The idea of large companies seeking to polish the core product instead of expanding is almost un-American. And the idea that now that a huge company has all the money they will ever need and they should hold back on research is just silly. Most companies believe in grow or die, and that means both internal growth and creativity as well as buying creativity if you have the monies.

Many do not like the idea of Microsoft or other larger companies buying companies that are new and creative, I do not. The company is purchased not annihilated. The hostile take over if it is hostile is not a scorched earth policy where all are killed an no prisoners are taken. Microsoft, Google, EMC, Intel and other huge companies pay very good money to the creators and founders of the corporations they buy. And many of them are absorbed into the company at a very high salary with many benefits.

All this does not mean that huge corporations are demonic nor evil, for they have only done what we all wish we had done or hope we can do someday. I say let them rock-and-roll. Let Intel make ketchup if they want, and EMC manufacture locates that go 150 mph who cares. Let someone spend enough money in research that scientists can understand the electronics of the human eye and how images can be digitized and transported to the brain, resolving human blindness for all time. And if they find this out as they are researching voice over internet, or how to make a verbal input system for Word so be it.

And BTW if I had a company Microsoft wanted to buy for a ton of money, I would dance all the way to the bank, and start planning the next company after I had the deposit done.