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Microsoft to Buy Stake in AOL
NetDanzr writes "According to various sources (Bloomberg, Reuters, CNet), Microsoft is in talks with Time Warner to buy a stake in AOL. While the size of the stake or its prize has not been disclosed yet, Bloomberg speculates that this deal would profit both companies. Microsoft would profit from merging the AOL portal with MSN, as a strategy to catch up with his rivals in this space Yahoo and Google, while Time Warner would gain some ammunition in its fight with a renegade shareholder, Carl Icahn. According to CNBC, AOL is just about to turn the corner and is currently the most undervalued division of Time Warner."
this marks the end!
What could possibly hurt the security of the American people more than giving our own government the ability to hide its
Why wouldn't a statement come from CNBC declaring this to be a good purchase? It is from such an unbiased source after all.
This is the single most terrifying news I've heard all week. I'd almost... no, I WOULD prefer an asteroid the size of Texas hurdling at the Earth.
Just when you thought the world was safe, evil and evil unite. Been nice knowing you guys. I'm off to read "revelations" to see what's about to go down.
Does this mark the end of netscape???
MSN is not used by more than a handful of people as Google and Yahoo have been doing it better and cover both the cluttered and non-cluttered interfaces (whichever you prefer).
And AOL has been steadily losing members.
Sounds like a match made in heaven.
I thought the curse of the zombies was bad enough - now they'll be able to take over the world. Was the internet not bad enough already?
I wonder if this deal has been in the making for a while - it would explain why AOL decided not to use Gecko.
The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.
--Aristotle
Two great things that... uhh... nevermind.
More probably, buying into AOL is a good way for Microsoft to ensure that AOL never abandons IE for Mozilla...
Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
Given AOL/Netscape's prime role in Mozilla development, I'd suggest this might be a nice plan to slow down the opposition, too. Yes, the Moz Foundation is independent, but the last time I checked, many of the dedicated coders are still AOL employees.
Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
I don't use AOL, I don't use MSN ... I hardly even use instant messaging ... I just browse with Firefox and use email.
I hear about how AOL is a major corporation and I wonder ... how? why? I hear that MSN and AOL are apparently merging, and I wonder ... how does that affect me? Why do people care?
Really ... just ... don't ... get it. What am I missing?
Sam
Sperry Univac merged with Burroughs at the end of the mainframe era and how that merger turned the mainframe business around ???
It's like all of the stupidity and evil on the web is forming together like some sort of monopolistic Voltron.
Does this mean Google is going to build a giant robot to compete?
Seriously, I haven't had enough coffee yet for this news, and it's before noon, so I can't hit the booze just yet.
~EEE~
Is this an example of two wrongs not making a right?
are you guys going to make some jokes about this?
this is no joke.
hotmail was good, and it was popular.
MS took it over and turned it into the most worst email (the low storage, the spam, the restrictions, etc) service ever. nevertheless, people keep using it because it's what they always used or what their friends use.
now take AOL, something already crappy. i can't possibly imagine what microsoft can do it. maybe this time around people will actually shy away to something else.
Marge, get me your address book, 4 beers, and my conversation hat.
Sure, now we're going to be innundated with Windows CD's offering 1000 hours of Windows free with your credit card.
Finally putting the two largest scum of the earth together!!
SCO's involved in this?
I do not see how MS buying AOL stock is going to change ANYTHING at all in the Mozilla Foundation.
They are self-sufficient, independent and have been since at least the start of FireFox.
I think there are more programmers working in google then in AOL.
Indeed! Microsoft is putting a stake through AOL!
Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
Disclaimer: English is not my 1st language!
The moment the new combined AOL/MSN portal goes online, it will generate a vortex of suck large enough to consume the entire solar system, leaving nothing behind but a cloud of waveforms and probabilities.
Technoli
Dude...you just said most worst...incredible...
So when will Gates announce that AOL is "part of the operating system"?
[Insert pithy quote here]
...but MSN is used by more than a handful of people.
Oracle buys Siebel.
eBay buys Skype.
Ballmer: (to Bill via bad cell phone connection) Billy-boy, what are we going to do? They're getting more press than us this week.
Gates: Eh? Oh hell! ( as he spills his coffee on his lap and hangs up)
Ballmer: Well, ok if you say so.
> Does this mean that AOL will never complete its > planned switch from IE to the browser it owns > (Netscape)?
Don't know where you get your information, but there was never any public discussion of a planned switch. The Compuserve and Mac clients use Gecko, and while it was tested in the WIndows client, an official plan to switch has never been publicly acknowledged. I can assure you AOL will be using IE as the core browser for many years to come (and that was true even prior to the MSN deal talks).
I think AOL is more of a Tar Baby than a Death Star style weapon of ultimate power.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Microsoft sees its future in the media distribution/licencing business - hence so much R&D of their proprietary secured codecs for audio and video.
AOL is presently owned by Time Warner
I have been a user for about 10 years. This ends Feb 2014. The site's been ruined. I'm off. Dice, FU
This could be viewed as Microsoft making a bid to buy Netscape. Remember that AOL owns what is left of Netscape. This of course, includes the FireFox browser as well.
So beyond the anti-trust issues surrounding a joined MSN-AOL portal / service, is the issue of Microsoft potentially owning at least a stake in the major browser that competes against Internet Explorer. Also, it is important to note that partial buy-outs are often precursors to complete buyouts.
AOL's lousy service plus M$'s lousy software, all forced upon corporations = $$$ for the consultants who will have the misfortune of making it (at least attempting to)work.
+1 Question
How does this simple question get marked so insightful. Anytime someone mentions anything about any browser people pop-up the question that includes "end of netscape?"
I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
How about A/S/L, MON?
The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.
--Aristotle
Just be thankful that the Mozilla Foundation is independent of AOL.
boakes.org
Microsoft isn't satisfied with the worst portal in the world. Now they want to buy the 2nd worst to guarantee their position.
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
Sorry ... I meant most worsest .
Hey he was describing hotmail...
;-)
Ok, so he should have used absolute worstest!!
Oh great! If this happens we may see the popup window ravage the desktop at all times. When you first sign in to Windows you may now get to see multiple credit card offers and all sorts of popup ads. Not to mention when you log off windows wouldn't let you shut down until the AOL portion of software imbedded has received all of it's needed updates!
Damn the Machine!
Generation Trance: What generation are you?
Yeah, all 27 variations of them!
Vista Porn Edition with AOL Popup Blocker!
Although, that could make a great new slogan.
"Welcome! You've got porn!"
"If all the world's a stage, I want to operate the trap door." - Paul Beatty
Probably a nice investment for MS if they can combine their msn messenger users with AOL's instant messenger users. Would be quite dominant, and who knows the services they will think of to generate money from that. I have read countless articles about younger people not using emails these days, and using just instant messaging, noticed this specifically when I travelled to Korea this summer.
Caller: Hi. I have MSN and my AOL account doesn't work. In fact nothing works.
Banglaore Tech: And sir did you turn the computer on sir?
Caller: Oh. right.
Bangalore Tech: Very good sir. Now kindly go fuck yourself sir. Thank you for calling MSN/AOL tech support, you knuckle dragging imperialist asswipe sir.
RS
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
Not that this would be why MS is purchasing them, but if there are still Mozilla developers working for AOL, my guess is that they'll be out of a job, soon.
Also, the next edition of Netscape will be based solely upon IE, and won't be released for anything but Windows.
Either way, though, its a nice way to see all the 'Evil' group up. Fine by me, and I'm sure Mozilla will find another home (Novell, possibly? Or IBM? Who knows, maybe Sun, or even a coalition)
WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
Sure, now we're going to be innundated with Windows CD's offering 1000 hours of Windows free with your credit card.
This sounds like something that could be used as a deterent to crime.
Judge: "You are hereby sentanced 1000 hours of Windows"
Defendent: "Nooooooooooooooo!"
Probably wouldn't work though. We have restrictions on cruel and unusual punishment. Windows isn't unusual, but it certainly is cruel.
Avoid Missing Ball for High Score
Dude...you just said most worst...incredible...
sorry, proper english can't describe what MS did.
Marge, get me your address book, 4 beers, and my conversation hat.
Currently no value is placed on the most valuable asset AOL continues to have -- its 17 million or so subscribers (paid). Certainly there is no way TimeWarner can leverage this asset (and the market valuation reflects that). Any of the other portal/subscriber players (Yahoo, MSN, and even Google) would love to add 17million to their base and perhaps even someone like Ebay (better than the skype hordes imho) could/should be interested. Comapred to the few million each with SBC, Comcast, Earthlink, and Bellsouth, the 17million number is by far the most interesting.
So here's the anagrams for AOL and MSN...
MAL ONS - MAL SON - LAM ONS
LAM SON - SALMON - ALMS NO
ALMS ON - SLAM NO - SLAM ON
MA SOLN - AM SOLN - MAN LOS
MAN SOL - MANS LO
"Salmon" has more logo possibilities;
"Slam On!" will appeal to the x-treme and H4x0r crowd,
but "Man, S.O.L.!" is probably closer to what most people think of this development.
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
I think Microsoft has been wanting to buy AOL for a long time but couldn't get around anti-trust regulations. Now that they are only buying part, and since there is competition in this aspect of the market, it will be easier for them to do. But I agree, AOL sucks bad enough already I don't think Microsoft could crappify it much more.
Can you imagine bootinh windows into the dulcet tones of the AOL Bot saying, "You got Mail?"
Or AOL with the new and improved advanced Clippy the speaking paperclip help technology?
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
This is possibly a most evil move. MS buys into AOL and has control (of some sort) of the browser market (IE, Netscape, Mozilla funding) but even more evil is that MS buys into several other categories:
Digital content distribution (Time-Warner)
VoIP (Time-Warner networks)
Combined IM markets (AIM/MSN)
DRM on all that content
I hope that those anti-trust government types see this as evil the way that I do. I can't remember what cable companies are tied up in this mess, should it happen, but this is a move by MS to take over communications, digital and voice, as well as a large share of content and content distribution. EVIL EVIL EVIL... that's all I can see in it.
I'm betting that the government will not be able to see the all digital, all-IP future that the FCC and others are trying to create being brought to a corporate congolmeration through moves like this one... Science fiction horror stories happening in real life.
The jokes about MSN and AOL securing MS position with worst portal and search abound, but it proves that most computer users don't care or are clueless. That means that if MS manages this, the world of digital content and communications may become a very bad thing... imagine using an MS phone service? or MSN cable? You'll soon be able to get a BSOD on all your entertainment and communication devices!
EVIL EVIL EVIL!
Support NYCountryLawyer RIAA vs People
But they aren't buying stakes in Time Warner, they're buying stakes in AOL's time warner division.
Of course, this still brings up an interesting thought. This means that if/once this all goes through, America will have basically three noteworthy television news sources; CNN, which has business entanglements with Microsoft; MSNBC, which has business entanglements with Microsoft; and Fox News, which is frequently brushing against antitrust law and, hm, how shall I put this, some people feel tends to give special deference to Republican ideology.
The reason I bring this up is this. Eventually, Microsoft is going to get into another antitrust lawsuit. Given the above, how do you think TV news is going to portray this...?
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
Hey, I'm glad to hear about this. Kudos to Microsoft for helping unify disparate litigious and malefactious corporate bodies into a single, easier to target entity. Up next: Microsoft to merge with SCO, Haliburton, Monsanto, and the Carlyle Group; to relocate headquarters to the vibrant financial district of Dis.
You look beautiful! Incidentally, my favorite artist is Picasso.
Its fitting to see that Time Warner is planning on ditching its stake in AOL (just as its turning around) to a *former competitor* in order to boost share price and fend off a corporate raider like Carl Icahn today. 21 odd years ago, Warner Communications, facing a declining stock price and facing a corporate raider named Rupert Murdoch, sold off a 75% stake in Atari Inc. (the home computer/videogame division - later to be known as Atari Corp.) to *former competitor* Jack Tramiel (founder of Commodore) for $350 million in promissory notes in order to take off immediate pressure on Warner's stock. Murdoch eventually bought a controlling stake in 20th Century Fox instead since one of its big time shareholders fled the country on tax evasion. And it was evident even then that Atari was ready for a turnaround with the Atari 7800 ready for the market, hot 8 bit computers in heavy demand (the 1400XL and the 1450XLD) nearing release, a locked agreement to market the Amiga computer, and an almost completed agreement for non-Japanese worldwide rights to the Nintendo Famicom (which became the NES).
Great track record, Time Warner! That's twice in a generation that you've botched the "synergy" payoff from having control of premiere tech companies with mass market appeal. First Atari, and then AOL.
And let's recap the failures of Time Warner with AOL. Time Warner corporate failed to get Time Warner Cable to carry AOL as its premiere ISP, which was the #1 reason why AOL pursued the merger in the first place. Time Warner corporate failed to take any initiative to getting Time Warner Cable to make a deal with TiVo for set-top DVRs even though through AOL, Time Warner held a large stake in TiVo. Time Warner failed to leverage AOL's WinAmp property combined with the Warner Music Group interests...not to mention failing to envision an actual online music store like iTunes and instead relied upon nobody's favorite company Real to make MusicNet a success that it never became. I could list much more, but I'll end it with settling with Microsoft for less than $1 billion the antitrust case that AOL easily would've won the $10 billion they were demanding (and had that figure trebbled) had they committed to fight for the eventual ruling and a good 5 years of appeals.
At this point, I'm all for Time Warner splitting up. Steve Ross must be spinning in his grave and it'll probably take Ted Turner to his well ahead of schedule.
"Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*
If you can't kill them with quality, you can kill them with quantity. MSN Dialup is not enough, now if they own a part in AOL they can ask them to redirect all google.com requests to search.msn.com. Or, even worse, break Google's pages randomly and then claim that "MSN is better than Google". They are already saying it, now they'll have proof. Remember how they broke MSN's homepage if the browser reported it was Opera? This is just the case.
So, all n00bs who use AOL will think that Google has become crap and Ballmer will have his dream fulfilled. Additionally, Microsoft will save money on broken chairs.
wow, one big all-encompassing trailer park.
far out
Indeed, the headline contains a typo. It should read:
Microsoft to Bury Stake in AOL
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
You mean like they originally did with MS-DOS? I recall they turned that into Windows.
Why, oh why, didn't I take the Blue Pill?
By the way, anybody ever done the math on those Free Hours CDs? They always have the limitation that you use them within a month. There's only 744 hours in a 31-day month.