Comments on: Forget Yahoo, Microsoft should acquire AOL

AOL acquired Bebo for $850 million today and as soon as he heard the news, Don Reisinger had a thought: Microsoft should acquire AOL. Check out Don's reasoning and decide if you think he's right.

[millennian7]

AOL should buy the better parts of Yahoo, MSN and Microsoft development, and let the rest drift into cyberspace... Maybe Bill Gates should, too!

[Rick Cavaretti]

Like we need a mega-gigantic portal that generates its revenue thru yet another endless stream of advertising. Just like in the old days, I wish I could fast forward thru the commercials like on my old vcr.

[make_or_break]

It won't happen because it would be cost-prohibitive, courtesy of that little outfit called Google. AOL and a large chunk of Google's revenue stream are tied at the hip, and Google won't let that go without a major fight. MSFT might still win out, but the Google will definitely make them hurt for the privilege of owning that GOD (grand old dinosaur).

[doclandis]

I like the idea. I still like, and use AOL; I suppose more out of habit than admiration of its offerings. But MS could use the user base, and the ad revenue to ramp up its own presence here in the U.S.

[samgar2]

If Microsoft acquires AOL, the existing AOL services will become more popular, certainly outside the US, where AOL has no costumers at all. This will make Yahoo! become less popular and it's value will go down pretty fast. Yet, Yahoo! still has the services and the technology, so that Google will buy Yahoo! at a small price. This way, Google will all of a sudden offer better and more services than Microsoft (AOL), and because of Google's popularity, it will very catch up with Microsoft and grow bigger very quick because of the advantage in tech, knowhow and services. This way, Microsoft will yet again fall out of competition in online services and Google will reign alone. This is why Microsoft should and will buy Yahoo!. It's the only way to stay in competition and keep Google from becoming te only big provider in online services. If Google would buy another online service provider, they would be pushed towards the less interesting AOL, so that they would become big, but not as big as if they would have purchased Yahoo!. They would become popular enough anyway, because they are Google and people like Google.

[microsoftprincess]

If you thought the government would look into anti-trust issues over the Yahoo deal, can you imagine whatw ould happen with AOL? The simple fact is that AOL is owned by Time-Warner, and Yahoo is a stand alone. AOL has been increasing its share, and Yahoo hasn't. Besides, Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo and current CEO hates Microsoft. So it's more fun to take over your arch rival than someone you play well with in the sandbox. -Microsoft's Princess (Melanie Gass)