Apple and Apple: Come Together?

Lodged in the back of my mind ever since I did my Zune review two months back is this thought: the biggest near-term boost to the iPod competitor's fortunes could come about from Microsoft's access to the Beatles' music and video catalog. The conditions for such a partnership seemed ripe: Apple Inc. (the company formerly known as Apple Computer) just last year successfully defended itself against the third lawsuit filed by the Beatles' record label, Apple Corp, the latest skirmish in a long legal battle between the companies which has inevitably led to bad blood between them. And Microsoft's financial holdings, which it could bring to bear in attempting to secure a deal with Apple Corp, are in a word….substantial.

If recent rumours are to be believed, however, an exclusive partnership between Liverpool and Redmond ain't happening. Or said another way; Apple Inc. won't 'Let It Be'. Steve Jobs littered his recent keynote with a number of Beatles references. And as reported by Ars Technica, Wired, and about five cajillion Apple-fixated blogs, Apple Inc. may announce the iTunes linkup with the Beatles library in the form of a commercial during the upcoming Super Bowl.

Has Steve Jobs' crooning of 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' been successful? Or will a last-minute 'Love Me Do' karaoke by 'Bungalow Bill' Gates, perhaps accompanied by a legal 'Revolver' or 'Warm Gun' , swing the pendulum Redmond's way (or at minimum in a more music service-agnostic direction)? Stay tuned; 'tomorrow never knows' but at the end of the day, I'm sure 'we can work it out'.

p.s….I promise: no more bad puns today.