Apple to Buy Roxio? Implications?
According to Looprumors
" Reliable sources have informed us that Apple Computer (NasdaqNM: AAPL - News) is negotiating to buy Roxio (Nasdaq: ROXI - News). Recent erratic stock activity confirms this information with very high volume trading over the last few weeks. It?s no secret that Apple is trying to make inroads to the PC market, and buying Roxio, a company that caters predominantly to PCs will help them do just that. Roxio, Inc. provides the best selling digital media software for Windows in the world. While they only make Toast Titanium CD burning software for Mac, they make award-winning software products for CD/DVD burning, photo editing and video editing for Windows. Apple sells Roxio?s Toast 5 Titanium software at its store. Also, Apple has been promoting Roxio?s Easy CD Creator 5 software on its website since it began the Switch campaign.
Apple's recent introduction of iTunes Music Service coincides with this buyout since Roxio bought the rights to Napster's name and technology at a bankruptcy auction last year for just over $5 million. The CD-burning software maker has since bought Pressplay, a struggling online music service launched by (ring a bell?) Vivendi Universal (NYSE: V - News) and Sony Corp. (Tokyo:6758. T ? News) for about $39.5 million in cash and stock."
Sounds like they're trying to kill Pressplay and Napster before they can challenge the iTMS.
Mods - Didn't want to post in GD, as this buyout would have far ranging effects on Apple's strategy including hardware.
" Reliable sources have informed us that Apple Computer (NasdaqNM: AAPL - News) is negotiating to buy Roxio (Nasdaq: ROXI - News). Recent erratic stock activity confirms this information with very high volume trading over the last few weeks. It?s no secret that Apple is trying to make inroads to the PC market, and buying Roxio, a company that caters predominantly to PCs will help them do just that. Roxio, Inc. provides the best selling digital media software for Windows in the world. While they only make Toast Titanium CD burning software for Mac, they make award-winning software products for CD/DVD burning, photo editing and video editing for Windows. Apple sells Roxio?s Toast 5 Titanium software at its store. Also, Apple has been promoting Roxio?s Easy CD Creator 5 software on its website since it began the Switch campaign.
Apple's recent introduction of iTunes Music Service coincides with this buyout since Roxio bought the rights to Napster's name and technology at a bankruptcy auction last year for just over $5 million. The CD-burning software maker has since bought Pressplay, a struggling online music service launched by (ring a bell?) Vivendi Universal (NYSE: V - News) and Sony Corp. (Tokyo:6758. T ? News) for about $39.5 million in cash and stock."
Sounds like they're trying to kill Pressplay and Napster before they can challenge the iTMS.
Mods - Didn't want to post in GD, as this buyout would have far ranging effects on Apple's strategy including hardware.
Comments
Originally posted by DHagan4755
I already posted this in the software forum. I can't see what implications this has on hardware. Personally, I feel this may have something to do with Apple's iTunes for Windows strategy.
Sorry, I looked in Software and found nothing, We must have been posting at the same time.
This will affect iPod strategy if nothing else. Other implications? Anyone?
Nothing.
Well, it would eliminate any competition from the soon-to-be-reborn Napster. I'm not sure how much it would cost to get Roxio. It'd be great if they redesigned Toast, and put it on every machine free.
Originally posted by BuonRotto
It would mean that a lot of PC users would be in a world of (temporary) hurt if they stopped developing Easy CD Creator.
Not really ... they'd just use the infintely better Nero Burning Rom.
Although hardware may be affected by proxy this is Software or GD. I do agree with you this sounds like Apple taking out Napster before it can gain hold. Sounds good to me
Originally posted by hmurchison
Ensign,
Although hardware may be affected by proxy this is Software or GD. I do agree with you this sounds like Apple taking out Napster before it can gain hold. Sounds good to me
You guys are too picky about where things are posted. He just thought it had to do with hardware more than software. And maybe it does... It's a rumor... we don't know what the implications are.
Originally posted by audiopollution
Not really ... they'd just use the infintely better Nero Burning Rom.
Is Nero really all that great...I don't use it because I have TOAST? I've heard NERO is not "easy" to use, not very intuitive, although for some reason it is better.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ROXI&d=...y&l=on&z=m&q=l
market cap. of $124 million.. It would cost Apple a lot of money buying that company. Just to compare.. Sgi got a market cap. of $277.9M.
Originally posted by audiopollution
.. what exactly does mean to hardware?
Nothing.
Nothing? Really? What about this nifty product?
http://www.roxio.com/en/products/prismiq/index.jhtml
The PRISMIQ MediaPlayer
Watch PC-based movies, listen to MP3's or Internet radio, view digital photos, chat with friends, browse the Web - all on your TV & stereo. We bring the networked entertainment home of tomorrow to you today.
Using your Internet-connected home computer, the PRISMIQ system can:
Play DVD-quality (MPEG and DivX) video
Stream your library of MP3 files
Listen to Internet radio stations
View Digital Photos
Browse the web
Connect over the Internet to chat with friends and family
Get live, personalized news, weather and stock info on your TV
All this for a fraction of the cost of competing music or photo only systems.
Apple buys Roxio. PRISMIQ gets Applefied. Enter: iServe.
Originally posted by blabla
uhm.. lets get a bit realistic here.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ROXI&d=...y&l=on&z=m&q=l
market cap. of $124 million.. It would cost Apple a lot of money buying that company. Just to compare.. Sgi got a market cap. of $277.9M.
And Apple has 4.5 billion in cash and cash equivalents. They have a positive cash flow. What's your point? They could purchase both without batting an eye. Keyword: could.
I've often wondered why Roxio didn't just port Toast (or the Toast interface) to Windows...Easy CD Creator has some very obnoxious problems. If Apple did buy Roxio, and they decided to port Toast to Windows, I think people would be very interested.
Nero is a solid program, but its interface is horrendous. Try finding the "Burn CD" button without checking the help...it's a puzzle.
Toast on Windows would be an optimal choice for integration with the music store...
Originally posted by BR
And Apple has 4.5 billion in cash and cash equivalents. They have a positive cash flow. What's your point? They could purchase both without batting an eye. Keyword: could.
As long as operational income is negative, I doubt Apple will toss the money away on more or less random (and expensive) buyouts. The only big buyout Apple has ever made is Next.
IF Apple bought Roxio, it would be a panic buyout, in response to the growing threat from Microsoft/AOL/Real.
Originally posted by blabla
As long as operational income is negative, I doubt Apple will toss the money away on more or less random (and expensive) buyouts. The only big buyout Apple has ever made is Next.
When said operational income is accounted for by economic downturn and lagging processor speeds (soon to be remedied), your doubts are completley unwarranted. More or less random? Have you read the thread at all? Squashing Pressplay and cutting off the new Napster at the pass is a HUGE reason to purchase Roxio.
Quote:
IF Apple bought Roxio, it would be a panic buyout, in response to the growing threat from Microsoft/AOL/Real.
Read, Comprehend, Post. Try that sometime.
Originally posted by Gizzmonic
Nero is a solid program, but its interface is horrendous. Try finding the "Burn CD" button without checking the help...it's a puzzle.
Toast on Windows would be an optimal choice for integration with the music store...
Yes, you're right, Nero should assume that most of its users are idiots. There is a reason they include manuals when you purchase software, however. I prefer function over form, but that's a personal bias.
It may have a confusing interface. but, in my years of using various burning software on a PC, I haven't found any other software that matches the features and stability of Nero.
Granted, I haven't tried Easy CD Creator 6, but after the debacle that was version 5, I have no desire to hose my machine. I'll leave the beta-testing to the rest of the people who've bought it.
Originally posted by Algol
You guys are too picky about where things are posted. He just thought it had to do with hardware more than software. And maybe it does... It's a rumor... we don't know what the implications are.
Trying to keep track of threads can be difficult at times when there are too many similiar or misplaced threads. You don't walk into a library and expect books to be disorganized do you? Same thing applies here.
Nothing? Really? What about this nifty product?
Congrats you've just found some Current Hardware
Roxio will be a decent purchase. Apple gets the tools needed to develop a cohesive Media Strategy on Wintel and owns Napster. A Win/Win.
Originally posted by hmurchison
[B]Congrats you've just found some Current Hardware
If it is Applefied (shiny new case, airport, rendezvous, <insert other buzzword like gigawire here>) and renamed iServe, that would make it FUTURE HARDWARE.
Ding ding ding I get a cookie.