Apple should acquire...

Yesterday's rumor from Gawker that Apple is in negotiations to acquire Twitter for $700 million made me smile. Not because I think that it would be a great acquisition (I don't) but because it's just one of the many companies that Cupertino has been rumored to buy over the years.

Not that it couldn't. Apple has a very public $29 billion in cash reserves (which is bested only by Cisco’s $30 billion among tech companies) and could buy a substantial amount of the tech companies that are out there – they just never do. Apple seems perfectly content to sit on its cash hoard just in case a rainy day comes along.

Here's a short list of some of the companies that Apple has been rumored to acquire over the years:

• Adobe (2008)
• AMD (2007)
• Autodesk (2008)
• Disney (2006)
• Electronic Arts (2009)
• Netflix (2007)
• Nintento (2006)
• Palm (2006)
• Pandora (2008)
• Pixar (2005)
• Sony (2008)
• Sun (2006 and 2009)
• TiVo (2005)
• Twitter (2009)
• Universal Music (2003)
• Yahoo! (2009)

I'm just as guilty as the rest for spending Apple's bankroll. I've suggested Apple acquire TiVo (serveral times), Netflix, Pandora,  Shazam, Midomi, Last.fm and even Hulu – but it doesn't look like that's going to happen either.

Who did I miss?

Photo: AppleGazette