Certainly a fascinating question - not just Google/M$ response to this 'threat', but where Apple go next.
I can see the logic of your argument that Apple might buy a search engine, but bar Google and Bing, none of the others is much better than starting from scratch; even AskJeeves gave up serious search several years ago, relying on buying places in Google's hidden sponsored links to pick up customers, then recouping the expense by offering its own sponsored listings. Hardly an appealing model for Apple, but light years ahead of all the others. And adapting / updating an existing 2nd tier engine would be as costly - and as time consuming - as doing it themselves.
And Steve Jobs attitude to search implies it's not something that has (so far) been a priority.
A short-term partnership, even with a rock or a hard place is a possibility, but I suspect the app revolution will allow them them to use siri as a portal to any selected search, thus saving a few billion
Interesting times ahead.
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