3 ms·

Wouldn't you say they're looking for their "next business"? Why not robots? Higher barrier to entry, untapped market. It is a place where a ton of capital ca

• olefoo 13y ago
  So why wasn't Apple in there bidding against them? I could actually see Apple doing a rather good job with robots. Making sleek, stylish efficient (servant|killing) machines... On a more sober note. I see Apple as being likely to go after the home automation market. In fact I wouldn't be too surprised if they partnered up with an RV manufacturer to try out technology for the "iHome".
  • Qworg 13y ago
    In truth, I don't know why no one else is bidding in. Perhaps it seems too risky or too outside the core business. As for home automation, sure. I cannot see why these companies aren't trying to stake out the Internet of Things in the home more.
• ChuckMcM 13y ago
  Well to some extent they are always looking for the next business. And discarding as 'useless' $100M/yr businesses because they didn't show up in the numbers when your annual revenue is $60+B a year. Robotics isn't a 'smart gap' market (where if only smart people would focus on it they could dominate it) there are lots of brilliant people already toiling away there. It isn't an advertising market. In Asimov's vision of the future the robotics company that developed the positronic brain is the dominant corporation in the galaxy, and perhaps Larry is working on a positronic brain equivalent. But who knows. Maybe they are afraid of Bezo's drone army, or Musk's rockets. But why Boston Dynamics and not iRobot? Why a fragment of Willow Garage and not Neato? Why a self driving car but not Tesla? Lots of questions. Its a fun puzzle to try to solve.