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I don't personally understand some of these tech companies with such enormous hoards of cash. Apple could go on a massive acquisition spree in the space and buy

by api 2y ago

I don't personally understand some of these tech companies with such enormous hoards of cash. Apple could go on a massive acquisition spree in the space and buy Boston Dynamics, iRobot, all kinds of stuff and become a gigantic brand in home robotic automation with their well-functioning interoperable ecosystem. Are they afraid of antitrust?

ec109685 2y ago
These companies lose money, so it would hurt their ongoing margins.
ghaff 2y ago
None of that stuff seems useful to me in anything like its current form and I'm sort of an early adopter of a lot of things. My brother has a (newly built) house that's more or less optimal for a Roomba-type thing. It's very single level. They also have dogs. I looked at and a much better solution was a Dyson stick vac I could spend a few minutes running now and then. I'm just not sure where the big home automation wins are. Not sure the last time I've even heard Nest thermostats mentioned in print.
deleted 2y ago
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hollerith 2y ago
Grandparent said, "BD in 2020 was acquired by Hyundai for $1.1B." Well, there is your answer: BD's market prospects are too meager for it to be worth Apple's management team's ongoing attention. (Apple's current market prospects are valuable enough that Apple has a current market cap of $3.45 trillion.) (Also, Hyundai might not want to sell it.)
tpmoney 2y ago
I imagine at least some part of it is that acquisitions are difficult, time consuming and rarely work 100%. There are almost always seams after the fact and problems with culture integration. Cash on hand also gives you the option to respond to market swings and changes. It allows you to invest in new opportunities, and to build a space organically from your own internal visions. Would the iPhone been what it was if Apple had just bought Nokia, or Ericson or any other phone vendor at the time? Maybe, but I strongly suspect not. And at least for Apple especially, the point isn't just to have the product, it's to have a well and tightly integrated product, and existing product lines might need to be so heavily re-worked any value in buying it as is would be lost in having to scrap so much of what's where.

by api 2y ago

ec109685 2y ago

These companies lose money, so it would hurt their ongoing margins.

ghaff 2y ago

None of that stuff seems useful to me in anything like its current form and I'm sort of an early adopter of a lot of things. My brother has a (newly built) house that's more or less optimal for a Roomba-type thing. It's very single level. They also have dogs. I looked at and a much better solution was a Dyson stick vac I could spend a few minutes running now and then. I'm just not sure where the big home automation wins are. Not sure the last time I've even heard Nest thermostats mentioned in print.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

hollerith 2y ago

Grandparent said, "BD in 2020 was acquired by Hyundai for $1.1B." Well, there is your answer: BD's market prospects are too meager for it to be worth Apple's management team's ongoing attention. (Apple's current market prospects are valuable enough that Apple has a current market cap of $3.45 trillion.) (Also, Hyundai might not want to sell it.)

tpmoney 2y ago

I imagine at least some part of it is that acquisitions are difficult, time consuming and rarely work 100%. There are almost always seams after the fact and problems with culture integration. Cash on hand also gives you the option to respond to market swings and changes. It allows you to invest in new opportunities, and to build a space organically from your own internal visions. Would the iPhone been what it was if Apple had just bought Nokia, or Ericson or any other phone vendor at the time? Maybe, but I strongly suspect not. And at least for Apple especially, the point isn't just to have the product, it's to have a well and tightly integrated product, and existing product lines might need to be so heavily re-worked any value in buying it as is would be lost in having to scrap so much of what's where.