Is Google Going To Buy Apple?

[ Edit: I've updated this post because the rumors are getting stronger. Bottom line: Jobs wants to leave, and he and the board only trust one company to handle their baby. Think about it. ]

Steve Jobs will soon be leaving Apple, and Google’s CEO, Eric Shmidt, will be taking over (recent developments point to a buyout). Is this a rumor? Yes. But this is the type of rumor you should pay attention to. Read on.

A close friend of mine is a Mac administrator who gets regularly taken out by her local Apple representative. Every now and then he’ll mention something Apple-related that hasn’t been released to the public yet — and everything thus far that he’s told her has come true.

In short, This is not the repetition of previous rumors — it’s solid information from an Apple employee that happens to support what we’re seeing elsewhere.

Of course, commentary from some Apple employee doesn’t make a rumor true, but there’s more. The most compelling thing about the story is the fact that it makes perfect sense. Let’s review:

• Jobs has mentioned repeatedly that he’s going to be leaving soon.
• Eric Schmidt joins Jobs on stage at MacWorld to discuss them working together extensively.
• Eric Schmidt recently joined the Apple board of directors.
• They are both Microsoft arch-enemies.
• Jobs is very paternal when it comes to his baby (Apple). It makes sense that he’d encourage the board to pick someone like Schmidt to follow him because of how well Google is doing.

So when you combine all that with the fact that there’s been speculation about a merger since before MacWorld, and an actual Apple employee clearly saying this is what’s going to happen…uh, yeah — it’s worth considering as a possibility.

I can’t possibly imagine the pain in Microsoft’s collective face if this were to actually take place. It’ll be a sad day in Redmond, that’s for sure.: