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OpenAI reaches agreement to buy Windsurf for $3B

bloomberg.com

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Re: OpenAI reaches agreement to buy Windsurf for $3B

#91

Post by leonidasv »

Androider wrote: post #28

Windsurf and Cursor feel like temporary stopgaps, products of a narrow window in time before the landscape shifts again. Microsoft has clearly taken notice. They're already starting to lock down the upstream VSCode codebase, as seen with recent changes to the C/C++ extension [0]. It's not hard to imagine that future features like TypeScript 7.0 might be limited or even withheld from forks entirely. At the same time,…

The thing is: we should not need standalone editors just to use AI coding agents. They could be just plugins, but Microsoft does not want to bend the plugin API enough for that. Windsurf has a "plugin edition" for JetBrains IDEs that works really, really well[0] (they also have a VSCode plugin[1] but it's lacking in comparison).

However, given that JetBrains also have their own AI offering[2], I'm not sure how long that will last too...

[0] https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/20540-windsurf-plugin-f...

[1] https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Codeium....

[2] https://www.jetbrains.com/ai/

Re: OpenAI reaches agreement to buy Windsurf for $3B

#92

Post by mrweasel »

dist-epoch wrote: post #65
Androider wrote: post #28

Windsurf and Cursor feel like temporary stopgaps, products of a narrow window in time before the landscape shifts again. Microsoft has clearly taken notice. They're already starting to lock down the upstream VSCode codebase, as seen with recent changes to the C/C++ extension [0]. It's not hard to imagine that future features like TypeScript 7.0 might be limited or even withheld from forks entirely. At the same time,…

Cursor ($9 bil) has a higher valuation than JetBrains ($7 bil). Think about that.

Tells me that the markets ability to sensibly valuate companies is pretty messed up.

Re: OpenAI reaches agreement to buy Windsurf for $3B

#94

Post by ashish01 »

ujkhsjkdhf234 wrote: post #87

I need someone to convince me this isn't one of the biggest waste of money on an acquisition. If OpenAI can't build an official IDE for less than 3 Billion then what are they even doing? Windsurf can't have that high of a userbase that you feel the need to pay for it.

> one of the biggest waste of money on an acquisition.

I think that was when intel acquired McAfee for 8B in 2010.

Re: OpenAI reaches agreement to buy Windsurf for $3B

#95

Post by mrweasel »

whazor wrote: post #34

From a customer point of view it makes sense to pay a fixed monthly price for both chat and coding, instead of having two separate subscriptions.

That makes a lot of sense, for the customers, but OpenAI is not profitable on even their $200 subscription. I doubt Windsurf is turning a profit either.

Buying a "bundle" should result in a lower price, as compared to buying both tools separately, making the loses worse. Unless they can reuse some of the same infrastructure and save a lot of money that way.

Re: OpenAI reaches agreement to buy Windsurf for $3B

#96

Post by aravindputrevu »

Androider wrote: post #28

Windsurf and Cursor feel like temporary stopgaps, products of a narrow window in time before the landscape shifts again. Microsoft has clearly taken notice. They're already starting to lock down the upstream VSCode codebase, as seen with recent changes to the C/C++ extension [0]. It's not hard to imagine that future features like TypeScript 7.0 might be limited or even withheld from forks entirely. At the same time,…

I completely disagree and feel MS would never do it. Not a MS Employee, but they have moved on from such battles.

They should have restricted the Marketplace several years ago, however, they are doing it now.

With C++, they are part of MFC's, they are the legal owners, not like Google vs Oracle in case of Java.

Lastly, with AI Code IDEs I think yes, there is a case, the need for IDE might be very less. Like a steering on a self driving car.

Re: OpenAI reaches agreement to buy Windsurf for $3B

#98

Post by aravindputrevu »

arresin wrote: post #60
Androider wrote: post #28

Windsurf and Cursor feel like temporary stopgaps, products of a narrow window in time before the landscape shifts again. Microsoft has clearly taken notice. They're already starting to lock down the upstream VSCode codebase, as seen with recent changes to the C/C++ extension [0]. It's not hard to imagine that future features like TypeScript 7.0 might be limited or even withheld from forks entirely. At the same time,…

Copilot owns the platform, had an amazing head start and yet still is the worst option available. I don’t mean to be harsh but this was a titanic fumble.

I still can't believe how they let Cursor (which is amazing until somepoint) take away all the shine.

This reminds me of "big companies moves slow.." line.

Re: OpenAI reaches agreement to buy Windsurf for $3B

#99

Post by fazeirony »

ujkhsjkdhf234 wrote: post #87

I need someone to convince me this isn't one of the biggest waste of money on an acquisition. If OpenAI can't build an official IDE for less than 3 Billion then what are they even doing? Windsurf can't have that high of a userbase that you feel the need to pay for it.

you mean the company that spent $9B to make $4B in 2024? that openai?

i agree with you on this - it seems that openai hallucinates reality as much as their products do :-/

Re: OpenAI reaches agreement to buy Windsurf for $3B

#100

Post by CptanPanic »

onlyrealcuzzo wrote: post #33
Androider wrote: post #28

Windsurf and Cursor feel like temporary stopgaps, products of a narrow window in time before the landscape shifts again. Microsoft has clearly taken notice. They're already starting to lock down the upstream VSCode codebase, as seen with recent changes to the C/C++ extension [0]. It's not hard to imagine that future features like TypeScript 7.0 might be limited or even withheld from forks entirely. At the same time,…

> At the same time, Microsoft will likely replicate Windsurf and Cursor's features within a year. And deliver them with far greater stability and polish. We've seen this before with Office. We'll see it again.

At the speed that AI programming is going, there will be something else that they are falling behind of that will exist in a year. Just like Agents now, they are adding them, but will always be a step behind progress.
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