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Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by nerdjon on Monday January 29, 2024 @02:18PM (#39181038)
That's valid, but then requires asking who.

If the company is on the verge of closing, clearly there is something wrong with the business model. So for it to actually save jobs they have to first have the 1.7 billion that Amazon was going to pay and then have enough capital and a business reason that makes the acquisition make sense.

There are not many companies like that out there, particularly for a company like iRobot. There was synergy between iRobot and Amazon.

I am not advocating for a monopoly, but clearly another company wasn't stepping up to take amazon's place.

Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by CobrastanJorji on Monday January 29, 2024 @02:24PM (#39181118)
Is this a thing that needs fixing, though? Isn't part of the goal of capitalism to let the different business models fight with the idea that the best ones win and everybody else fails and shuts down? Closing when something is wrong with your business model is the goal, not something to be avoided.
Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by nerdjon on Monday January 29, 2024 @02:35PM (#39181285)
There is still the technology, the people.

While you're not wrong, just because the model doesn't work doesn't mean there isn't still value there.

If you are presented with the choice to shutdown a company or have it live on in another company saving some jobs. I would think the second is the better option.

It is possible that the only reason the business model doesn't make sense is not having a diverse enough of a catalog so research in a specific thing can be justified by multiple products.

Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by skydhash on Monday January 29, 2024 @03:15PM (#39181857)
The technology can be sold. As for the people, they entered in a contract with a business. If the business does not pan out, I don't see why they should be "saved". If the failure was due to bad leadership, there will be another company in the same sphere. And the value of these skills is rarely tied to the product itself.
Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by NegativeLatency on Monday January 29, 2024 @03:49PM (#39182354)
That’s a very lopsided agreement. And I’d prefer to live in a society where workers are treated with some level of dignity and respect.
Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by skydhash on Monday January 29, 2024 @04:02PM (#39182545)
Workers rights are orthogonal to socialism for businesses. And there's more opportunity for abuse when companies are "too big to fail". Business survival should be tied to market fit and the ability to attract talent and retain them, not handouts and acquisitions.
Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by lotsofpulp on Monday January 29, 2024 @04:15PM (#39182718)
Workers (people in general) should be taken care of (provided a floor for quality of life) by the government.
Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by thfuran on Monday January 29, 2024 @03:44PM (#39182270)
Let them eat cake, amirite?
Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by jsight on Monday January 29, 2024 @02:22PM (#39181093)
> That's valid, but then requires asking who.

Neato! Oh wait, they shut down.

Google! Maybe, but would the EU see that any differently anyway?

Yeah, there's not really a long list here. Maybe one of the non-US home automation companies might make sense, but they'd likely just put it on a glidepath to shutdown.

Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by mlazos on Monday January 29, 2024 @03:58PM (#39182494)
I feel like google acquired a ton of robotics companies and then completely failed at productizing any of them. They’ve sold them off now I think so I don’t think this fits with anything they’re doing.
Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by jsight on Monday January 29, 2024 @04:37PM (#39183032)
Exactly, the closest thing with Google is probably Nest. It'd make some sense, but I'm not sure if making sense is considered a plus at Google. :)
Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by nerdjon on Monday January 29, 2024 @02:28PM (#39181175)
Google likely wouldn't be allowed either, I mean they may not operate a store like Amazon but I highly doubt the idea of searching "robot vacuum" and iRobot always being the top or in a special box would fly.

I mean there is Microsoft who would have the money but it just doesn't really fit into anything they are doing.

Dyson? Sony? But yeah a non US company also opens up other questions that may block it.

Re:Amazon terminates iRobot deal, vacuum maker to lay off 31... by k8sToGo on Monday January 29, 2024 @03:10PM (#39181795)
IBM of course ;)