Well, here's a fascinating rumor: Google buying Sun. I'm unconvinced, but the site does lay out some interesting facts:

• Google stock has been experiencing a number of non-disclosed acquisitions.
• Sun has had investors exiting to the tune of eight figures on a market cap of ten.
• Microsoft meanwhile, sits more comfortable than both at a price/earnings way below the industry average and with a product - Windows Vista - which everyone is talking about coming out later this year.

These kinds of anomalies are typical in the behaviour of companies where acquisitions have been strategically arranged and are still in the 'preparation' phase. Google has to do as much of a job in showing benefits of acquiring Sun as it does in proving its own capability to turn things around there - and what better way to do it than show the growth potential of the company it is preparing to acquire?

Well, I'll believe two things when I see them: Vista shipping this year, and Sun getting bought by Google. I fail to see the point, unless Google is looking to move back to the 19th/early 20th century business strategy of vertical integration (i.e., secure their own high end hardware manufacturer. I don't see the Sun software suite being of much value to Google - heck, I don't think it's helping Sun much at this point.

Interesting conjecture though.