Also, by your very argument, Google might not have wanted to get into search either. But of course, anyone would laugh at such a statement.
It's not a concern. That was never my position. What it does tell us is that search at that level is becoming a commodity.
The Google ecosystem as a whole, on the other hand, is not a commodity. That is the competition Apple needs to be concerned about.
Also, by your very argument, Google might not have wanted to get into search either. But of course, anyone would laugh at such a statement.
Just because you weren't able to synthesize the facts into something more than a straw man, don't assume that it's not possible. Sergey and Brin were pioneers, so of course it's not commodity when they did it. I think the case is strong that it is now.
...because this is not the long-dreamed-about NCAA national football title.
It's not about titles. Or even dollar totals. Whether Apple as a country can continue to offer great value to its shareholders (wish I were one) depends on its long-term business model (and ability to judge consumer tastes/desires). And they certainly could potentially make some strategic missteps like any huge corporation (can you say, 'Toyota'?).
More interesting than Apple teaming up with MSFT at this point would be Apple moving into Google's turf: search.
What if Apple bought up DuckDuckGo and invested as much innovative energy there as it has in hard/software? It's sounding likely that they'll soon be launching iAd to compete with other online ad processes. They're already getting practice at building huge server farms (Maiden, NC).
I wouldn't rule out Ads/Search from Apple: it would just require getting ratcheted higher up on Steve's priorities.