A new published account of how Apple acquired both the technology and employees of music startup Lala and failed social network Color sheds insight into the deal-making style of Apple executives, at least while Steve Jobs was CEO. Aubrey Johnson, a former designer at Color, recounts the rise of Lala and the struggles of Color and how Apple eventually paid "pennies on the dollar" to acquire the Color talent that had walked away from the Lala deal. The blog post sheds some light on the workings of small acquisitions and backroom dealings.
