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Microsoft Eyeing AOL?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the come-here-sweetie-and-give-daddy-a-kiss dept.

meriksen writes "This article on the CNN website suggests that Microsoft is looking to acquire AOL. What are the chances and do /. readers think this will ever happen?" The NY Post story is slightly more informative.

11 of 449 comments (clear)

  1. AOL a Dog? by dolo666 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Microsoft eyeing AOL? Sounds like they would make strange bedpartners for a few reasons I can think of; The Microsoft Butterfly seems to market directly to the AOL mentality, which many of you know to be among those who use "The Internet" to find out things, download music and chat ("The Internet" being the AOL homepage!)...

    While I may think AOL is too big for Microsoft to acquire and manage properly, that's just my opinion and it's likely incorrect, as Bill Gates is an iron leader of a huge corporate empire, with the Midas touch, and elite backing that gives anyone with that much money a guarantee of acquiring even more. What is more interesting than all the market'spaek, is that Time/Warner wants to dump AOL... and for this I am not surprised, while the article is more along the lines of Microsoft wanting to get their greedy hands on AOL, any objective observation would lead one to ponder if AOL is having trouble, or projected trouble? Whenever I have ever sold a car, it wasn't because I wanted some schmo from the public to get my super amazing car and benefit from it; it was because the car was old and I didn't want it anymore. :-)

    1. Re:AOL a Dog? by somethinghollow · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I think the real question is: Why would Microsoft, who has a failing ISP, want to buy AOL, who is a failing ISP? AOL are in competition with Microsoft. It seems like their business strategy could incorporate buying all the competition and dissolving them. While ignorant AOL users don't realize it, Microsoft is offering a better service (e.g. the REAL Internet). In short, I don't think Microsoft can learn anything from AOL.

      Despite the fact that AOL/Netscape has fired most (if not all?) of the Mozilla developers, I'm sure (assuming Netscape was part of the aquisition) Microsoft would jump and the slap-in-the-face it could give the OSS community at large.

      And AOL owns Nullsoft. Assuming that is part of the Aquisition, it would be another interesting sping.

      I'm sure the list could go on if I got bored. But it's all based on assumptions about what Microsoft would get with the purchase.

  2. That.. by LordNor · · Score: 4, Interesting

    could be very very bad... Say goodbye to AIM!

  3. What about Netscape ? by geirt · · Score: 3, Interesting

    America Online acquired Netscape Communications $4.2 billion dollars in 1998 ...

    --

    RFC1925
  4. Certainly could happen by Marxist+Commentary · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Megacorporation TimeWarner (formerly AOL Timewarner) is eager to divest itself of the lagging AOL brand. This megamerger was a disaster for consumers (as all mergers are) as well as the interested parties, e.g., the capitalist shareholders.

    Microsoft would make an equally odius partner to combine with AOL. Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas...

    --

    Stop corporate

  5. Where's the content? by LostCluster · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One of AOL's greatest strengths at the moment is the fact that it has easy access to the TV, movie, music, and magazine content empire that is Time Warner. Microsoft just doesn't have as large of a content machine.

    This is important because AOL's not really just an ISP anymore. Many people who have a fully functional ISP connection are still paying AOL just for it's boatload of exclusive content. AOL without the Time Warner content base would look something like MSN, and just not have as many members as it has now.

    Any MS-AOL would need to license more content than it would have in house. AOL's worth more inside a media company than it is inside Microsoft, I can't see how this deal makes sense.

  6. Re:Those who can, do. Those who can't, buy. by LostCluster · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Besides having to sell over Netscape (I think I have $10 here...) wouldn't there be a problem with Microsoft's existing deals with Comcast?

    What problem would that be? Nothing really prevents Comcast and Time Warner Cable from merging if that's what they wanted to do, since there's no place in which the two cable companies compete with each other.

  7. Talking about it for years... by nyc_paladin · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've done business with AOL for the past few years. Everytime I visit the AOL campus there is always talks of micro$oft buying them out. There were even talking about it when they merged with Time Warner. Stating that TW would spin off AOL for auction. Nothing really has changed much over the past few months to really push this deal through anytime soon.

    --
    All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. --Edmund Burke
  8. Not just AIM... by cbv · · Score: 4, Interesting

    America Online has the right to buy a $22m chunk of Google, according to a filing by parent Time Warner.

  9. MS - AOL - Google( shares ) by shankariyer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Hmm...

    This could be an interesting buy, I guess. See this
    article in C|Net on AOL's rights in buying Google's
    shares...

    http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-5175783.html?tag =n efd_top

    May god help net

  10. Not the corporate version by autopr0n · · Score: 4, Interesting

    But I could see them trying something with the "home" version. MSN is already heavily advertized on a "home" desktop on install. If you don't know any better, you'd probably end up with MSN.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.