Apple's Flash in Plan

Apple (AAPL Quote) may be turning to an old recipe to maintain its dominance in the digital music market.

According to recent news reports, the iPod maker talked with Samsung earlier this year about investing in the production of flash memory chips. Although the talks were called off, some analysts expect Apple to pursue a similar deal with Samsung or some other vendor.

Apple's strategy may be unusual, but it's a response to recent success, says Tim Deal, an analyst with Technology Business Research. "The unprecedented success of the iPod ... has become the prime strategic focus of Apple," says Deal. ...