iBooks and Barnes & Noble: Marriage made in heaven?

Now here’s an interesting idea. We all know that iBooks has been successful, but not as successful as it could have been. Amazon still offers a better choice and an easier cross-platform eco-system. But what if Apple were to buy Barnes & Noble? This idea is going the rounds today, according to MacRumors. Valued at at miserable one billion, Barnes & Noble would be little more than a disk of plankton for Apple’s whale. But the markets remain unmoved by this intriguing suggestion. Sceptics point out that Apple had the opportunity to buy Borders at fire-sale prices. It’s an interesting proposition, nevertheless.