If Microsoft is serious about the "devices and services" company shift that Ballmer has been touting (and it would seem so by this Nokia acquisition) then I believe the next move will be to acquire a PC business. And Dell is the perfect candidate. Their growth and all of their profits come from their services business, their PC and laptop business loses money, and they are about to be saddled with a lot of debt from their management buyout by Michael Dell and friends. This would give Microsoft the final piece of the puzzle to be in every business Apple and Google are in.
Slashdot Mirror
If Microsoft is serious about the "devices and services" company shift that Ballmer has been touting (and it would seem so by this Nokia acquisition) then I believe the next move will be to acquire a PC business. And Dell is the perfect candidate. Their growth and all of their profits come from their services business, their PC and laptop business loses money, and they are about to be saddled with a lot of debt from their management buyout by Michael Dell and friends. This would give Microsoft the final piece of the puzzle to be in every business Apple and Google are in.