple's creative hothouse, and a devoted customer base in influential sectors like publishing and advertising. Not to mention that a deal with Apple could provide leverage against Microsoft's unrelenting attempts to make Sony one more manufacturing lackey.

Jobs, who has singled out Sony as worthy of praise, sat down several times last year with its CEO, Nobuyuki Idei, to discuss joint ventures. The talks didn't go far. Idei was reportedly impressed by Jobs' ideas but put off by his arrogance and scrapped the negotiations. Idei might want to schedule another meeting. In June, he faced a crowd of irate shareholders demanding to know how the company managed to lose almost $1 billion in the first three months of 2003.

Fact is, Idei needs a bold stroke, or his days are numbered. If Sony's up to the challenge of working with a quirky phenom, it could do worse than to adopt Apple. The formula for success is simple. Just give Jobs lots of room and a vastly expanded audience, then sit back and watch the hits keep on coming.

Now for the tricky part - convincing Steve Jobs to sell.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/start.html?pg=2

I know that they have talked about a partnership/joint venture several times, would it be a good idea?

Sony could sure use the software developers of Apple and Apple the distribution channels of Sony, but would it work? Would both, Steve Jobs and Sony be happy?

Fredi

 

[Urian]

MAC OS X conqueror of dah world!

LOL!

PD: Sorry I´ve had my fanatic moment of the day.

 

[Evil_Cloud]

MAC OS X conqueror of dah world!

LOL!

PD: Sorry I´ve had my fanatic moment of the day.

Sopple
Or what about Play Cube G6?

 

[Panajev2001a]

Ken Kutaragi + Steve Jobs == uhm, interesting: though to make it work, but not impossible.

 

[Urian]

MAC OS X is the reason for me.

Is a better OS today than Linux and is for PowerPC (the same core of PS3 BE).

And I believe that is all part of an estandar.

 

[McFly]

Ken Kutaragi + Steve Jobbs == uhm, interesting: though to make it work, but not impossible.

Did they ever talk together or did Jobs just speak with Idei san? I think they would much better fit together.

Sony, Apple & IBM ... that would be an amazing team.

Fredi

 

[PatrickL]

If only Apple tried to sell seriously their LCD screen to PC users i would be a happy buyer.

 

[maskrider]

If only Apple tried to sell seriously their LCD screen to PC users i would be a happy buyer.

Yes, port the software controls over to Windows, or add back those picture control buttons. Apple will get my money.

And I had hoped for them to port the super slick and neat OS X to PC, but I know I can only hope.

 

[Rodéric]

Yes, port the software controls over to Windows, or add back those picture control buttons. Apple will get my money.

And I had hoped for them to port the super slick and neat OS X to PC, but I know I can only hope.

BeOS is far better, and works on both PPC and Intel, altough not the G4+, because Apple keep proprietary stuff about the CPU secret.

BeOS "Zeta" (BeOS 6.0) is coming for the x86 (not sure about the PPC version) "when it's done". (From a german firm, not Be, inc.)

 

[maskrider]

Yes, port the software controls over to Windows, or add back those picture control buttons. Apple will get my money.

And I had hoped for them to port the super slick and neat OS X to PC, but I know I can only hope.

BeOS is far better, and works on both PPC and Intel, altough not the G4+, because Apple keep proprietary stuff about the CPU secret.

BeOS "Zeta" (BeOS 6.0) is coming for the x86 (not sure about the PPC version) "when it's done". (From a german firm, not Be, inc.)

I had tried (bought a license, actually) BeOS 4 through 5 running on my PC before they were bought by Palm and more focused on BeIA or embedded version. Haven't read anything related to it after that as I thought it will be as good as dead when Palm bought them.

Is it still alive ?

BTW, the problem is with application, with OS X, I still have a lot of apps to choose from, but number of apps for BeOS cannot even compare to Linux.

And after losing hope on BeOS (I have hope on it before), my hope lay on OS X which is a MACH based system with FreeBSD (my favourite OS) as a personality with the gorgeous Apple GUI.

 

[Urian]

If Sony takes iPhoto and iTunes for PS3 it will be a great movement.

I´m not talkng about the all OS.

If I prefer OS X is because the OS is better than others as Digital Hub.

PD. Sorry for my english.

 

[London Geezer]

PD. Sorry for my english.

IT'S ok. we have to put up with much worse from english-speaking people in here....

 

[ChryZ]

IT'S ok. we have to put up with much worse from english-speaking people in here....

Me fail English? That's unpossible

 

[archie4oz]

If Sony takes iPhoto and iTunes for PS3 it will be a great movement.

They're more likely to adapt something from Sonic Foundry (err. Sony, since they now own them)...

BeOS is far better, and works on both PPC and Intel, altough not the G4+, because Apple keep proprietary stuff about the CPU secret.

Huh???

There's nothing proprietary about the MPC745x processors... They're pretty heavily documented (moreso than Intel procs, especially with all of Moto's embedded customers).

Besides, if various Linux distros can get their OS's to boot on the latest G4s (and Xserves), then there must be something wrong with Be (or whoever owns them now).

Yes, port the software controls over to Windows, or add back those picture control buttons. Apple will get my money.

Windows should already provide the controls. I know people who run Cinema displays on PCs. The only thing you really need is the power adaptor to supply power through the ADC connector for the screen and the USB hub).

And I had hoped for them to port the super slick and neat OS X to PC, but I know I can only hope.

Why would they do that? They're whole spiel is selling the whole widget...

 

[cybamerc]

archie4oz:

> Why would they do that? They're whole spiel is selling the whole widget...

And that is Apple's dilemma because the interest in specialized computers (which Macs are to some extent) is diminishing.

Personally, I would love to see OS X on x86. I would switch in an instant. But I won't pay for the hardware.

 

[Saem]

The thing with apple is they're great at making simple products that interface really well. The thing apple should be doing is an interface/marketing/branding company. They can then have product manufacturers come to them, offer them their products and apple then doesn't their magic and makes them great.

The iPod is hella slick, the problem is Apple hardware is apparent and so is their pricing. Apple knows how to make a good brand, a slick interface and market a product fairly well, they don't know how to really make a good product. OS X is a perfect example great interface wicked product that basically someone else made.

Apple needs to realise it's strengths rather than trying to do it all and fail miserably. Steve Jobs is a bad CEO in my opinion, he doesn't know what's best for the company, they need a person who's not a greedy controlling bastard and can see the strengths of Apple and capitalise on them.

As for BeOS, there are many projects that are running which are related to it, one is Zeta the other is openbeos. I suggest those interested check out beunited.com or .org whatever it maybe.

 

[maskrider]

Yes, port the software controls over to Windows, or add back those picture control buttons. Apple will get my money.

Windows should already provide the controls. I know people who run Cinema displays on PCs. The only thing you really need is the power adaptor to supply power through the ADC connector for the screen and the USB hub).

But last time I checked (some months before), people are complaining no software controls were available, I know Apple has the ADC connector that can also be used on PCs. But the software controls are not yet there for PC, not available even on OS 9 (please correct me if I am wrong).

 

[McFly]

Steve Jobs is a bad CEO in my opinion, he doesn't know what's best for the company, they need a person who's not a greedy controlling bastard and can see the strengths of Apple and capitalise on them.

If there would be no Steve Jobs, Apple would have gone the way of Commodore a long time ago. Steve Jobs is not a good CEO if you take normal CEO's as a reference, but for Apple, he's just perfect.

Fredi

 

[JF_Aidan_Pryde]

Steve Jobs is a bad CEO in my opinion, he doesn't know what's best for the company, they need a person who's not a greedy controlling bastard and can see the strengths of Apple and capitalise on them.

If there would be no Steve Jobs, Apple would have gone the way of Commodore a long time ago. Steve Jobs is not a good CEO if you take normal CEO's as a reference, but for Apple, he's just perfect.

Fredi

Amen to that.

 

[cybamerc]

I don't think you can blame Steve Jobs for being hesitant about changing the company's direction. It would be a major gamble and while Apple has to change sooner or later it doesn't necessarilly have to be now. The problem that Apple faces is that once it steps out of the niche it is in now you can be sure that M$ will pull Office from Mac OS and start spending resources actively figthting OS X like it is doing with Linux and have done with other OSes in the past. That's why you see Apple building up its own library of software products because ultimately they can't depend on anyone but themselves.