Microsoft In Talks To Purchase AOL


Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 21

Thread: Microsoft In Talks To Purchase AOL

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    People's Republic of North America (Former United States)
    Posts
    849

    Microsoft In Talks To Purchase AOL

    This is a real story, I found today from my Yahoo! personal page. If this happens, it could spell the death of the Mozilla project:

    Reuters
    Time Warner, Microsoft have held AOL talks-report
    Friday March 19, 9:38 am ET


    NEW YORK, March 19 (Reuters) - Media conglomerate Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX - News) has held talks in recent months with software maker Microsoft Corp. (NasdaqNM:MSFT - News), about selling its America Online unit, the New York Post reported on Friday.
    Time Warner lawyers have begun studying potential antitrust issues stemming from a possible Microsoft acquisition of AOL, and so far they have found few roadblocks to a deal, the newspaper said, citing unidentified sources familiar with the matter.

    Time Warner spokesman Ed Adler was not immediately available for comment on Friday. He was quoted by the newspaper as saying "such speculation is silly and pointless."

    Microsoft also was not immediately available for comment.
    I equivocate, therefore I might be.

    My Linux/Unix Boxes:
    Home: Slackware 10, CentOS 5.3, RHEL 5, Ubuntu Workstation 9.10, Work: RHEL 5, CentOS 5

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    People's Republic of North America (Former United States)
    Posts
    849
    Sorry you feel that way and I don't like it either but I DID NOT make this up. It is a valid story. Keep in mind, all parties denied it. Please see the link below:

    Story
    Last edited by klackenfus; 03-19-2004 at 12:12 PM.
    I equivocate, therefore I might be.

    My Linux/Unix Boxes:
    Home: Slackware 10, CentOS 5.3, RHEL 5, Ubuntu Workstation 9.10, Work: RHEL 5, CentOS 5

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    People's Republic of North America (Former United States)
    Posts
    849
    Oh wait...you were being sarcastic.
    I equivocate, therefore I might be.

    My Linux/Unix Boxes:
    Home: Slackware 10, CentOS 5.3, RHEL 5, Ubuntu Workstation 9.10, Work: RHEL 5, CentOS 5

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Just North of Nowhere
    Posts
    118
    Why would this be then end of Mozilla?

    It's not affiliated with AOL anymore since they dropped NS and adopted IE as their browser no?

    http://www.mozilla.org/foundation/
    sparky

    Dell Inspiron 2600
    Slack Current

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 1999
    Location
    Toronto
    Posts
    39,307

    Re: Microsoft In Talks To Purchase AOL

    Originally posted by klackenfus

    Microsoft also was not immediately available for comment.
    Must be all in court on other legal matters.
    SEARCH FIRST... ASK SECOND Read the JL 'Community Help Posting Guidelines' before posting in the forums.

    Precompiled Redhat NTFS Modules

    Linuxplanet Tutorials

    If Linux doesn't have the solution, you have the wrong problem. ... Please do not send me a PM asking for help...

    Please read the search suggestion thread in JL Ideas

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    People's Republic of North America (Former United States)
    Posts
    849
    Why would this be then end of Mozilla?
    The Mozilla group is still on the payroll of AOL. It would surely be the end of the Netscape browser and that is a good portion of why Mozilla exist.
    I equivocate, therefore I might be.

    My Linux/Unix Boxes:
    Home: Slackware 10, CentOS 5.3, RHEL 5, Ubuntu Workstation 9.10, Work: RHEL 5, CentOS 5

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Nashville, TN
    Posts
    487
    Originally posted by Homer119
    wow thats not true...did you type that up yourself?? there is no way microsoft will EVER EVER own AOL, they have MSN, and by buying aol would be removing the compotition and forming an issue. Plus it would mean that AOL is better then MSN becuase they bought it. Crock of [Moderator's Edit: Keep it clean please, Homer- we don't do profanity here.] dont come round these parts punk.
    I hope you're being sarcastic. If not, you could've looked around to see that this is true.

    I wish it would happen though....one step closer to Microsoft getting into HUGE trouble for monopolistic behavior. Europe is already coming down pretty hard on them if I'm not mistaken.
    My Weblog

    ASUS A7N8X
    Athlon XP 2500+
    GeForce FX 5200 128Mb
    1Gb PC2700
    120Gb & 40 Gb HD
    Gentoo & Flux

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Cayman Islands
    Posts
    681
    Another report: http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115287,00.asp

    The "anonymous sources" part sounds a little fishy to me.
    Scotty: Captain, we din' can reference it!
    Kirk: Analysis, Mr. Spock?
    Spock: Captain, it doesn't appear in the symbol table.
    Kirk: Then it's of external origin?
    Spock: Affirmative.
    Kirk: Mr. Sulu, go to pass two.
    Sulu: Aye aye, sir, going to pass two.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    new jersey
    Posts
    757
    YOOHOO! netscape finally wins over internet explorer.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    People's Republic of North America (Former United States)
    Posts
    849
    YOOHOO! netscape finally wins over internet explorer.
    You know, I'm not so sure about this. Here's the way I see this playing out, assuming it actually happens:

    1. AOL subscriber base integrated into MSN.

    2. AOL as an entity ceases to exist 12-18 months after aquisition.

    3. Mozilla coding ends, as we know it.

    4. Mozilla version released with some features from Internet Explorer.

    5. IE for Linux released.

    6. 24 months later, IE for Linux cancelled.

    7. M$ tells all IE for Linux users their OS is no longer supported, please "upgrade" to a supported OS.

    8. Linux community moves in droves to Opera.

    Bottom Line: This is a tactical move by Microsoft, if it's true. Would it get hung up in the courts? Sure. However, the courts, at least in the U.S., have been dramatically lenient on Microsoft.
    I equivocate, therefore I might be.

    My Linux/Unix Boxes:
    Home: Slackware 10, CentOS 5.3, RHEL 5, Ubuntu Workstation 9.10, Work: RHEL 5, CentOS 5

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    311
    Originally posted by klackenfus
    8. Linux community moves in droves to Opera.
    Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
    MOUNT TAPE U1439 ON B3, NO RING

    Registered Linux user # 31337!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    702
    I wish it would happen though....one step closer to Microsoft getting into HUGE trouble for monopolistic behavior. Europe is already coming down pretty hard on them if I'm not mistaken.
    I think Europe is being more lenient. Lindows is being sued in European courts by M$ because the US courts have failed to do anything to Lindows.com, donno this is just one example.

    "Microsoft has filed lawsuits in Finland, France, Sweden, the Netherlands and Canada. Lindows wants the court to stop all such actions until after the US case is heard. It says that such legal actions are "vexatious or oppressive" and "would result in delay"."
    I haven't cried like this since I paid for Godfather III --Fat Tony

    Currently breaking:
    Gentoo Stage 1 w/gentoo-dev-2.6.14-r2 kernel
    FreeBSD 6.0
    XP Pro, well thats already broken

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Cayman Islands
    Posts
    681
    Bring on the browser wars!!!

    Seriously, even if it never gets officially maintained again, I would gladly continue using Galeon or Firefox instead of MS's swiss-cheese-ware.
    Scotty: Captain, we din' can reference it!
    Kirk: Analysis, Mr. Spock?
    Spock: Captain, it doesn't appear in the symbol table.
    Kirk: Then it's of external origin?
    Spock: Affirmative.
    Kirk: Mr. Sulu, go to pass two.
    Sulu: Aye aye, sir, going to pass two.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Transplanted from beautiful La Quinta, CA to Long Beach, CA...there are no stars here at night!
    Posts
    1,240

    Re: Microsoft In Talks To Purchase AOL

    Originally posted by klackenfus
    If this happens, it could spell the death of the Mozilla project:
    Sorry. Mozilla code was GPL'ed with the approval of the owner, Netscape. Microsoft can't do anything about it even if the buy-out proposal makes it past the anti-trust folks.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    People's Republic of North America (Former United States)
    Posts
    849
    Sorry. Mozilla code was GPL'ed with the approval of the owner, Netscape.
    I hope you're right. I have to use IE at work but at home I'm all Linux/Mozilla. This is just the second front in, what I believe, is Microsoft's open declaration of war in supporting SCO in their petty fight
    Last edited by klackenfus; 03-20-2004 at 12:50 AM.
    I equivocate, therefore I might be.

    My Linux/Unix Boxes:
    Home: Slackware 10, CentOS 5.3, RHEL 5, Ubuntu Workstation 9.10, Work: RHEL 5, CentOS 5

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •