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Capt Shane · Jan 2, 2002, 08:48 PM

found here at zdnn http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stor...835377,00.html

"APPLE IS IN especially good shape, now that Steve Jobs has announced--well, merger isn't the word--the deal linking Apple and Sony, essentially at the hip. The companies remain separate, but are cross-licensing all "relevant" technology--whatever that means--and sharing the spoils. It's interesting to see the most interesting companies in consumer electronics working together.

It's time to start getting ready for CES 2003, which has taken center stage now that Comdex has been a ghost town for two consecutive years. The first disaster they could blame on 9/11, but what about the non-attendance at the 2002 show?

The digital camera boom seems to have subsided a bit, but now that wireless networks are more XP-capable, it's nice to see more and more homes going unwired for networking."

can we say big shit here???

BRussell · Jan 2, 2002, 08:56 PM

You forgot to mention that this was a speculation piece.

seanyepez · Jan 2, 2002, 08:59 PM

It would be interesting. Sony has some interesting technologies and philosophies on design that Apple products could benefit from.

However, Apple designs very "simple" enclosures for their machines. They don't have ports all over the machine like VAIO's do. That's the thing I like about Apple design. Sony's use of metals and curves in its notebook merged with Apple's "simple" designs could make an interesting notebook.

OldManMac · Jan 2, 2002, 09:31 PM

Originally posted by seanyepez:
It would be interesting. Sony has some interesting technologies and philosophies on design that Apple products could benefit from.

However, Apple designs very "simple" enclosures for their machines. They don't have ports all over the machine like VAIO's do. That's the thing I like about Apple design. Sony's use of metals and curves in its notebook merged with Apple's "simple" designs could make an interesting notebook.

It would be interesting, but I don't see it happening. Jobs' ego is too big to allow it, and, to Sony, Apple is just a little speck of dust. Sony probably spends near as much on R&D as Apple takes in on revenue. Sony also markets its own machines as multimedia machines, and has done so since they introduced them almost five years ago.

Sony does license FireWire from Apple, but I think that Sony wouldn't be interested in a deal like this.

Capt Shane · Jan 2, 2002, 09:42 PM

Originally posted by BRussell:
You forgot to mention that this was a speculation piece.

of course it is speculation... why else would i want to post it...

Apple Pro Underwear · Jan 2, 2002, 09:50 PM

show me how Sony makes money and i'll believe it.

Sony has positioned itself to be one of the best and most respected computer manufacturers in todays market.

i think they are alike Apple in that they make a superior designed computer compared to dell and gatway and like... e-machines. That's not saying much, but their pcs look good.

Is Sony supposed to sell machines that operate on a Mac Os now? I don't think so, because they do pretty good on Wintel systems. I'm being vague but explain to me how they could benefit in this and i'll change my position.So well in fact that Clie PDAs don't support Macs.

No offense to Sony but how is Apple supposed to benefit from a association with Sony?

I think that the only thing that could happen is Mac retail stores carrying Sony products w/ Sony making their products with a Mac compatible.

Dogma · Jan 2, 2002, 09:59 PM

I actually think Sony have got a better understanding of Computer Users' minds. I saw how they customised WIndows for the Vaios and replaced the standard error messages with little Haikus (as in the BeOS's web browser).

That kinda thing makes me think that they've at least still got a sense of humour and want to make a bit fun to get on with.

When was the last time you found an Easter Egg in the Mac OS?

They've even taken off that big grey credits screen (alt-command-shift) that was in Mac OS 9 when it came out. I'm glad they put breakout into the iPod, cos that the kinda thing that needs to have an Easter Egg. I'm still looking for a change in the startup chime that's remianed virtully unchanged for about 6 years now.

(on a side - did you know that the iMac chimes an entire semitone lower than a PowerMac ? If you boot up both at the same time it sounds absolutely horrible!)

MikeM32 · Jan 2, 2002, 10:07 PM

How exactly is he talking about 2002 in the past tense? It's just started.

Mike

MacGorilla · Jan 2, 2002, 10:15 PM

The two working together would be cool; Sony makes great stuff but this article is a bit out there...nice to dream, tho

Patrick · Jan 2, 2002, 10:21 PM

Originally posted by MikeM32:
How exactly is he talking about 2002 in the past tense? It's just started.

Mike

Like the others said, it's a speculation piece. But from an interesting angle - a sort of retrospective from the future, I guess.

But Nokia acquiring Motorola? It's speculation, not comedy, right?

MacGorilla · Jan 2, 2002, 10:51 PM

Maybe Apple will buy Motorolla..then again, who wants those problems??

Cipher13 · Jan 3, 2002, 11:20 AM

Jobs won't allow it. He will not yield *any* respect for anothers idea; if he didn't think of it, then it isn't any good. Nor can anybody improve on his designs.

Raman · Jan 4, 2002, 11:36 PM

Originally posted by Cipher13:
Jobs won't allow it. He will not yield *any* respect for anothers idea; if he didn't think of it, then it isn't any good. Nor can anybody improve on his designs.

Steve Jobs has said the name "Sony" and how "Apple" likes Sony's designs on more than 1 occasion.

Sony and Apple made IEEE1394 - it wasn't just Appl. Apple calls it FireWire. Sony calls it iLink. Funny thing is that Sony states that all iLink devices can't necess. talk to the host computer.

OldManMac · Jan 5, 2002, 12:14 AM

Originally posted by Raman:


Steve Jobs has said the name "Sony" and how "Apple" likes Sony's designs on more than 1 occasion.

Sony and Apple made IEEE1394 - it wasn't just Appl. Apple calls it FireWire. Sony calls it iLink. Funny thing is that Sony states that all iLink devices can't necess. talk to the host computer.

Sony had nothing to do with the invention of FireWire, they license it from Apple, as do Compaq and any manufacturer that uses it. Sony happens to call it iLink, but it is in fact an Apple invention.

macusrX · Jan 5, 2002, 01:38 AM

while it seems like an interresting rumor/idea... i htink i will add it to the others i have read today:

Apple and Sony share relevant tech (ZDnet)

Apple and Avid for wireless video tech (MOSR)

Apple and Palm-Be for handhelds (SF chronicle via Go2Mac)

Adam Silver · Jan 5, 2002, 02:22 AM

Originally posted by Cipher13:
Jobs won't allow it. He will not yield *any* respect for anothers idea; if he didn't think of it, then it isn't any good. Nor can anybody improve on his designs.

The Japanese government would never allow allow it. Apple and Sony are #1 and #2 in Japanese computer sales. Putting the two together would create antitrust concerns there.

And Steve does respect Sony. The PowerBook G4 is clearly inspired by Sony's VAIO line of notebooks. Steve compared it to Sony's notebooks when introducing it to the world.

As for computer designs, Sony rivals Apple. In fact, I'd say that Sony's desktops are superior to Apple's now. The Power Mac G4 and iMac are looking dated. (I hope Apple has new case designs for both of them at Macworld.)