Apple's Steve Jobs threatened to destroy Android, which he viewed as a blatant copy of iOS, according to an upcoming biography.
Google
Android's very existence drove Steve Jobs into a fury, according to Walter
Isaacson's upcoming biography of the late Apple CEO.
The book,
quoted extensively by the Associated Press ahead of its Oct. 23 release,
features Jobs pledging "thermonuclear war" against Google Android, which he
termed "a stolen product."
In a meeting
with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Jobs supposedly refused to accept any sort
of Android-related payout: "I don't want your money. If you offer me $5
billion, I won't want it. I've got plenty of money. I want you to stop using
our ideas in Android, that's all I want."
Apple
announced Jobs' death Oct. 5. A decade of technology hits-including the iPad,
iPod and iPhone-had transformed the struggling company into one of the most
respected and valued enterprises in the world, and elevated Jobs to superstar
status. Apple stores closed Oct. 19 so employees could watch a memorial service
held on Apple's campus.
The biography
covers the entirety of Jobs' life, including his long-term battle with cancer
and attempts to revive Apple in the late 1990s. The book currently tops
Amazon's bestseller list, and is widely expected to move quickly off store
shelves upon its release. Jobs granted Isaacson dozens of interviews.
Although
Apple's iPhone continues to dominate much of the general conversation about
smartphones, Android has managed to swallow a healthy portion of the market
over the past two years. One reason for the latter's success stems from its
presence on multiple networks, something Apple has countered by rolling out the
iPhone on more carriers in the United States. The recently released iPhone 4S,
featuring upgraded hardware and a "digital personal assistant" named Siri,
managed to sell some 4 million units by the end of its first weekend of
release.
In keeping
with Jobs' words, Apple has also fired off lawsuits against Android device
manufacturers. Its worldwide courtroom battle against Samsung extends from
Europe to Japan and Australia, with both companies accusing each other of
intellectual-property violations. Apple's other lawsuit targets include HTC and
Motorola, and it recently settled a dispute with Nokia.
Apple CEO Tim
Cook is now tasked with keeping the company's reputation and notable sales run
intact. According to former U.S. Vice President and Apple board member Al Gore,
Jobs advised his executives to follow their own instincts rather than ask,
"What would Steve do?" with regard to strategic decisions.
Follow Nicholas Kolakowski on Twitter
Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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