this is way off. apple has no interest in these tech companies, and it shouldn't, and there is very little about them that would fit apple.
universal music - have any of your ever spoken to a 'media' person. these guys know nothing about business. apple doesn't need to own the content, it makes more money just pushing it.
adobe - why? every apple already has pdf file creation in its core. they also just developed aperture; adobe is a big company without apple thinking and products that will become ubiquitous very soon. so, why should apple spend money on that?
sun - no synergy at all, and mcnelley would never go for it...that guy still has it out for gates, and i don't think he'd go for it, but also, apple doesn't want to inherit a doward sloping business. they have their server business that is probably more profitable, anyway.
pixar - why? again, apple doesn't want to own content...and why would they? just so they can sell incredibles in itunes...you'll be able to do that shortly, anyway.
novell - it's a has been. there is absolutely no synergy here...
palm - it's as irrelavant as real. why buy an old technology that won't be around in 5 years?
real - no comment...
tivo - another has been. great technology but without any resources. with resources i mean a unique, sustainable product/feature/ability that no one else has or can reproduce in the near term. i love them, and i have had a tivo for a few years, now, but they are dead. there is nothing about this technology that will make is sustainable, and apple could probably develop their own technology in a month to combat it...
so, what do i think they'll do with their $8.25b? they will spend it on advertising apple and the coolness of apple - i think it's still the largest ad budget of all the tech companies. they'll continue make tech products that people can use every day - just look at ilife, and you have an idea of where apple is heading. i think communication is one area where they have not pushed as much as they could have. google talk, skype and ichat all do the same thing, essentially, so look for more in that area. getting web publishing to be easier, as well. i think a spreadsheet program might come our way, too, basically programs that make microsoft office unnecessary - it all started with safari, then keynote, then pages, then aperture...they're carefully picking off their software competitors one by one, but slowly...they're not making any broad moves to anyone's turf very quickly. and at the same time, they're making the apple laptop the glue that holds all these things together.
Who Apple Should Buy With Their $7 Billion