

Ask HN: Why doesn't Apple Buy Adobe? - evo_9

I've long wondered why Apple doesn't buy Adobe.<p>The two companies have a long and storied history together going back to the good old days when Adobe created/supplied the Postscript printer language, not to mention Display Postscript used in the NeXT computer built by Jobs; but the reality is Apple has always needed Adobe more than the other way around.<p>With the recent news that Microsoft and Adobe are getting chummy together, I would think this is a perfect opportunity for Apple to buy Adobe.  They could even site the potential damage of a rumored purchase from Microsoft as primary reason for the move (a pre-emtive strike).<p>The Creative Suite as an Apple product would round out their professional software offering nicely alongside Logic and Final Cut. Not only would this protect Apple from Adobe becoming a Microsoft exclusive, they would be able to make the mac version of Adobe products either mac exclusive or at the very least the top priority. The would also have ownership of Flash, which I have to believe would almost be worth it alone.  All together I'd think this is a huge win-win for Apple.<p>So why not? Anti-trust? It would seem they (Apple) are such a small fish in the over-all PC market, Anti-trust just doesn't add up to me.
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HardyLeung
Probably because of THE grudge (about Apple being abandoned by Adobe in its
darkest hour), lack of respect for Adobe (calling them out as lazy),
overlapping products (the dependency on Adobe is smaller than you think),
unwillingness to further a "past" technology that goes contrary to where Apple
is headed.

But yeah, your point about Microsoft is taken.

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willydaemon
Apple using up a significant portion of their cash reserves on Adobe is very
small-minded, 1990s-era thinking in my opinion.

Apple has a chance to absolutely dominate the next decade or two of computing
in the most important mobile categories and become one of the most profitable
companies ever. Anything that detracts from this massive opportunity, such as
refocusing on much smaller creative professional markets, should probably be
avoided.

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maukdaddy
Apple creates good software to sell amazing hardware.

Adobe creates shitty software to sell other software.

Adobe has considerable legacy baggage that would be very difficult for Apple
to deal with.

