Apple Inc (AAPL)

[Tex]

re Sun

ZFS was one of the technologies that I thought Apple could leverage without having to pay up for it: it can be deployed as a loadable kernel module, like other MacOS X filesystems. Apple seems to have ceded the field of storage hardware to other vendors who want to specialize in it; Apple offered Apple-branded storage only long enough to make sure there was an option, it seems, but doesn't plan to compete in a commodity business. Apple is offering SAN and other storage-related software, though ...

DTrace is already in MacOS X, incidentally.

When Apple deploys ZFS with official support, Apple will be in a position either to offer Appe-branded hardware, or allow the (cheap) hardware to be supplied by outside vendors.

Mind you, I do see some purpose in buying Sun: enterprise expertise. The question is whether Apple actually values this type of asset. Thinking not, I conclude a purchase is unlikely. However, if Apple wants to offer tech to large organizations from soup to nuts -- handheld, laptop, desktop, back-office -- Sun would not be a bad place to begin.

And over the years it's been trending cheaper ...

Take care,
--Tex.