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Apple vs. Google Turning Into Jobs vs. Schmidt?

By - Source: Tom's Hardware US

Has the business relationship between Apple and Google affected the CEOs of the two companies?

With Apple and Google competing on more and more levels, it would be silly to expect the relationship between CEOs Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt to be what it was when the iPhone first launched. However, not a lot of people expected the relationship to fall so far into disrepair that sources would later say, "Steve Jobs simply hates Eric Schmidt."

Over the weekend, the New York Times ran a lengthy story about the relationship between Apple and Google. Examining things right from the beginning, when Schmidt and Jobs worked together to bring Google Maps and search to the iPhone and Schmidt openly complimented Steve on his new product, to the current back and forth of sniping remarks made about each other's company while talking to the press.

The Times reports that when Apple announced the iPad in January, Schmidt was asked what he thought of the device. Schmidt responded, "You might want to tell me the difference between a large phone and a tablet."

When Apple filed its lawsuit against HTC, alleging that the Google-built Android OS was infringing on its patents, many speculated that it was only targeting HTC because it was an easier target than the search giant. In a statement at the time the suit was filed, Steve Jobs is quoted by the NYT piece as saying, "We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We've decided to do something about it."

The report goes on to say that Schmidt and Jobs were never close friends but states they dined together on several occasions and Jobs never hesitated to call Eric directly to voice his opinions. NYT also cites several friends of Schmidt who say he relished his position on Apple’s board while he had it.

CNBC yesterday spoke about the relationship between the two CEOs during it's Power Lunch news show and according to Jim Goldberg, many sources say "Steve Jobs simply hates Eric Schmidt right now." While speaking with anchor Dennis Kneale, Goldman, the network's Silicon Valley Bureau Chief, said that the two companies have been at "diametric opposites" for sometime and Steve's "hate" for Eric shows just how bitter the rivalry has become. With regards to the ongoing patent suit, analyst Andy Hargreaves says that HTC was probably a good company to go after because they have the Google tie without the Google funding or recognition.

Read the full New York Times article here and watch the CNBC segment on the Power Lunch website (via Engadget).

There are 33 Comments. B
Top Comments
  • 24
    polly the parrot , March 17, 2010 1:45 AM
    I'm rooting for Schmidt.

    Go Schmidt!
  • 23
    gekko668 , March 17, 2010 2:05 AM
    Google and Apple is like water and oil. Google flooded the market with free services while Apple clogged up the consumer' artery with half-baked, expensive product.

    I'll use Google service anytime, anyday.

  • 23
    nawat , March 17, 2010 1:46 AM
    Is there anyone that Jobs does not hate? I've never seen Jobs complimenting anyone.
Other Comments
  • 23
    Abrahm , March 17, 2010 1:43 AM
    Every time I read a comment from Jobs, he just sounds like a whiny little baby with sour grapes in his mouth. It's astounding that he gets the praise that he does.
  • 24
    polly the parrot , March 17, 2010 1:45 AM
    I'm rooting for Schmidt.

    Go Schmidt!
  • 23
    nawat , March 17, 2010 1:46 AM
    Is there anyone that Jobs does not hate? I've never seen Jobs complimenting anyone.
  • 21
    gayan , March 17, 2010 1:48 AM
    I am for the lesser of the two evils.....
    Go Goog Go...
  • 15
    danish_2828 , March 17, 2010 1:48 AM
    I've got your back HTC. I've had your back since the Audiovox SMT5600 and it's metal faceplate goodness.
  • 22
    danish_2828 , March 17, 2010 1:49 AM
    AbrahmEvery time I read a comment from Jobs, he just sounds like a whiny little baby with sour grapes in his mouth. It's astounding that he gets the praise that he does.


    Just think about the people that praise him. I think they travel in packs.
  • 23
    gekko668 , March 17, 2010 2:05 AM
    Google and Apple is like water and oil. Google flooded the market with free services while Apple clogged up the consumer' artery with half-baked, expensive product.

    I'll use Google service anytime, anyday.

  • 5
    phantomtrooper , March 17, 2010 2:08 AM
    HEHE perfect. I see what Google is doing. Got themselves on the Apple board a while back so they could learn their ins and outs. Now its time to stab them in the back. GO GOOGLE!
  • 13
    polly the parrot , March 17, 2010 2:13 AM
    Don't say the words "GO GOOGLE", it reminds me of the go.google.com virus I had.

    *shudders*
  • 11
    dman3k , March 17, 2010 2:17 AM
    danish_2828Just think about the people that praise him. I think they travel in packs.
    Well, Steve Jobs did thank a dead girl before, after abusing the organ donor queue system.

    "As some of you know, about five months ago I had a liver transplant. I now have the liver of a mid-20s person who died in a car crash and was generous enough to donate their organs, and I wouldn't be here without such generosity."

    Does that sound like gratitude?
  • 11
    grifonik , March 17, 2010 3:04 AM
    Can I add a post-it addendum to my drivers license? Organ Donor***

    *** Except for convicts, habitual drug users, vagrants, and Steve Jobs.


    hmmm... might need more than a post-it note now that I think about it. Maybe a mysql database on flash memory chip imbedded in drivers license.
  • 7
    grifonik , March 17, 2010 3:14 AM
    Theorem:

    Google = "Don't be evil"
    Google != Evil
    Evil != Good


    function Sue(a){
    return not(a)
    }

    Apple = Sue(Google)

    Therefore:
    Apple = Evil
  • 2
    Trueno07 , March 17, 2010 3:36 AM
    dman3kWell, Steve Jobs did thank a dead girl before, after abusing the organ donor queue system."As some of you know, about five months ago I had a liver transplant. I now have the liver of a mid-20s person who died in a car crash and was generous enough to donate their organs, and I wouldn't be here without such generosity."Does that sound like gratitude?


    Psh, everyone knows he's a robot.
  • 8
    aethm , March 17, 2010 3:37 AM
    Has Apple ever been an ethical company? Not that Google is much better but I would take Google over Apple any day.
  • 8
    doc70 , March 17, 2010 3:40 AM
    I think Jobs is just filled with envy. First was envy towards MS and it's chief, Gates, because the whole world chose MS Win and, not least, because Gates has more money than him.
    Now, it's Google and Schmidt, because the whole world uses Google search and probably Schmidt has more money than him.

    Besides, he hates the fact that other people can come up with better ideas than himself. Praising others' success is just not in Jobs' vocabulary and he can't stand the fact that people appreciate his competitors. That just fuels his envy and sourness and the whole cycle repeats.
  • 2
    Shadow703793 , March 17, 2010 5:06 AM
    KingssmanI'm gonna wait till the next big Apple product to come out so that other companies can take the idea and re-brand it.

    You do realize most of the hard work is done by others and not Apple? For example, most of OSX base code is based off of the "free" BSD distro(s). All Apple did was slap in a customized GUI and some other cr@p.
  • 4
    tipoo , March 17, 2010 5:20 AM
    "Don't be evil" vs pure evil...I'm rooting for Schmidt.
  • 0
    anonymous@guest , March 17, 2010 7:13 AM
    danish_2828I've got your back HTC. I've had your back since the Audiovox SMT5600 and it's metal faceplate goodness.



    Count my support in as well HTC, Since my first HTC phone the qtrk 9000 or O2 XDA exec which once flashed with a cooked rom to remove the mess that O2 made, it was a brilliant piece of engineering, lasting me well into 2008 before getting stolen, then had TyTNII which whilst not as good as the XDA keyboard size, it was brilliant, went to absolute dog of a phone Samsung Omnia i900 P*S and now back with Beloved HTC and Touch Pro 2, awesome piece of kit that I feel will go as long as the XDA did!!

    Long live HTC!!!
  • 3
    requiemsallure , March 17, 2010 8:09 AM
    HTC FTW, apple trying to get at google through another company is cowardly first of all, second of all i knew there had to be more to the apple suing htc thing for SOFTWARE... apple is just trying to take everyone down these days, it won't work and in the end apple will be that much poorer for it methinks.
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