@Matt Bryant...
Matt,
Knowing the 'dirty laundry' and being able to use 'it' for a competitive advantage are two different things.
Not to mention that there are things like NDAs that are signed and those that know the 'dirty laundry' aren't allowed to talk about it.
Its far easier for a sales rep to create their own FUD for their own advantage.
I'll give you an example...
When IBM did start the takeover process of Informix Software (the database division of Ascential...), the sales reps went out and started telling customers that they should buy DB2 since they were acquiring Informix to remove a competitor and that it would be going away.
(This was the furthest thing from the truth.) The net result was that the customer would end up going with Oracle because they didn't like DB2 and they didn't trust IBM's future in this space.
(Informix reps who covered the accounts would say a different thing.)
The other issue is that even if you know the dirty laundry, it could be a moot point. Its all about spin control.
Customers are used to sales critters bashing their competition so that when company A bashes company B, a good rep from company B deflects the negative talk with spin.
Sorry but the rest of your post is pure drivel.
Oracle will not sell off the hardware business.
The real problem is that Oracle was slow to think this deal through. From the Sun consumer and their resellers' perspective, Oracle is a better option that being bought by the 'borg. From Oracle's perspective, they didn't want to enter in to the low margin game of hardware, at the risk of hurting their current alliances with Sun , HP and even IBM. (IBM is also a very large reseller of Oracle's products.)
But as Oracle thinks the deal through, Sun's hardware could be pretty much a stand alone division, having minimal impact on their existing software relationship. Case in point, IBM as a larger (#2??) reseller of Oracle which they they sell IBM's hardware and services to close the deal.
Add to this the fact that with a hardware platform, Oracle can become a one stop shop and better compete against an IBM which sells hardware/software/services.
Add to this the fact that Sun customers love Sun so that as long as Oracle doesn't rock the craddle too much, their hardware division will continue to make money and they will continue to have access to customers in IBM's 'white space' where IBM really can't sell so its less of a competitor leaving HP or an Intel based solution from Dell or MSI...
The longer you look at the deal, Oracle comes out ahead by getting in to the hardware biz. The real interesting issue is that this deal is a total game changer.
The black helicopter is because I know too much. ;-)